Registration for govt aid to resolve household debt successful

Debt relief has been achieved for 934 individuals, demonstrating the daily proactive progress in resolving the problem of informal debt and ending debtors’ hardships.

The Interior Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Suttipong Juljarern provided an update on the debt resolution registration, which was launched on December 1, noting that the Department of Provincial Administration's investigation and legal affairs office has seen total debts of 7.38 billion baht registered, involving 114,307 individuals. Of these, 99,038 registered through the online system, while 15,269 registered at the debt resolution centre. A total of 84,632 debtors reside in different provinces, with the top five areas being:

1. Bangkok remains the highest with 7,140 registrants, 6,241 debtors, and a debt of 623.23 million baht.

2. Nakhon Si Thammarat has 4,866 registrants, 4,191 debtors, and a debt of 311.72 million baht.

3. Songkhla has 4,499 registrants, 3,310 debtors, and a debt of 290.41 million baht.

4. Nakhon Ratchasima has 4,367 registrants, 2,859 debtors, and a debt of 337.06 million baht.

5. Khon Kaen has 3,038 registrants, 2,521 debtors, and a debt of 232.25 million baht.

The provinces with the fewest registrants are:

1. Mae Hong Son with 169 registrants, 138 debtors, and a debt of 8.83 million baht.

2. Ranong with 235 registrants, 161 debtors, and a debt of 17.59 million baht.

3. Samut Songkhram with 305 registrants, 220 debtors, and a debt of 9.89 million baht.

4. Trat with 379 registrants, 260 debtors, and a debt of 15.04 million baht.

5. Sing Buri with 410 registrants, 274 debtors, and a debt of 19.64 million baht.

Regarding the national debt relief process, 4,353 debtors have entered the process, with 934 successfully relieved. The initial debt before relief was 257.77 million baht, reducing to 126.12 million baht after relief, resulting in a reduction of 131.65 million baht in debt. Nakhon Sawan remains the province with the most debtors entering the relief process, with 1,136 debtors and 23 successful relief cases. The initial debt was 89.46 million baht and reduced to 1.83 million baht, leading to a substantial reduction of 87.63 million baht in provincial debt.

For cases where cooperation was not received or the relief process couldn't proceed, officials will hand over the process to local police for investigation. To date, 25 cases nationwide have been processed.

Suttipong further mentioned that the Ministry of Interior has coordinated between administrative officials and local police to fairly resolve debt outside the system and actively address small-scale debt problems for citizens. They have encouraged both debtors and creditors to come to agreements through discussions. Additionally, emphasis was placed on provincial governors and district chiefs supervising and monitoring administrative officials in relation to relief efforts for debtors. Effective communication will encourage debtors and creditors to engage in the relief process, particularly as many citizens return home for the New Year. Intensive outreach aims to bring as many debtors as possible into the relief process, aiming to alleviate hardships and increase happiness for citizens, especially during this festive period.

The Ministry of Interior continues to register citizens experiencing hardships due to debt outside the system, both through online means at https://debt.dopa.go.th and in person at district offices nationwide. For further details, a hotline at 1567 is available 24 hours daily.