11 July 2024

Three economic stimulus packages, introduced by the government to boost the purchasing power of consumers and to stimulate the economy have, so far, cost the taxpayer about 29 billion baht to support, Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said today (Saturday).

40.72 million subscribers to the three packages have spent money wired into their bank accounts by the Finance Ministry.

These include the 26.23 million subscribers to the 50:50 co-payment scheme, 13.26 million holders of state welfare cards and 1.2 million in a government funded scheme to increase the purchasing power of the less well off.

Thanakorn said that 2.6 million subscribers in the co-payment scheme have been stripped of their entitlement after they failed to use any of it by the deadline of February 28th.

He said the Finance Ministry is considering what to do with these 2.6 million entitlements adding, however, that phase 4 of the scheme will last either until the end of April or until the funding runs out.