The widespread withdrawal of money at the Government Savings Bank (GSB) suggests people have lost confidence with the Pheu Thai-led government, the Democrat Party says.
Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday the government is now scrambling to seek money from the public to pay farmers waiting for the delayed payment for their pledged rice.
The money will help the government continue to swindle cash from farmers, the spokesman said.
The GSB announced on Sunday that it had handed a 5-billion-baht loan to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
GSB president Worawit Chailimpamontri said the bank did not know how the BAAC would spend the sum, but critics were convinced that the loan will be used to fund the BAAC to pay farmers under the rice-pledging scheme. About 30 billion baht was withdrawn from GSB branches nationwide against new deposits of 10 billion baht on Monday.
In Phitsanulok’s Muang district, a long queue of people waiting to withdraw money formed at the GSB’s Thamaprang branch. The bank staff told customers that those who wanted to withdraw more than 1 million baht would have to come to pick up their money today as the bank did not have enough cash.
In Trang, the GSB’s provincial branch reported 100 million baht was withdrawn yesterday.
Large withdrawals were also reported at the GSB branches in Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi and Surat Thani.