Thailand is set to roll out a controversial $13.8 billion handout plan in digital money to citizens
Thailand’s prime minister said Monday that eligible businesses and individuals can register from August for digital cash handouts, a controversial program that will cost billions of dollars and is meant to boost the lagging economy.
The government announced in April the widely criticized ambitious plan, named the Digital Wallet, meant to give 10,000 baht (about $275) to 50 million citizens in digital money to spend at local businesses.
However, economists have criticized the program, calling it an ineffective way to contribute to sustainable economic growth compared to other measures.
Thailand has in recent years suffered from a sluggish economy that appears to have deteriorated with no clear sign of growth. This month, the World Bank’s Thailand Economic Monitor projected GDP growth of 2.4% for the year 2024.
The 13.8 billion digital support plan. You're supporting people, not giving "handouts".
Lul, all that money not being transferred to like 10 already rich people, but to all people??
It's like they want to actually boost economy and living standards.
The US has done one-off stimulus checks on multiple occasions.
They do nothing.
With nothing being measured by the stock market growth, yes, that is correct.
(Also those were tiny compared to free "stimulus" money for corps)
And the other way around too - all the trickle down y'all regan-ed yourself into, in what sense did that ever help anyone, not measured by the stock market?
(And this isn't even counting central banks printing money to buy govies & benefiting only the investors with that monetary policy, and for an insane amounts (7+ trillion sustained on the books?) over insane number of years - and all this do the stock market wouldn't temporarily crash, at the cost of inevitable inflation surge. This too is a stimulus, the biggest one actually. Monetary policies are for stabilisation of cycles, not a decade of producing one.)
But yes, if you dont define "what works" by "what works for you personally" then stimulus checks absolutely work, all over the world.
Also Alaska basically has monthly stimulus checks, for no particular need from the government to do so.
One problem, though. In this case we still don't know the source of this money that they are handing out. Would it become gigantic public debts, while the money will change hands to corporates very soon? The entire country is monopolized by a handful of families.
Why a single stimulus? why not a Universal Basic Income? Doesn't the world is in recession because of US covid stimulus?
Step by step, capitalism too stronk.
But hopefully very soon.
My fear about UBI over the long term is that it will just get baked into prices and stop having a beneficial effect. Basically inflation. Inflation is what happens when money is devalued. And if everybody suddenly all have this magic same amount of money dropped out of the sky, who’s to say that anything fundamental in society will change? All the basic supplies and demands will still be there, so will there just be slightly different digits on all the price tags? What does that solve? Anyway, you shouldn’t expect a government to go STRAIGHT to UBI without some shorter term one-time stimulus experiments. So let’s hope it goes well and inspires more experimentation instead of saying hey stupid why didn’t you make it permanent? There are some obvious questions about how that would go.
That's why UBI alone would ultimately not help much, but UBI and price controls would be EXTREMELY helpful, especially to those struggling the most.
This is basically what most money is already. Difference with UBI is that a certain amount is guaranteed to go to everyone to create a financial floor, rather than almost all of it going to the 10% that exploit the other 90%
With UBI and price controls combined? Unless the UBI amount is too small or the price controls are too lax, it literally can't NOT fundamentally change a society where the majority is struggling to get by.
Except there's TONS of market forces beyond just the basics, including ones that artificially deflate income and inflate prices. UBI combined with price controls would undoubtedly change the entire landscape for the better for the struggling majority as well as those of the rich whose income is at all connected to open commerce rather than just the stock market casino.
Except for the fact that such incrementalism has been shown again and again to take one or two insufficient steps in the right direction before being rolled back by opposing forces.
When it comes to transformative change, half or quarter measures and onetime tests just don't work.
And sweeping comprehensive permanent changes “work?” Do we have a single practical example of UBI + price controls?
Do you really think a south East Asian country is going to be the first in the world to roll out UBI?
Easily. They actually make things.
You just need to make it tax supported instead of a money printer.
Actually it’s quite clever. In Thailand the biggest companies belong to extremely rich and very secretive families. Giving the digital wallet money to the people, but at the same time limiting where you can use it and what you can buy with it. This will make sure the money ends up in the pockets of the rich families. Keeping Election promises, a good PR Spin, and padding the pockets of the people that keep you in power. All at the same time.
Yep like the Chearavanont family they own, among other things, almost all of the 12000 7-Eleven stores in Thailand. And the ones they don’t own are franchised or licensed via them.
Honestly, even with cash it is actually hard to not give money to the oligarchs in Thailand. Pretty much every single transaction involves profit to the likes of CP Group. The chicken farms, the plastic bags, the sauces, the fuel...
I owe my ewallet to the company store!
How is ensuring it is spent locally giving it to franchises and big business?
What does really says is "Thailand will crash the crypto market."
This is worse than QE. This money is helicopter money.
The implementation of digital currency will lead to enslavement.