Poll parties vow more money for the elderly

Political parties aim to win the hearts of elderly voters by granting them an old age allowance ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 baht, according to a policy dialogue organised by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) and the National Health Commission Office.

Decharut Sukkumnoed, director of the Move Forward Party (MFP)’s Think Forward Centre, said the MFP’s pension policy will increase the allowance from 600 baht to 3,000 baht, enough for a low-income earner to subsist on each month.

This would require a budget of 420 billion baht to cover around 12 million elderly people in the country. The allowance will gradually be increased to 3,000 baht by 2027. It is expected to lower the number of senior citizens who rank in the low-income category to 1%, and solve inequality…