BANGKOK, 14 June 2015 – The Ministry of Culture is set to present the measures designed to help traditional artists pass on their traditional knowledge to the Cabinet.
The Minister of Culture Vira Rojpojchanarat has revealed that the meeting of traditional and national artists to take care of the artists in keeping with the Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s initiative to raise the income of the artists to proper rate.
The meeting has considered the raise of monthly payment for national artists from the previous rate at 20,000 baht per month which hasn’t been changed since the last six years, as well as raising the medical allowance for treatment in private hospitals from not exceeding 40,000 baht annually to not exceeding 100,000 baht.
The Culture Minister has said that the increase of hospital allowance is now being presented to the Cabinet’s approval. The new allowance rate will take effect from 2012 if it were to be approved.
He has mentioned that the ministry will use the 9 million baht contemporary artists care fund to support the income of artists and provide space for performance and exhibition, initially to take place at Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center and Thailand Cultural Center.
Traditional artists performing Likay, Manora, Mor lam and fiddle playing will receive relief measures from the ministry. Performers on a directory list will receive jobs easier through direct hiring, while the ministry will also present additional aid measures for traditional artists to the Cabinet such as the establishment of an association in each art form category.
Provincial governors and the local administrative body have also been urged to provide tax reduction measures for employers of traditional artists, while a traditional artist management organization tasked with managing the artists was also discussed.
