B10,000 cash gift for elderly considered

The Ministry of Finance is preparing to propose a one-time cash payment of 10,000 baht to the elderly, Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul said on Friday.
The plan will be raised at a meeting of the economic stimulus policy committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, he said.
State welfare cardholders and disabled people who received 10,000 baht in late September in the first phase of the consumption stimulus programme would not be eligible for the new payment, he said.
Recipients must register for the 10,000-baht payment through the government’s Tang Rat app.
The eligible age range will depend on the committee’s decision, and could start from either 50 or 60, said the minister.
According to Mr Paopoom, the rationale for the handout is that older people have less capacity to generate income compared with other groups.
He said fewer people are likely to qualify for this payment than for the first phase. The payment would probably be made either at the end of this year or early next year, he added.
For people without smartphones, registration will be opened soon, with updates provided accordingly, he added.
Mr Paopoom said all Thais who registered through the Tang Rat app will eventually receive 10,000 baht, as the government has already allocated a budget of more than 180 billion baht.
However, the timing and conditions require further discussion to incorporate feedback from various agencies before reaching a conclusion, he said.
Tuesday’s meeting agenda will include a Finance Ministry presentation of the framework for stimulus measures, covering short-, medium- and long-term strategies to ensure a comprehensive approach to stimulus across all dimensions.