Thailand's poor get giveaway cash from government banks

Bangkok, Dec 10 : Nearly seven million people, officially categorised as "impoverished", are receiving giveaway cash from government banks throughout Thailand, media reported on Saturday.

Under a condition set by Thailand's Ministry of Finance, those who earn not more than 30,000 baht (around $857) per year are entitled to 3,000 baht ($85.7). Those who earn more than 30,000 baht but less than 100,000 baht ($2,857) per year are entitled to 1,500 baht ($42.8) in giveaway cash.

According to an official of the ministry, about 8.27 million Thais had earlier filed for the government's grant nationwide, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, 6.98 million of those people were certified by the authorities as eligible to the giveaway cash, the official said.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier commented that the government's grant was not a populist campaign and that it was merely meant to help stimulate the country's grassroots economy.