National –
Allowances for Thai elderly and disabled citizens this month is not called off and is going to be distributed nationwide by the end of the month, a spokesman of the Ministry of Finance confirms today, September 13.
Following the announcement of the Comptroller General’s Department on Friday, the budget for eligible elderly and disabled persons in September was insufficient. The Department had already urgently requested a higher budget in order to pay out the allowance within this month.
After the announcement, some rumors saying that the government was facing financial shortage and would cancel pension funds and stop paying employees’ salaries after 3 months were shared online and had affected the government’s credibility.
Lawan Saengsanit, the spokesman of the Ministry of Finance, had made a public announcement regarding the rumors that they are all untrue. The allowance is only postponed and is now under the process of the budget rearrangement by the Department of Local Administration.

The spokesman told the Associated Press: “The allowance budget has been rearranged in accordance with the number of eligible persons in September. The Comptroller General’s Department will continue the process to pay them by the end of the month.”
Salaries of government employees have also been sufficiently allocated within the expenses of government personnel, according to the Annual Budget Expenditure Act. The annual budget expenditure for the fiscal year is now being considered by the Parliament.
“The government’s current economic status remains at a strong level and is sufficient to support the budget disbursement of government agencies, including salaries of civil servants. We confirmed that the funds will be potentially spent to support the government departments and their implemented policies to keep driving the domestic economy,” Lawan concluded.
Multiple reasons have been given unofficially for the budget shortfall which has left many elderly and disabled in a tight situation as they wait for their monthly funds.