Around 20% of Thais expected to register as "poor" when system is ready next year

[webfact]

Picture: Bangkok Business News

 

Bangkok Business News reported that the so called "Poor Registry" run by the treasury for people to register for extra state benefits should be up and running early next year.

 

Assistant treasury minister Santi Phromphat indicated that as many as 15 million Thais are expected to register. 

 

He said there would be plenty of safeguards in place so that people owning land or cars couldn't fraudulently register and cheat the system.

 

Previously poor people who have "poor cards" will need to register all over again when the system comes online. 

 

The system has not been rejigged for years, reported the media, with interest in how many "new poor" have been created as a result of the devastating impact of the pandemic on the economy and employment. 

 

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[Gold Star]

They should recognize a lot of expats supporting their families and extended families here have been made poorer as well. We play an important part here in Thailand by providing social support to a large portion of the population with food, housing, education, that might otherwise cost the state. What we don't need are more restrictions, insurance requirements, and additional costs and barriers to staying here that may make it too difficult, and force some of us to leave.

[Per Norstedt]

Well said ????

They consider expats as "cash cows"

[Per Norstedt]

Wonder how future will look in Thailand ????

[blackprince]

Poverty in the UK estimated at c 20%, in the US at c 11%. But different countries calculate differently. AND that was before Covid. I suspect the official figures in the US and UK will show a marked increase for the covid period when they are released.

 

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn07096/

 

https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2021/demo/p60-273.html

Edited November 15, 2021 by blackprince
adding links

[sherwood]

12 minutes ago, Per Norstedt said:

Wonder how future will look in Thailand ????

<deleted>, same same really.

Edited November 15, 2021 by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

[itsari]

If you own land or a car you are not poor in Thailand ?

I see plenty in my area with both yet I would consider them poor .

[Checkered Demon]

House/Land Rich and Cash Poor! 

 

[Will B Good]

20% registered as poor, 15 million unemployed................. yet 400,000 immigrants being allowed into Thailand to keep wages down to an absolute minimum.

 

How wealthy do these 8 families need to be?

[dinsdale]

2 minutes ago, itsari said:

If you own land or a car you are not poor in Thailand ?

I see plenty in my area with both yet I would consider them poor .

Yep. So what they are saying is 20% of Thai people have basically nothing. Having a couple of rai to grow rice on that makes very little money for the farmers are not poor for just one example. Just more rubbish from the rich emptyheads who have absolutely no idea of reality. Of course the absurdity is that 5% have 95% of the nations wealth.

[thaipo7]

Gold Star - You sure have that right.  Then we are told we don't spend as much as tourists.

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He said there would be plenty of safeguards in place so that people owning land or cars couldn't fraudulently register and cheat the system.

 

considering a  policeman can have about 100 luxury cars without a question I have little faith in that statement

[Mango Bob]

Me too.  I can lie an be as poor as any Thai person.  Can I ge paid for writing this?

[Isaan sailor]

2 hours ago, Gold Star said:

They should recognize a lot of expats supporting their families and extended families here have been made poorer as well. We play an important part here in Thailand by providing social support to a large portion of the population with food, housing, education, that might otherwise cost the state. What we don't need are more restrictions, insurance requirements, and additional costs and barriers to staying here that may make it too difficult, and force some of us to leave.

Damned right about that.  How many tourists spend over a million Baht a year in Thailand?  And we spend Baht locally for the most part.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Per Norstedt said:

Wonder how future will look in Thailand ????

Depends on how much rose tint the lenses have.

[chilli42]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said there would be plenty of safeguards in place so that people owning land or cars couldn't fraudulently register and cheat the system.

Indeed.

[tomacht8]

3 hours ago, Per Norstedt said:

Wonder how future will look in Thailand ????

Grim.

According to Credit Suisse's Global Wealth Report 2018, the richest 1 percent in Thailand controlled almost 67 percent of the country's wealth. The bottom 50 percent of Thais had a meager 1.7 percent share of the country's wealth.

 

And covid has widened the wealth gap even further.

[moogradod]

I think it is important to define what "poor" for this country Thailand shall mean. I know of Thais in lower executive positions with a salary on which I would absolutely not be able to survive - and they have a car. Some rai of more or less unusable farm land would not even make a difference as long as you cannot sell it.

Edited November 15, 2021 by moogradod

[RobU]

People can own their home and still be poor. All selling the home does is delay the inevitable and creates absolute poverty

[kensawadee]

Being as how we are talking about THAILAND...........

I can't help but wonder what this government has in mind as 'Help'...........

After the graft is done I can only guess that the help will be about 500 or 1000 baht monthly.....

Certainly not enough to help with a car or land or cow.......

[bangon04]

14 hours ago, Per Norstedt said:

Wonder how future will look in Thailand ????

Thailand is getting ready to register as Third World / Banana Rep... Kingdom

[Soikhaonoiken]

Me thinks it will be a lot higher than 20% of poor people after this pandemic, the HiSo haven't got a clue what's going on in there own Country... 

[RocketDog]

18 hours ago, Will B Good said:

20% registered as poor, 15 million unemployed................. yet 400,000 immigrants being allowed into Thailand to keep wages down to an absolute minimum.

 

How wealthy do these 8 families need to be?

As much as inhumanely possible of course.