Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra laid out the government’s performance and achievements in a pre-recorded address, broadcast in the “Thai Opportunities with PM Paetongtarn” program on the NBT HD2 channel today.
In the address, the prime minister highlighted achievements in the 30-baht universal healthcare program, a housing project, the “digital wallet” scheme and efforts to address PM2.5 air pollution.
She said the government has instructed relevant agencies to mitigate air pollution through the introduction of seven days of free bus and train travel in Bangkok, which ended on Friday, controls on the burning of sugarcane and other farm waste and an increase in the value of sugarcane leaves, as an incentive for farmers to stop burning cane.
She also said the government has raised the issue of transboundary smog with ASEAN foreign ministers and she personally raised Thailand’s concerns over the issue with ASEAN leaders.
On the universal healthcare program, the prime minister said that Thai people can now rest assured that they will be taken care of by the state if they are sick, as the health service now covers all 77 provinces.
Regarding the “digital wallet” scheme, she said that people aged 60 and over started to receive the 10,000 baht benefit on January 29th, as she offered an assurance that the third phase of the program will follow soon.
The other achievements mentioned by the prime minister include the promulgation of the marriage equality act, the cabinet’s approval of an executive decree to cope with cybercrime, the housing project and summer camps at which Thai students can learn foreign languages overseas.
She said that she found the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, very interesting, useful and a valuable experience, adding that she will definitely attend the event again next year.
Asked about criticism of the government, the prime minster admitted that she feels hurt because she is only human, but said she will not be discouraged as there are still many more things that she has to do.
She also claimed to be indifferent to criticism of her hair or clothing styles.
