Thailand’s cabinet on Tuesday approved measures to create jobs as part of the government’s move to revive an economy devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister, General Prayut Chan-o-cha however said that the planned cash handouts had not been discussed yet.
Last week, the Thai government announced fiscal stimulus plans worth a combined 68.5 billion baht. The prime minister said that the Labour Ministry planned to create 12-month-long jobs for 260,000 graduates from universities and vocational schools. The positions would be among 1 million jobs that the ministry was preparing for people and it would present the job vacancies in an upcoming job expo, General Prayut said.
The government will pay 50% of salaries for new graduates during the one-year period starting next month. Salaries will be set at 15,000 baht for university graduates, 11,500 baht for graduates with advanced vocational certificates and 9,400 baht for graduates with standard vocational certificates. The subsidies will cost the state about 23.48 billion baht.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the subsidy was a part of the 1-trillion-baht that the Finance Ministry borrowed to shore up the economy affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
