webfact Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Budgetary provisions are under scrutiny as Thailand’s House of Representatives is currently in the process of vetting the much-delayed budget bill for fiscal 2024. The total outlay is 3.48 trillion baht (US$99 billion). Public attention has turned to the widening income and wealth inequality, which has plagued Thailand for long. There has been a growing debate about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. State officials vs the people The government has allocated close to 1 trillion baht for welfare spending on state officials and other citizens in fiscal year 2024. A look at the figures reveals the stark disparity in the per capita spending allocation for state officials as compared to other citizens. The welfare budget for state employees and their families is 499 billion baht, Chat Khamsaeng, director at 101 Public Policy Think Tank who dug into the details of the budget provisions, revealed. The welfare budget comprises pensions (329.4 billion baht), healthcare (84.6 billion baht), contributions to the Government Pension Fund (78.8 billion baht), education and life insurance (4.5 billion baht) and others (2.3 billion baht). Interestingly, over time healthcare costs have ballooned. Nearly 1.8 million civil service officials will be beneficiaries, including military and police personnel. They include 1.2 million state employees. In addition 4.6 million family members of state officials and 800,000 of retired state officials are covered by state healthcare. By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Geoffggi Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 Further proof that the government do not care about the common man, it is utterly deplorable 1 4 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Loh Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, Geoffggi said: Further proof that the government do not care about the common man, it is utterly deplorable Common people are not restricted from joining the civil services and uniformed groups. They served the country in their capacity and duly paid in salary and kinds. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post brianthainess Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 If I could say what I want, I'd be banned from AN and face a 15yr jail sentence in a closed court. 🤐 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Photoguy21 Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 2 hours ago, Geoffggi said: Further proof that the government do not care about the common man, it is utterly deplorable How many governments in the world do care about the people? I cant think of one. 1 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mfd101 Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 "Credit Suisse, an international investment bank, had earlier reported that Thailand had the largest wealth gap in the world. The Global Wealth Report and Databook published in December 2018 showed that the richest 1 per cent in Thailand now control almost 67 per cent of the country’s wealth. According to the Credit Suisse report, the bottom 10 per cent of Thais hold zero per cent of the wealth, being either in debt or having no documented household income. The poorest 50 per cent of Thais now hold only 1.7 per cent of the country’s wealth, while the richest 10 per cent control a massive 85.7 per cent." (Quoted from the op above) 1 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post worgeordie Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 2 hours ago, webfact said: , healthcare (84.6 billion baht), There was a case a few years ago about civil servant's going to hospital with some ailment or other and receiving large quantities of medicine , then taking the medicine to Chemist shops and selling it for half price, it was widespread , could still be going on today , regards worgeordie 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post scorecard Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 (edited) 7 hours ago, Eric Loh said: Common people are not restricted from joining the civil services and uniformed groups. They served the country in their capacity and duly paid in salary and kinds. Meanwhile family get priority to register to enter, enter and get help to pass entrance exams / assessments, and to get employment. Edited January 30 by scorecard 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordgrinz Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Is the welfare money based on salary? Obviously low-skilled workers make less, thus the welfare paid out would be smaller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhounan Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 What about the wealth disparity between the liberal-progressive educated class and the people? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hotchilli Posted January 30 Popular Post Share Posted January 30 18 hours ago, webfact said: Public attention has turned to the widening income and wealth inequality, which has plagued Thailand for long. There has been a growing debate about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. It's evident in every country in the world.. it's just the size of the divide that differs. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Ray Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Salaries for police and military, especially at lower ranks are pitifully low, which encourages corruption and the need for other income. It costs me money to send my wife to work in transport and uniform expenses. They don’t even reimburse official travel costs. Without the family wide health care (same as Thai citizens at Govt hospitals) the pension and job security, it would not be worth her working. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
findlay13 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 The age old problem all over the world not just Thailand. But Thailand is a shining example .The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthainess Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 We need Fighter jets not welfare for the poor init. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 A post with a trolling image contravening our Community Standards has been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Srikcir Posted January 31 Popular Post Share Posted January 31 23 hours ago, Eric Loh said: Common people are not restricted from joining the civil services and uniformed groups. They served the country in their capacity and duly paid in salary and kinds. Would you include army conscripts in such benefits? Would you include "common people" having no specialized training or higher education? 83.5 per cent of the workforce in Thailand is unskilled. https://www.thailand-business-news.com/asean/52226-83-5-per-cent-workforce-thailand-unskilled 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorecard Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 (edited) 18 hours ago, scorecard said: Meanwhile family get priority to register to enter, enter and get help to pass entrance exams / assessments, and to get employment. Another example; years back it was common knowledge that all employees / new employees of TG had famous family names. Others need not apply. And well known that absenteeism / late for work was par for the course and accepted, after all they are from famous families and it would not be appropriate to ask 'why are you late?' In that era (and perhaps even now) the airline had a rotating team of cabin crew on 24 hr standby ready to go to a waiting aircraft. Edited January 31 by scorecard 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connda Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 Work for the government and life is good. Pension, Health Care, etc. Normal people? Too bad to be you commoners. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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