Thailand's Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) Thursday unveiled details of a new stimulus package estimated at 51 billion baht (1.63 million U.S. dollars) to assist low-income earners impacted by the COVID-19 fallout.
The three-month consumption stimulus package will cover 24 million mainly low-income people via two schemes, said the newly established CESA aimed at rebooting the pandemic-hit Thai economy.
In the first scheme, 14 million welfare cardholders will receive an extra monthly discount of 500 baht from October to December on their shopping, under the 21-billion-baht scheme.
The second scheme covers the "Let's Go Halves" project, where 10 million people will get daily discounts of up to 50 baht on food, beverages and household essentials, which do not cover alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets.
The subsidy is capped at 3,000 baht per person. Thai citizens aged 18 or over can register online.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who chairs the CESA, said the aim of the scheme is to boost domestic consumption and increase purchasing power for low-income groups and the general public.
The budget will be allocated from the government's 400-billion-baht recovery loan and proposed to the Cabinet on Sept. 22.