The second phase of the 10,000-baht cash handout scheme starts on Monday when Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra kicks off the campaign. About three million people aged 60 and over will be eligible for the cash, said Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat on Sunday.
He said people who had already registered for the scheme via the Tang Rath app will receive the money via the PromptPay service. "I would like to reiterate that the 3 million recipients must link their PromptPay to their national ID cards to receive the 10,000 baht," he said.
They must have an annual income of less than 840,000 baht and have deposits in all accounts of less than 500,000 baht. Vulnerable groups who received money in the first phase are excluded, he said.
In the event some eligible recipients are unable to link their account with the PromptPay app in time for this round, the Comptroller General's Department has announced that those people can wait to receive the money in the next three rounds: on Feb 28, March 28 and April 28. They must link their ID card number with the PromptPay service at least three days before the money will be transferred, he said.
During the Phase 1 cash handout, 33,767 state welfare cardholders did not receive the money due to various reasons such as their failing to link their ID with the PromptPay service; their bank account linked to the PromptPay service being temporarily suspended or closed; and giving incorrect account numbers, he said. He warned senior citizens who are eligible to receive the cash not to repeat the same mistakes this time round.
Meanwhile, government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said the government will host the launch campaign on Monday, with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra "pressing the button" to kick off the second phase.
She will also make a video call with some recipients to congratulate them and listen to feedback. "In the meantime, the government will gather information on any the problems in the registration process, such as with some people having no smartphone," said Mr Jirayu.
Mr Julapun said the digital wallet application will undergo a system test next month to prepare for the scheme's third phase. He said the third phase of the scheme will distribute cash through the digital wallet app to registered individuals aged 16-59 between March and April.
"The digital wallet development has progressed quite a bit. The system itself is ready for testing in February-March," he said.
