Some vendors in major cities in the northeast are calling on the government to continue its 10,000-baht wallet scheme, saying it will still help the local economy even if the money isn't digital.
The government, under new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, may change its flagship 10,000-baht digital wallet policy to a 10,000-baht cash handout policy instead.
At Municipal Fresh Market 1 in Khon Kaen, Tukta Sriaphai, a 57-year-old fish vendor, told the Bangkok Post that she would benefit from the cash handout, adding she would use the money to pay for water and electricity bills or her children's schooling.
She said that using digital money may be difficult for her, so cash would be easier. The money could help stimulate the economy more effectively as it would directly be given to vendors to pay for things like fuel, she said.
However, she is sceptical about whether or not the government's plan would actually materialise.
Phetrat Kongphon, a 58-year-old sausage vendor, also backed the cash handout idea as she believed it would help with family expenses, especially for the elderly.
Tiwarat Soysuwan, a 42-year-old fruit vendor, said she did not register for the digital wallet scheme because she was concerned it would be difficult for her to spend the money. She said she lived in Muang district, but her house was registered in a different one.
However, if the money was given in cash, she said she would register for the scheme. Cash would give people more freedom to spend, benefiting both buyers and suppliers, she said.
She also hoped the government would give the cash in stages, as opposed to the full amount at once, for financial discipline.
Meanwhile, in Nakhon Ratchasima, some low-income people also weighed in on the government's handout plan, with some saying it would happen under the current government.
Nattapol Tinthapthai, a 50-year-old rice cracker vendor, expressed concern over the current economic situation, saying his income has significantly decreased in the past years.
He said he registered for the digital wallet scheme but he prefers cash handouts similar to the Covid-19 relief funds by the Prayut Chan-o-cha government.
Ua Tankratok, a 49-year-old street vendor, expressed her doubts about the government's handout scheme.
Although she registered for the digital wallet, she doesn't believe the policy will continue because the current government seems "unstable".
