The cabinet has approved expansion of debtor eligibility for the "You Fight, We Help" debt relief programme.
Under the new criteria, debtors who have been in arrears from one day up to 30 days, as well as those with overdue debts exceeding 365 days, are now allowed to join the scheme.
This expansion will increase the number of eligible debtor accounts by 2 million, with a total debt value of 310 billion baht, according to Deputy Finance Minister Paopoom Rojanasakul.
Speaking after the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Paopoom said previously only debtors who owed money for more than 30 days but less than 365 days were eligible for the scheme.
"This expansion of the programme should allow more debtors to benefit from it," he said.
"The registration deadline for the programme was extended to Sept 30 of this year, from the original deadline of June 30."
Since the programme launched in December of last year until April 15, 2025, 530,000 eligible debtors, or 27% of the 1.9 million eligible participants, have registered.
The amount of debt enrolled in the programme tallied 385 billion baht, accounting for 43% of the total eligible debt amount of 890 billion baht.
According to Mr Paopoom, the cabinet's decision to expand eligibility criteria aims to support all groups of debtors and assist the public.
The types of debtors and methods of assistance remain the same.
Under the programme, repayment instalments are gradually reduced over a three-year period.
If the debtor fully complies with the conditions throughout the entire term, the interest is waived.