Flood victims angry over 'useless' appliance coupons
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The government's much-touted programme to ease flood victims' woes by distributing Bt2,000 coupons to buy electrical appliances has run into several problems and prompted an outcry in many provinces.
To vent their anger at the seemingly inefficient implementation of the programme, about 200 Ayutthaya residents blocked the Asia Road in front of the provincial hall on Thursday.
Apart from long lines at coupon-handout tables, they complained that it was difficult to redeem the coupons.
“When we went to the shops, [the store owners] kept complaining about the complicated process involved in facilitating payment by coupons,” said Ayutthaya resident Passorn Saengkaew. “If this is so, why doesn’t the government just give us Bt2,000 cash instead? Then we could buy anything we want from any shop we like.”
The Energy Ministry implemented the programme between December 27 and Friday. The coupons, worth Bt2,000 each, were valid at participating shops only.
The programme was one of the government’s much-touted measures to help flood victims.
After queuing for a long time to get the coupons, many flood victims found their choices limited to overpriced items or appliances that were too big or expensive to suit their families’ needs.
In Ubon Ratchathani, 37-year-old Wiroj Atiwattanachai said he found that the prices of products at participating shops were much higher than usual market prices.
“If you check at other shops, you will find that products at the participating shops are much more expensive,” he said.
Sawat Jaruset, also an Ubon Ratchathani resident, said electric fans of the kind priced Bt300 elsewhere were priced at Bt500 at participating shops.
The programme seemed designed to benefit sellers rather than flood victims, he said.
In Suphan Buri, a resident said that as all the products on offer at the participating shops were bigger than what his family needed, he decided to exchange his coupon for Bt700 cash at one of the shops instead.
“If we had used the coupon to buy an item available there, we would have had to pay a large sum of additional cash,” he said. “I had no choice. I don’t want to overspend and get into debt.”
In Lop Buri, many flood victims decided to exchange their vouchers for between Bt1,200 and Bt1,500 cash at participating shops.
Second Lieutenant Suwan Pangpis, a former deputy chair of the Tambon Pho Ton Klao Administrative Organisation in Lop Buri town, said many flood victims had agreed to cash offers only because the shops said they had run out of stock and because the programme ran for less than two weeks.
In Phichit, 48-year-old Boonma Imjang said he had wanted to use his coupon for an electric fan or electric rice cooker.
“But such things are not available at the participating shops. There, I’ve found only big refrigerators and air conditioners. I can’t afford those items.”
Anchalee Saengthong said her income would not allow her to buy the big electrical appliances even with the help of a Bt2,000 voucher.
“So, the coupon is rather useless,” she said.
Sawas Meetaem, an official at the Pathum Thani provincial authority, reckoned that many people had complained about the shortage of electrical appliances at the participating shops.
“When contacted by us, the shops said they had placed orders for more products but the manufacturers cannot provide what they want in time.”
