Thailand Plans $7.2 Billion Stimulus to Rescue Virus-Hit Economy

  • New relief measures to boost domestic consumption: Prayuth
  • Cabinet cuts water, electricity tariffs for two more months
Photographer: Luke Duggleby/Bloomberg
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Thailand is planning to spend billions of dollars in providing financial relief to low-income groups to cope with the economic hit from the biggest Covid-19 outbreak sweeping the nation since the pandemic began.

The cabinet gave in-principle approval on Wednesday for fiscal stimulus measures including extension of two cash handout programs by a month at a cost of 85.5 billion baht ($2.8 billion). It also proposed 140 billion baht worth of spending for co-payment and e-voucher programs and more cash handouts to welfare cardholders and special groups to stimulate domestic consumption, officials said.