Low-income earners to receive social welfare benefits

[hawker9000]

About time Thailand caught up with the rest of the world by offering social welfare.

Unsurprising previous govt's didn't do this. They wanted the money for themselves.

Well done and managed well this is a great way forward for the majority.

Yes, About time! Now Thailand can help swell the ranks of the absurdly overspent & indebted socialist republics of the world and can one day hope to be as bankrupt as they are. Sweet! Now that's being "progressive"!!

Here's your chance to use the internet to find something out.

You have referred to socialist republics as if you know what you are talking about - so tell us, how many socialists republics are there?

Get a grip and figure out what YOU're talking about (a monumental task, I'll admit). If I were referring to countries who call themselves "socialist republics", rather than the de facto breed, I'd have capitalized the words. Now get back to the shallow end.

[chainarong]

Am I eligible as foreigner?

With your Kardashian smile in your photo , why not...............................

[chainarong]

If you were on ten grand baht a month you miss out by 30 grand baht , so you must be in the middle income bracket ,aren't U lucky , a step in the right direction for low wage earners , however the wages structure in Thailand needs a complete overhaul , I paid well over what you'd pay in OZ for electricity last month , admittedly the 3hp Aircon split set for the dog worked 24/7, however, I notice consumer prices , fuel are all up , just how many checks and balances are done to ensure prices remain at or below inflation rate , is any body's guess, everything is ad hoc in Thailand ,without any structure, system or purpose to speak off , putting anyone earning less than 40 thousand baht a month at the poor end of the scale , of course the multinationals would hate to read this , because low wages are the only reason they are here, it can't be the weather............................................ .

Being a farang teacher in Thailand also has a major drawback in reference to this.

I have been teaching here now for about 5 years mostly in Government schools and I have been and am currently teaching in one of the top 10 universities in Thailand for 2 years. I thought I would be having an evaluation at the end of this year with the management ( but it will also be based on comments by the students apparently, in order to decide if or not I get a new contract, the same as in schools) which I was told a while back, would give me a pay rise, but I am now told that there are no increases for farangs, and if there are any, it will be up to the Government to award them as our staff salaries are Gov't paid.

The Thai staff regularly have promotional based increases and lots of little extra work bonuses.

The cost of living in Thailand has been going up while I have been here, but not generally the farang salaries in Government funded educational establishments.

NO wonder so many are f**king off to other SE Asian countries < Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar etc , where cost of living is cheaper and salaries can be much higher.

Finding myself dipping into the savings more and more each month , without chances of replenishment in order to feed and house the missus and kids. She is also working as a trainee manager at the local mall, Au Bon Pain shop, for many hours and a pittance of a salary( about 10k+ ), so probably would no qualify for this meagre handout either.

If it weren't for them, I would be out of here ASAP.

My young fella , as a manager , started up for a BKK based TV network, a small local studio and the whole crew never got paid, they all stayed 2 months with promises, then shut the place down and walked off , he lectured part time 4 days a week at a UNi and got a free meal for payment, as I said before no checks or balances in the labour market. and no recourse to claim.

[chainarong]

About time Thailand caught up with the rest of the world by offering social welfare.

Unsurprising previous govt's didn't do this. They wanted the money for themselves.

Well done and managed well this is a great way forward for the majority.

Yes, About time! Now Thailand can help swell the ranks of the absurdly overspent & indebted socialist republics of the world and can one day hope to be as bankrupt as they are. Sweet! Now that's being "progressive"!!

Here's your chance to use the internet to find something out.

You have referred to socialist republics as if you know what you are talking about - so tell us, how many socialists republics are there?

Its between six and 2

[Srikcir]

To make a social welfare program effective in addition to an efficient administration, the government must establish programs that would reduce the welfare rolls. For example:

- Create an employment agency to direct unemployed to jobs. This will be challenging with a history of an employment rate (if it can believed) of less than 1%. Thailand does have an agency to find foreign jobs for Thais but whether they pay sustaining wages or merely disguised human trafficking is an issue. Thailand's annual low GDP growth rate also does not create sufficient capital to sustain new sustaining enterprises. The collapse of the high value export sector can hardly be replaced in terms of revenue with more Thai tourist guides, beach bed vendors and fishing crews to sustain healthy GDP growth.

- The military has created work programs (dike building, well drilling, etc) farmers unable to grow crops by drought, water management and government policy. This is effectively an informal social welfare program with little or no accountability or transparency. It needs to be terminated with the creation of a formal government social welfare program.

If Prayut rushes into a welfare program, ie., for political expediency, he stands not only to fail the unemployed and low-income earners but place the nation in an unnecessary level of debt going forward. That in turn will further aggravate economic growth.

[halloween]

To make a social welfare program effective in addition to an efficient administration, the government must establish programs that would reduce the welfare rolls. For example:

- Create an employment agency to direct unemployed to jobs. This will be challenging with a history of an employment rate (if it can believed) of less than 1%. Thailand does have an agency to find foreign jobs for Thais but whether they pay sustaining wages or merely disguised human trafficking is an issue. Thailand's annual low GDP growth rate also does not create sufficient capital to sustain new sustaining enterprises. The collapse of the high value export sector can hardly be replaced in terms of revenue with more Thai tourist guides, beach bed vendors and fishing crews to sustain healthy GDP growth.

- The military has created work programs (dike building, well drilling, etc) farmers unable to grow crops by drought, water management and government policy. This is effectively an informal social welfare program with little or no accountability or transparency. It needs to be terminated with the creation of a formal government social welfare program.

If Prayut rushes into a welfare program, ie., for political expediency, he stands not only to fail the unemployed and low-income earners but place the nation in an unnecessary level of debt going forward. That in turn will further aggravate economic growth.

With almost no detail given, you leap to the conclusion that this will be unemployment benefits - why? Why could it not be assistance for the working poor, as in "earning less than B9000" suggests.

Why should farmers stop their equivalent of a "work for the dole" program? How do you know it has "little or no accountability or transparency."? Are you involved in some way?

How about stopping the doom and gloom pronouncements until some details emerge?

Edited June 16, 2016 by halloween

[GuestHouse]

Get a grip and figure out what YOU're talking about (a monumental task, I'll admit). If I were referring to countries who call themselves "socialist republics", rather than the de facto breed, I'd have capitalized the words. Now get back to the shallow end.

Sorry for calling you out on not knowing what you are talking about.

Once again you seem to be confusing countries that are socialist republics with countries that you call socialist republics.

The shallow end Hawker is inhabited by people who make claims that they cannot backup with evidence. I've asked you for evidence and you've given an angry repeat of unsubstantiated opinion.

Enjoy your paddling.

Edited June 16, 2016 by GuestHouse

[bamukloy]

This is a smart moove by the government IMO.

They would have stats on the numbers of workers in that income bracket, probably unbelievably low since a lot would be cash in hand workers.

Might cause a bit of a rift though, as workers will want to become legal to get the payments, while greedy employers wont want to change their under the radar approach.

In the end it probably wont be worth it for the illegals to get on the books anyway as the payments will probably be a hefty 500 baht a month.

Might be a little bit of extra somtum money for the factory and 7/11, KFC type workers though.

[taony]

The mae bahn at my office get 8,500 per month. 12 months and that's 102,000 baht. Even they wouldn't qualify!!!

[bamukloy]

Interesting, if the minimum wage is 300 per day and a worker works 340 days a year

300x340= 102,000

just over..unluck-keee!!

So the worker would have to be part time, or working less than 6 days a week, or getting paid under the minimum wage to get the benefit

[halloween]

Interesting, if the minimum wage is 300 per day and a worker works 340 days a year

300x340= 102,000

just over..unluck-keee!!

So the worker would have to be part time, or working less than 6 days a week, or getting paid under the minimum wage to get the benefit

And probably in need of some financial assistance.

[waldroj]

"... increase the value of rice ..."

Hasn't that already been tried - unsuccessfully?

[halloween]

"... increase the value of rice ..."

Hasn't that already been tried - unsuccessfully?

Increase the VALUE, not increase the price.

[djjamie]

About time Thailand caught up with the rest of the world by offering social welfare.

Unsurprising previous govt's didn't do this. They wanted the money for themselves.

Well done and managed well this is a great way forward for the majority.

Yes, About time! Now Thailand can help swell the ranks of the absurdly overspent & indebted socialist republics of the world and can one day hope to be as bankrupt as they are. Sweet! Now that's being "progressive"!!

"Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilisation is the way that it cares for its helpless members". - Pearl S. Buck

With that said though I am rich and if the dirty poor pricks starve at my front door I will tell em "hawker9000" said we will all be bankrupt if we help you.

Lucky I have a self managed retirement plan, but I am proud to say I am from a country that does make provision for its poorest and most helpless citizens.

Have a great day my friend.

[DrTuner]

"Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilisation is the way that it cares for its helpless members". - Pearl S. Buck

The way this works in practice in the socialist states is the youngsters can indulge on the dole when young and then shove the old farts into state retirement home when the time is due. Better than getting mugged by teenage gangs, I suppose.