Cash-strapped cabbies beg govt to reconsider age criteria for handout
Representatives of the Thai Taxi Network Association met Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin on Monday to plead against a new regulation that makes taxi drivers above the age of 65 ineligible for the 5,000-baht cash handout.
The government recently announced that under the Social Security Act’s Article 40, only self-employed people aged 15 to 65 will be eligible for the handout. They must also have become members of the social security scheme before July 31.
“The cash-handout will apply to social security members under 65 who live in maximum control areas or ‘dark red’ zones,” Suchart said. “However, to allow those above 65 to apply as well, the ministry will have to call on the Office of National Economic and Social Development to change the Social Security Act and then propose it to the Cabinet for approval.”
He added that he will also call on the Cabinet at its next meeting on August 10 to extend the deadline of social security membership to after July 31.
At around 4am on Tuesday, more than 100 taxies were seen parked outside the Labour Ministry’s headquarters in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district in a bid to seek help.
Most cabbies had put up signs with messages like “Prayut help me. I have no money to pay for car loan, house rent and food”, “There aren’t any customers due to Covid-19”, and “We don’t care about politics, just want to feed our families”.
