Northeast tops list of recipients for 10,000-baht govt handout

Most people eligible for the government’s 10,000-baht scheme are based in the Northeast, with Nakhon Ratchasima leading the pack, the Finance Ministry’s Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) said.

The scheme’s first phase targeted 14.55 million people, 12.4 million of whom are state welfare card holders and 2.15 million have disabilities.

The first phase kicked off on September 25 targetting vulnerable groups, with the government promising to launch the second and third phases soon.

FPO director Pornchai Teerawet said on Friday that a survey found that the regions with the highest number of eligible recipients are the Northeast, aka Isaan, with 5.8 million people, followed by the North (3.3 million), Metropolitan Bangkok (1 million), the West (0.75 million), the East (0.73 million), and Central (0.62 million).

The five provinces with the most recipients are Nakhon Ratchasima (approximately 540,000), Ubon Ratchathani (440,000), Si Sa Ket (400,000), Chiang Mai (390,000), and Buri Ram (370,000).

The five provinces with the fewest recipients are Ranong (27,000), Phuket (28,000), Trat (31,000), Samut Songkhram (33,000), and Phang Nga (42,000).

“The survey revealed that eligible recipients can be found in all corners of Thailand, reflecting the government’s policy of providing economic stimulus measures that are inclusive and focus on the grassroots economy,” Pornchai said.

The Pheu Thai-led government initially planned to distribute 10,000 baht to 50 million Thais aged 16 and above via a digital wallet system but later scaled it down to 45 million.

It decided to remit the first lot of 145 billion baht in cash to 14.55 million registered underprivileged persons or state welfare card holders and the disabled from September 25. This first allocation of funds came from the budget of fiscal 2024, which wrapped up last month.