Anger, glee as cheques issued
Long queues form for government cash gift
- Published: 27/03/2009 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
It was a day of mixed reactions yesterday as close to a million people picked up their 2,000-baht cheque handouts from the government.
Awomanis revived after she passed out while waiting for her 2,000-baht gift cheque from the government at City Hall. Scenes of chaoswere reported as people turned up in drovesatvenuesaround the country to pick up the cheques yesterday. THITIWANNAMONTHA
At City Hall, long lines of people queued from early morning to collect the money, paralysing traffic at the nearby Democracy Monument and Din So road.
The recipients include members of the Social Security Fund, civil servants and state enterprise workers earning less than 15,000 baht a month. The cheques are being handed out until April 8.
Queue cards were given out to people who filled tents at cheque collection points.
NOTE: Earlier report here.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presided over the giveaway at City Hall and handed the first cheque to Kongjai Harnchai, 31, a teacher.
He said the money was meant to be spent on such things as travel and shopping to stimulate the economy.
The handout is part of the government's 117-billion-baht economic stimulus package to boost domestic consumption.
Ms Kongjai, who is pregnant, said she was thrilled to get the money which she planned to use for her baby.
The heat and the crowds, however, were too much for Aphisada Nilsai, 31, who fainted after waiting for over six hours.
Noi Sae-ngo, 50, who described the cheque distribution as a waste of time, said:
"I won't come back again just to pick up a cheque if I don't get it today."
In Ayutthaya, several cheque pick-up points were described as chaotic including that at Ayutthaya city hall, which was blocked by 200 retrenched workers who were frustrated when their names were not on the list.
They agreed to disperse after the provincial Social Security Office assured them they had the right to the money and they could obtain it later.
Some debt collectors also turned up to force cheque recipients to pay their bills.
In Nakhon Sawan, debt collectors played a cat-and-mouse game with those who received cheques.
Some debtors were seen running away after receiving their cheque.
In Chiang Mai, police arrested a 25-year-old man soon after he picked up his cheque at the province's city hall. Police say the man was wanted on suspicions that he stole a mobile phone last year,
Some supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) said they would give the money to the anti-government campaign.
Bangkok Bank, which produced the cheques, has provided a cheque-for-cash service at most pick-up points.
About 150,000 cheques were handed out on the first day in Bangkok alone.
In Yala, many representatives of retired civil servants turned up to pick up their cheques at the city hall only to learn they could not receive the cheques on behalf of the retirees.
About 70% to 80% of cheque recipients cashed the cheques immediately upon receipt, according to Bangkok Bank, which said the process went smoothly despite queues.
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- Writer: POST REPORTERS
