Thailand is anticipating that less than 40 million individuals will enroll in its primary digital wallet handout initiative, with the initial phase slated to benefit 14.5 million vulnerable citizens starting from September 25, as per a finance ministry official’s statement on Monday.
Under the government’s stimulus program, 450 billion baht ($13.6 billion) is allocated to support 45 million people. Each participant who signs up is eligible to receive 10,000 baht ($300) to be spent locally within six months. To date, approximately 36 million people have registered for the scheme, with some overlaps observed among the vulnerable groups, Lavaron Sangsnit, the finance ministry’s permanent secretary, informed the media. Lavaron also noted that there are around 3 million individuals without smartphones.
Based on current data, it is projected that the project’s participant count will fall short of 40 million, allowing for greater flexibility in budget allocation, according to the official.
Lavaron mentioned that the second phase of the handout is anticipated to roll out in early next year, providing further support to eligible recipients.
