The Finance Ministry is conducting a survey of 40,000 people in the government's 10,000-baht cash handout scheme to assess its impact on the economy and society.
According to finance permanent secretary Lavaron Sangsnit, the survey is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
This is the first detailed survey to examine the actual impact of a stimulus cash handout, seeking insights into its effects on the economy and society, rather than relying on speculation, he said.
Mr Lavaron said the survey uses a large sample size to ensure the results reflect the true impact of the programme, helping to determine whether it is a worthwhile initiative.
For the survey process, the ministry hired Suan Dusit University to conduct a survey of handout recipients, focusing on their spending behaviour. The survey is conducted independently.
To assess the impact on entrepreneurs, the ministry commissioned the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce for a survey.
In addition, he said the ministry and the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) will use population census data from the National Statistical Office, which coincidentally conducted its census during the same period as the ministry surveys.
The ministry and NESDC plan to analyse the data from the National Statistical Office as part of their study.
The cash handout was originally intended to be a one-time distribution for individuals aged 16 and older through a digital wallet, with the government creating a platform to support it.
The total cost was projected to exceed 500 billion baht.
However, there were objections from various parties regarding its economic suitability and legal validity, especially from the Bank of Thailand, which disagreed with the indiscriminate distribution of funds.
The central bank suggested the money should only be given to those in need, such as vulnerable groups in society.
The government adjusted the programme by setting conditions for eligibility. Recipients cannot have monthly income exceeding 70,000 baht nor savings in excess of 500,000 baht.
The distribution is being carried out in phases, starting with holders of state welfare cards who registered via the government's Tang Rat app, totalling 14.4 million people.
The first phase has a budget of around 144 billion baht.
The cash distribution to state welfare cardholders began in September.
As of the end of November, 1.44 million individuals had received the 10,000-baht handout.
However, there are still 75,400 eligible individuals who have not completed the required steps, such as linking their PromptPay accounts.
These individuals must complete the process by Dec 19, which is the final opportunity to receive the cash.
After that deadline, this portion of the targeted group will be considered as opting to decline the handout, according to the ministry.
