Government shortlists measures to improve quality of living of Thais
The Social Development and Human Security Ministry aims to offer more privileges to newborns, children, the elderly and people with disabilities in a bid to improve the quality of life of Thai citizens.
Social Development and Human Security Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said the ministry's subcommittee for state welfare promotion approved four measures during the meeting on Wednesday:
▪︎ Improve regulations to offer subsidy for taking care of newborn babies until they are six years old at 600 baht per person per month. This move aims to ensure that more newborns will be eligible to receive subsidies compared to the current around 2 million people.
▪︎ Ask nurseries and child development centres to accept children aged between three months to three years. Currently only children aged between six months to three years are accepted. This move aims to comply with the labour law that allows mothers to take 98 days or around three months of maternity leave.
▪︎ Allow the elderly to receive a monthly allowance of 1,000 baht per person compared to the previous tiered system that grants 600 to 1,000 baht depending on their age.
▪︎ Increase the monthly allowance for people with disabilities from 800 baht per person to 1,000 baht. Their assistance would receive a wage of 100 baht an hour, double the previous 50 baht. The subcommittee also aims to procure prosthetic devices for all people with disabilities.
“The subcommittee approved these four measures to take care of people, from children to the elderly," Varawut said.
The subcommittee will now propose these measures to a bigger committee for consideration before working on the budget and policies.
