The Thai government said on Thursday that it will now allow people who believe they have been wrongly discarded from the government’s 5,000 baht cash handout scheme to file for an appeal online.
The government had pledged to provide the cash handouts to people who had lost their job and did not qualify for social security.
7 million people are now jobless since the outbreak began in January and that number could increase to 10 million if the outbreak is not contained within the next three months, according to various think tanks.
Stories on social media and local media have highlighted stories from people who say that they have lost their jobs yet remained ineligible for the government’s aid program.
The Ministry of Finance said that those with complaints including vendors, taxi drivers and students who are taking care of their parents, will now be able to appeal online from April 20 onwards.
The ministry said of the 27 million that have registered online, 3 million have proven to be eligible for the scheme, 12 million have been discarded and the rest are still being considered.
The ministry said it would allocate 10,000 personnel to meet with those filing an appeal to verify their story.
The MOF also insists there will be enough money to pay out the compensation to 9 million people for three months once the emergency loan, worth 1 trillion baht, is available for disbursement. The prime minister said on Wednesday that there was only enough money to pay out one month.
