NLA passes law to increase income of elderly Thais
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday passed a law that will increase the government-provided monthly subsidy for low-income elderly Thais.
About two million Thais aged over 60 will directly benefit from the law.
The Elderly Bill seeks to use two per cent of the money collected in “sin taxes” for the provision of better welfare for the elderly. For example, it will provide Bt100 extra a month to old people who have registered themselves as low-income earners.
“Only those earning less than Bt100,000 a year can get this extra subsidy,” Admiral Polawat Sirodom said on Thursday in his capacity as the chair of the NLA ad hoc committee vetting the bill.
At present, all elderly Thais are entitled to a monthly subsidy of between Bt600 and Bt1,000 from the government, which is granted based on their age. The older they are, the bigger the amount.
NLA members voted 181 to 0 to approve the Elderly Bill, with six abstentions. The law will take effect 30 days after it is promulgated in the Royal Gazette.