2.4 million people to get Bt5,000 cash handouts next week
The Ministry of Finance expects to disburse the Bt5,000 handouts to the 2.4 million approved registrants who were yet to receive the cash assistance by next week, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, secretary to the finance minister, said on Friday (May 8).
“As of yesterday, the ministry had disbursed money for the first month to 11 million people, while the rest should get their handouts next week,” he said.
The “Rao Mai Thing Gun” (“We Do Not Leave Anyone Behind”) campaign gives eligible citizens whose livelihoods have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis Bt5,000 a month for three months. To be eligible, candidates must be Thai nationals aged over 18 and self-employed, freelance or non-permanent employees who are not insured under social security.
“The registrations of some 1.7 million people had not been completed yet due to missing evidence or information. We have set up booths at the Department of Public Relations in Soi Aree Samphan in Bangkok’s Phya Thai district since early this week to let people submit additional documents. The booths will stay open daily until May 15.”
Thanakorn added that the ministry had also prepared 1,000 meals a day as well as cloth face masks, drinking water and alcohol gels for people who came down to the Department of Public Relations. “People in other provinces can submit additional evidence to make their case at Damrong Dhama Centre, an agency under the Ministry of the Interior, in their respective provinces,” he said.