How a flaw in the system lands Thailand’s elderly in trouble

[webfact]

How a flaw in the system lands Thailand’s elderly in trouble

 

An elderly woman sits along an alley in a low-income neighborhood in Bangkok on May 4, 2020. (Photo by Romeo GACAD / AFP)

 

A 99-year-old grandmother says she will go to prison if the government sues for repayment of Bt100,000 in subsidies whose overlapping claim rules were too complicated for her to understand.

 

“How could I know that I am not eligible for these subsidies for the elderly?” asked Saeng Sudkhum. “Besides, I have no means to return the money.” Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has no plans to send her to prison, though.

 

On Tuesday, the prime minister assured thousands of seniors that they don’t have to worry about lawsuits because there would be a happy ending for all involved. “I understand the plight of all the affected grandparents. You’ve done nothing wrong and neither have officials,” Prayut said. “I will sort out the problems without you being taken to court or forced to return the money.”

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/how-a-flaw-in-the-system-lands-thailands-elderly-in-trouble/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-02-04

 

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[onebir]

Even grandparents get happy endings. TIT

[robblok]

Neither have done the officials.. im not so sure about that. They first agreed to the payments and later only after many years found the mistake. So the officials have been sleeping.

[ThailandRyan]

Wonder if buried deep in the program is an amount that could be found to have been handed to corrupt politicians, and therefore is why Prayut is trying to make it disappear.  

[Pravda]

To be fair, in US and Canada and probably many "first world" countries if tax mans screws up it is never their problem. 

[robblok]

37 minutes ago, Pravda said:

To be fair, in US and Canada and probably many "first world" countries if tax mans screws up it is never their problem. 

Dutch government fell over the tax mans problems.So its not that strange.

[Mike Rodik]

as long as they vote for him, next "election"

 

100.000 baht x how many people ???

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A 99-year-old grandmother says she will go to prison if the government sues for repayment of Bt100,000

On the bright side , a life sentence would probably only be a year

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, Mike Rodik said:

as long as they vote for him, next "election"

 

100.000 baht x how many people ???

It has been reported  that 15000 recipients are involved but for varying amounts.

[Susco]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

You’ve done nothing wrong and neither have officials,” Prayut said. “I will sort out the problems without you being taken to court or forced to return the money.”

 

Looks like I have to get out the pop corn. Nobody has doing anything wrong, and nobody will go to court or have to pay back, yet Uncle Too gonna sort it out.

 

Guess it's gonna be a similar fix as the lottery, and about everything else he has been involved with.

[vandeventer]

Why do they put the pressure on the elderly in the first place, it's not like they have great government pensions to live on.

[Proboscis]

The Dutch government resigned over a matter like this. Hint hint