The Pheu Thai party’s main prime ministerial candidate, Yodchanan Wongsawat, told the media today that he is confident that their controversial and populist policy of making nine Thai citizens into (Thai baht) millionaires every day can be legally implemented.
He insisted that the policy is not a fantasy, but can be put into practice using taxpayers’ money, collection of which is expected to increase if more Thai people, such as farmers, most of whom do not pay personal income tax, and SMEs, which rarely pay value-added tax from their revenues, agree to enter the tax system.
According to the policy’s concept, lot drawing will be held to select nine lucky Thai people each day. They will each receive one million baht paid from state coffers.
Asked by a reporter what happens if tax revenues fall short of target, Yodchanan said that he has confidence in the feasibility of the policy, claiming that the party has been studying it carefully for quite some time, including the legal and financial implications.
The policy has, however, come under heavy criticism from Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij, a former finance minister. Both claim that the populist policy is a waste of taxpayers’ money and will not help to boost the economy at all.
