Special one-time bonus for government officials during Songkran festival

[webfact]

Special one-time bonus for government officials during Songkran festival



BANGKOK: -- Low- and middle-ranking government officials will receive a one-time cost of living bonus averaging about 1,000 baht each during the Songkran festival as part of the government’s new stimulus package.

Finance permanent secretary Somchai Sajjapong said Monday that the cost of living bonus would benefit about one million low- and middle-ranking government officials who do not have positional allowances.

The one-time bonus will be payable during Songkran festival which will boost spending during the festive long holidays and, as a consequence, will help stimulate the economy, said Mr Somchai, adding that the special bonus would cost the state 15 billion baht.

An informed source in the Finance Ministry said this was the third stimulus package but the first for government officials who are yet to receive financial help from the government.

The first stimulus package amounted to 136 billion baht which was meant to improve the livelihood of the people and the second package, amounting to 35 billion baht, was injected into Village Fund.

The new stimulus package includes 5 billion baht originally allocated for Tambon Fund at 5 million baht for each tambon to be injected into Village Fund plus 57.3 billion baht in investment funding.

The source explained that the new stimulus package was necessary in wake of the drought problem which is likely to become more serious and to cause widespread impacts to the people and the national economy.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/156121


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-22

[Raymonddiaz]

Populism at its very best.

[Somtamnication]

Gotta keep the peasants happy and full.

[jamesbrock]

Wait, 1000 x about 1 million = about 1 billion - so how is this going to cost 15 billion??

[LannaGuy]

is this a 'populist' policy?

[NongKhaiKid]

Wait, 1000 x about 1 million = about 1 billion - so how is this going to cost 15 billion??

Eehhm, additional ' administrative costs and incidental expenses ' ?

[colinneil]

1000 Baht !!WOW!! the peasants will be so happy.

Now they can go out and spend spend spend ha ha.

They paid around 100.000 baht to get the jobs in the first place.

[ratcatcher]

1000 Baht !!WOW!! the peasants will be so happy.

Now they can go out and spend spend spend ha ha.

They paid around 100.000 baht to get the jobs in the first place.

"1000 Baht !!WOW!! the peasants will be so happy."

"Low- and middle-ranking government officials will receive a one-time cost of living bonus averaging about 1,000 baht ...."

And here was I thinking that the "peasants" were the masses who toiled in the fields (at least, when there were crops growing in the fields).

Looks like the wearers of tan uniforms in government offices will get a present from their bosses, enough to take the family to a mall for lunch during Songkran.

[jamesbrock]

1000 Baht !!WOW!! the peasants will be so happy.

Now they can go out and spend spend spend ha ha.

They paid around 100.000 baht to get the jobs in the first place.

"1000 Baht !!WOW!! the peasants will be so happy."

"Low- and middle-ranking government officials will receive a one-time cost of living bonus averaging about 1,000 baht ...."

And here was I thinking that the "peasants" were the masses who toiled in the fields (at least, when there were crops growing in the fields).

Looks like the wearers of tan uniforms in government offices will get a present from their bosses, enough to take the family to a mall for lunch during Songkran.

Yep those 15.8 million Thais scratching around in the dirt for 50 baht per day - if they received 1000 baht, it actually would cost (just over) to 15 billion!

[BSJ]

Wait, 1000 x about 1 million = about 1 billion - so how is this going to cost 15 billion??

Administrative expenses have to be accounted for. I am surprised they haven't created a whole new department to handle such a mammoth task!

[greenchair]

Gotta keep the peasants happy and full.

Government workers are not peasants. They all receive annual bonuses that would feed a farmer for a couple of years. A government worker has all of their childrens education paid for through to university level. A government worker has all of their health care paid for including their children, parents and spouse through until they die. A government worker will receive either a large payout upon retirement or monthly payments for life. Even the lowest paid government position is highly sought after because of the numerous benefits. Getting a job in a government office usually requires ties to a family member or an extremely good friend already working there. The peasants are farmers working in the fields that the government keeps giving loans to. Loans that these people cannot possibly pay. The farmers that are feeding the fat stomachs of all those government workers. Really that money should go to a drought relief fund.

[leeneeds]

If you look at the photo,

is he smirking a little as he manoeuvres a couple of extra zeros to

his or some ones name.?

[apetley]

Wait, 1000 x about 1 million = about 1 billion - so how is this going to cost 15 billion??

Beat me to it.

Any half reasonable reporter would have questioned the figures, instead what is produced is a regurgitated cut and paste of a Govt press release.

[Hawk]

More money wasted, do any of these government people have a brain!

Stimulate what? Certainly not the economy!

[klauskunkel]

Since it costs you 14 billion baht to pay out 1 billion, what is your estimated return on investment Mr. Finance Permanent Secretary? I mean, if all the 1,000 baht recipients go and spend everything right away on goods and services, the resulting stimulation of the economy must be enormous to anticipate a payback of more than 1,500% over some period of time...

Scary times ahead with financial wizards at the helm of the economy.

Gonna buy some gold now...

Edited March 22, 2016 by klauskunkel

[aussieinthailand]

Wait, 1000 x about 1 million = about 1 billion - so how is this going to cost 15 billion??

Standard accounting formula for them that wear tan uniforms with eight kilo's of medals and ribbons.

It has to be some kind of mistake, but the press should be asking question on the numbers.

I wonder how many artesian bores could have been provided for with that money, or desalination plants, solar panels for schools with the so-called stimulus packages?

[upena]

Didn't realize that there were 14 million government workers that were NOT low to middle income.

[Lupatria]

Soon they will need the 1.000 baht extra to buy a bottle of water...

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

The civil servants in this country increased 3 x since 2000. The are the plague that will bankrupt this country rather than any rice scheme. They have received salary increases 3 x the inflation rate for 2 years (since the camo men has been in power), they then received billions through the change in the pension laws, they received free holidays and now bonuses. I believe that they are building the new railway system to accommodate the gravy trains.

Edited March 22, 2016 by SOUTHERNSTAR

[wabothai]

government workers are the last ones who need assistance.

Pay the poor 70+ plus people in stead you moron. Stimulus package, my behind.

God, this is infuriating.

[Srikcir]

For the last two years government officials have received 5% pay raises from the Prayut government.

And now a bonus equal to more than three times the daily minimum wage. Why now?

This bonus coincides with the upcoming draft charter referendum followed by national elections that may involve candidacy of current members of the Four Rivers. Not exactly on par with the 100 baht per person typically spent to buy votes in the villages but the underlying principle might remain the same.

[colinneil]

I was being sarcastic when i said peasants.

If you read my post properly you would have read they paid 100.000 baht for the jobs in the first place.

Peasants in the fields do not pay 100.000 baht !!DOH !!

[Thaidream]

It appears the Junta is operating just like politicians. They must have read the politician handbook. Keep the people happy with bread and circus. I'm waiting for them to hand out a water rationing notice accompanied by free squirt guns for Songkran.