State-sponsored old-age allowance for well-to-do people may be cut



BANGKOK: -- The finance minister said yesterday that the proposed revisions to elderly welfare policies will see some well-to-do aged people no longer receive state-sponsored old-age allowance while other poor people might see their welfare stipends increased.

But he stated however that the matter was under intensive study and nothing conclusive has been decided yet.

Finance minister Apisak Tantiworawong revealed that a study was being carried out to review welfare programs for the elderly in the country.

The study was not an official move to disqualify any members of the elderly from receiving the old-age allowance of 600-800 baht a month but is aimed at creating increased fairness and equity as many of the old people are well off and do not require official aids at all, he said.

These better off elderly people when interviewed stated that they did not need the old-age allowance but receive them anyway for fear of unsavory individuals taking advantage of the system and pocketing the payments for themselves, he said.

At present the payments are between 600 – 800 baht per month.

He said the study will attempt to locate those who really need the allowance and those who do not so that savings gained from discontinued payments for those who are well off can then be channeled to those who really need them.

However Mr Apisak said that so far nothing conclusive has been decided as a systematic study into elderly welfare programme is being carried out.

These include the provision of lodgings and the possibility of providing tax incentives to the private sector for hiring elderly staff members, he said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/163717


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-18

Err, it's called "means testing", and the way to do it is look at the taxation records of people - then you know their income so you can arrive at a system which is fair and reasonable.

Problem with Thailand is that they don't have a fully functioning tax system, so that normal means testing won't work. Other ways will need to be worked out.

I do applaud the thinking however.

He's talked about it, now extract the digit and do it! Make it happen.

Err, it's called "means testing", and the way to do it is look at the taxation records of people - then you know their income so you can arrive at a system which is fair and reasonable.

Problem with Thailand is that they don't have a fully functioning tax system, so that normal means testing won't work. Other ways will need to be worked out.

I do applaud the thinking however.

He's talked about it, now extract the digit and do it! Make it happen.

May I ask what benefit a change would make to you?

Err, it's called "means testing", and the way to do it is look at the taxation records of people - then you know their income so you can arrive at a system which is fair and reasonable.

Problem with Thailand is that they don't have a fully functioning tax system, so that normal means testing won't work. Other ways will need to be worked out.

I do applaud the thinking however.

He's talked about it, now extract the digit and do it! Make it happen.

May I ask what benefit a change would make to you?

Benefit to me? No benefit to me, I'm not Thai. It would benefit Thai people though.

Err, it's called "means testing", and the way to do it is look at the taxation records of people - then you know their income so you can arrive at a system which is fair and reasonable.

Problem with Thailand is that they don't have a fully functioning tax system, so that normal means testing won't work. Other ways will need to be worked out.

I do applaud the thinking however.

He's talked about it, now extract the digit and do it! Make it happen.

May I ask what benefit a change would make to you?

The benefit this would be for me, is that my poor, elderly Mother in law may have a little more money each month.

It would not alter the amount of assistance I provide to her,

but I know she would feel a little more comfortable.

This would make me feel good, and feeling good is a benefit!

I also know other Thai elders ( who I do not assist ) that would live just a little better if this happened...

The 600 a month they receive now is just enough to pay for the monthly water and electric bills.

and I do not think it will harm those who own Mercedes.

I am an American expat, but not a Republican.

Can you tell?

Edited May 21, 201610 yr by willyumiii

Crickey.... I don't qualify then!

Too bad there's perhaps 1 or 2 million well-to-do people and 50 million poor. Cutting the benefit from a small minority and distributing it to the masses will minimally increase an individual poor person's take. Good headlines, ineffective policy.

Err, it's called "means testing", and the way to do it is look at the taxation records of people - then you know their income so you can arrive at a system which is fair and reasonable.

Problem with Thailand is that they don't have a fully functioning tax system, so that normal means testing won't work. Other ways will need to be worked out.

I do applaud the thinking however.

He's talked about it, now extract the digit and do it! Make it happen.

May I ask what benefit a change would make to you?

The benefit this would be for me, is that my poor, elderly Mother in law may have a little more money each month.

It would not alter the amount of assistance I provide to her,

but I know she would feel a little more comfortable.

This would make me feel good, and feeling good is a benefit!

I also know other Thai elders ( who I do not assist ) that would live just a little better if this happened...

The 600 a month they receive now is just enough to pay for the monthly water and electric bills.

and I do not think it will harm those who own Mercedes.

I am an American expat, but not a Republican.

Can you tell?

"I am an American expat, but not a Republican.

Can you tell?" Why add this? Are you under the mistaken impression all Republican's are against helping those in the community who are un-well or elderly. And your comment "The 600 a month they receive now is just enough to pay for the monthly water and electric bills." would lead some people to believe pensioners don't receive 50 units of electricity free each month. And their water bill if connected to the town supply may be as little as 20-30 baht a month.

So, keep your Democrat deception and self aggrandizement for the American forums, we don't need it on the Thailand forums.

Anyone with more than one red shirt in their closet will no longer qualify for the old age allowance.

Whinge, whinge, bloody whinge, it wouldn't matter that suggestion or policy change was floated, there is always the few well-off ex-pat knockers jumping in so eager to criticise -- probably never been outside of an air-con'd apartment, bar or shopping complex to see how many low income or no income Thai people survive.