BANGKOK, Thailand – The government has announced financial relief measures to support those affected by the recent floods across the country. Coordinated by the Ministry of Finance, these initiatives are designed to help farmers, small business owners, and the general public recover and return to normalcy.
Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, outlined the measures. These include emergency loans from the Government Savings Bank with 0% interest and no collateral, as well as debt moratoriums and home repair loans that cover full costs. The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives is offering debt repayment freezes and liquidity enhancement programs for farmers, backed by a budget of 20 billion baht. Meanwhile, the Government Housing Bank is extending repayment periods, providing low-interest loans, and assisting with debt restructuring, with services available until December 30th of this year.
Support for SMEs is also being provided by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank. The bank has introduced measures to pause, reduce, extend, adjust, and enhance financial support for affected businesses. Additionally, the Export-Import Bank and the Islamic Bank are extending loan maturities and offering additional relief. The Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation has introduced fee and installment deferrals until the end of September.
Phumtham emphasized the importance of making these relief measures accessible to the impacted communities. He urged all relevant agencies to ensure that citizens, SMEs, and farmers can quickly access the financial support needed to resume their livelihoods and restore normalcy. (NNT)
