One-third of Thais ‘very angry’ if handout funds cancelled

More than one third of Thais say they will be enraged if they don’t get the 10,000-baht handout in the second phase of the digital wallet scheme, an opinion poll has found, while more than half would be at least slightly angry – and more than a third wouldn’t mind at all.
The National Institute of Development Administration poll, or Nida Poll, asked 2,000 respondents nationwide on Oct 7-9 for their opinions on how the 10,000-baht cash payment should be distributed in the second phase of the government’s economic stimulus handout programme.
The survey found 56.95% of the respondents were eligible handout recipients, 23.95% were ineligible, 17.00 % had already received the 10,000 baht and 2.10% said they were not sure if they were eligible.
The pollster asked the eligible respondents and the “not sure” group to respond on four payment scenarios as follows:
1. The government decides to cancel the second phase of the stimulus handout — offering neither cash nor digital money.
41.58% said they would be very angry
34.38% not angry at all
14.56% fairly angry
9.14% slightly angry
0.34% did not know or were not interested
2. The government distributes the handout in the form of digital money but in an amount less than 10,000 baht, such as 5,000 baht.
40.30% not angry at all
24.47% very angry
21.25% fairly angry
13.64% slightly angry
0.34% did not know or were not interested
3. The government offers 10,000 baht in full in digital money.
60.54% not angry at all
17.53% slightly angry
12.11% fairly angry
9.31% very angry
0.51% did not know or were not interested
4. The government pays in two instalments of 5,000 baht in digital money.
60.88% not angry at all
20.07% slightly angry
10.58% fairly angry
8.30% very angry
0.17% did not know or were not interested
When the pollster asked the ineligible recipients about the 10,000-baht stimulus handout scheme, the answers were as follows:
29.44% said the government should give the handout to all groups of people regardless of their income or assets
25.47% disagreed with the handout offer, saying no one should receive the 10,000 baht
25.25 said the handout should be given to people in vulnerable groups only, such as the disabled
15.66% agreed with both the government offering cash or digital money to vulnerable groups in the second phase
2.30% agreed only with digital money payments in the second phase
1.88% did not know or were not interested.