The cabinet on Tuesday approved the government’s move to extend the State of Emergency (SOE) until the end of May, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said in a televised address.
Businesses and industries have been calling for an easing of lockdown measures and a possible end to the SOE. At least one of those requests has now officially been denied.
“I am asking for more cooperation from the business sector and to be a little bit more patient since you have already endured this with me and I am as badly hurt as you,” he said after the cabinet meeting.
Prime minister Prayut Chan-ocha said easing measures will be announced later.
The Prime Minister also asked for the opposition to not ‘play politics’ and instead help the government fix the coronavirus crisis.
“Political issues are not important right now,” he said.
“Any issue that is insignificant and will create conflict, distortion and misunderstanding is something we do need to currently talk about it.”
He asked the opposition to stop bringing a political angle into every that the government is doing.
The cabinet said on Tuesday that it had approved the extension of the 5,000 baht cash handout scheme to cover 16 million workers instead of 14 million. Another added measure will see 10 million farming households receiving the same compensation.
In regards of his plea for advice from 20 billionaires, the PM said he had received their economic recommendations and none of them have given him nor the government any money.
“This is no time be taking sides as everyone should be on the same side,” he said.
“None of the billionaires has asked me for anything and they are not giving any money to the government…and there is no benefit sharing here,” he added.
