State welfare card initiative unsuccessful in helping Thais fight poverty

[webfact]

 

By Panithan Onthaworn

 

Thailand’s state welfare card program has failed to reduce poverty, the Finance Ministry said this week, citing the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and rising unemployment. 

 

The Fiscal Policy Office noted that increasing registrations for the welfare card shows that the program is not working.

 

Kulaya Tantitemit, the Director-General at the Fiscal Policy Office said that the government wanted to see fewer people applying for the new round after receiving financial aid. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/32612/state-welfare-card-initiative-unsuccessful-in-helping-thais-fight-poverty/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2021-09-14

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ThailandRyan]

What did they expect when the handout was for only a few thousand baht or less, much like the retirement amounts given to seniors. This is why families rely on each other to survive.

[Neeranam]

20 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

What did they expect when the handout was for only a few thousand baht or less, much like the retirement amounts given to seniors. This is why families rely on each other to survive.

What do you think is an acceptable amount to give them? 6,000 baht is a large amount for many Thai people, actually much more meaningful than my Yank friends who got 35,000 baht from Sleepy Joe.

Should the Thai govt. follow the example of the USA and just give money that isn't theirs? 

[ikke1959]

First of all make a good administration in the country. Than they know were people live and with who. Now you can be in the blue book in Chiang Mai and live in Bangkok, and nobody knows what you are doing. So solve that problem first. Register people where they live, with who and what they do for a living. Than you can help the people  much better. Now I see that some families living with 5 or 6 all apply for the welfare, but they have earn a lot of money too, but nobody knows so in fact they don't need it. So in fact than more money can be given to people who need it more.. But the  peoples administration now is terrible 

[Antonymous]

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

First of all make a good administration in the country. Than they know were people live and with who. Now you can be in the blue book in Chiang Mai and live in Bangkok, and nobody knows what you are doing. So solve that problem first. Register people where they live, with who and what they do for a living. Than you can help the people  much better. Now I see that some families living with 5 or 6 all apply for the welfare, but they have earn a lot of money too, but nobody knows so in fact they don't need it. So in fact than more money can be given to people who need it more.. But the  peoples administration now is terrible 

There is a form being sent around houses in Chiang Mai right now. We received it from an assistant to the puyaibaan recently and asked to fill it it fully. There is a long list of questions asking for the names, ages, occupations and qualifications of everyone staying in the property.  So far so good.

 

Then a page of intrusive questions requesting the amounts of income received, per individual, broken down into main income source and then all secondary income sources including for example selling online, rental income, interest from banks, etc. Plus data on the usual outgoings (amounts and types of your expenditure). Plus questions about the state of each individual's health and details of any illnesses.

 

Someone comes around to collect the completed forms. No sealed envelope. Absolutely no explanation of who will have access to this information (it will be read by every nosey parker in your vicinity for starters). No mention of security or safety of your data (clearly there is none whatsoever).

 

I ask you, would you complete this form honestly? Would you complete it at all?

 

My wife asked around the neighbourhood and found that the official in a nearby village had completed all the forms for everyone in her village by herself and made up all the figures. This presumably saved the hassle of having to go door to door and arguing with everyone to get the info!

 

And this is the reality. This is the state of Thailand's 'good administration'.

Edited September 14, 2021 by Antonymous

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The Fiscal Policy Office noted that increasing registrations for the welfare card shows that the program is not working.

 

Kulaya Tantitemit, the Director-General at the Fiscal Policy Office said that the government wanted to see fewer people applying for the new round after receiving financial aid. 

It wasn't meant to work.

[ikke1959]

1 hour ago, Antonymous said:

There is a form being sent around houses in Chiang Mai right now. We received it from an assistant to the puyaibaan recently and asked to fill it it fully. There is a long list of questions asking for the names, ages, occupations and qualifications of everyone staying in the property.  So far so good.

 

Then a page of intrusive questions requesting the amounts of income received, per individual, broken down into main income source and then all secondary income sources including for example selling online, rental income, interest from banks, etc. Plus data on the usual outgoings (amounts and types of your expenditure). Plus questions about the state of each individual's health and details of any illnesses.

 

Someone comes around to collect the completed forms. No sealed envelope. Absolutely no explanation of who will have access to this information (it will be read by every nosey parker in your vicinity for starters). No mention of security or safety of your data (clearly there is none whatsoever).

 

I ask you, would you complete this form honestly? Would you complete it at all?

 

My wife asked around the neighbourhood and found that the official in a nearby village had completed all the forms for everyone in her village by herself and made up all the figures. This presumably saved the hassle of having to go door to door and arguing with everyone to get the info!

 

And this is the reality. This is the state of Thailand's 'good administration'.

It should be done in person at the amphur office and not someone who is coming door by door with papers like this.. I don't like it also that you have to write down your name and telephonenumber everywhere since the Covid crisis, or the apps.... I have the right to some privacy too... Indeed who knows who is doing with the asked information.

[GreasyFingers]

Well the poor people up here do appreciate the money even thought there have been problems with who gets it. The small shop keepers (not the supermarkets) appreciate it as well.

[Andycoops]

16 hours ago, Antonymous said:

There is a form being sent around houses in Chiang Mai right now. We received it from an assistant to the puyaibaan recently and asked to fill it it fully. There is a long list of questions asking for the names, ages, occupations and qualifications of everyone staying in the property.  So far so good.

 

Then a page of intrusive questions requesting the amounts of income received, per individual, broken down into main income source and then all secondary income sources including for example selling online, rental income, interest from banks, etc. Plus data on the usual outgoings (amounts and types of your expenditure). Plus questions about the state of each individual's health and details of any illnesses.

 

Someone comes around to collect the completed forms. No sealed envelope. Absolutely no explanation of who will have access to this information (it will be read by every nosey parker in your vicinity for starters). No mention of security or safety of your data (clearly there is none whatsoever).

 

I ask you, would you complete this form honestly? Would you complete it at all?

 

My wife asked around the neighbourhood and found that the official in a nearby village had completed all the forms for everyone in her village by herself and made up all the figures. This presumably saved the hassle of having to go door to door and arguing with everyone to get the info!

 

And this is the reality. This is the state of Thailand's 'good administration'.

Wonderful Thai bureaucracy at its very best, especially the bit about filling in all the forms on behalf of residents.

In reality this would happen in a small village as many older folk are semi illiterate at best.

My wife completes many official papers on behalf of her elderly aunts.