Cybercrime officers have arrested three men for offering to buy entitlements from co-payment scheme participants who wanted cash ranging from 10% to 20% of the entitlement face value, which is 2,400 baht for participants who are in the tax system and 2,000 baht for those who are not.
Vinit Visessuvanapoom, director of the Fiscal Policy Office, said that 501 million baht was spent, half paid by the participants and the other half contributed by the taxpayer, between 6am and 12.30pm today, the first day entitlements can be used. The last day is December 31st.
According to the Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, the three suspects were arrested separately, in Samut Prakan, Nakhon Sawan and Udon Thani provinces, after they posted the offer on the social media about a week before spending under the scheme began today.
Under the scheme, all Thai nationals, aged at least 16, are eligible to receive the benefit, to be wired into their “Pao Tang” accounts. The daily maximum amount of money they can spend under the scheme is 200 baht, with the government paying a matching amount, for goods or services.
Participants are warned, however, that, if they are caught trying to get cash for their entitlements, they could face fraud charges and be barred from joining such schemes in the future. Moreover, both the participants and those who offer to buy the entitlements could face three years in prison and/or a maximum fine of 60,000 baht if convicted.
About 20 million Thais and 640,000 entrepreneurs are participating in the scheme.
Participants can pay for food delivery services from November 7th, but they must start spending by November 11th, otherwise they will lose their entitlements under the scheme.
