BANGKOK, Thailand – The government has reported that the “Thais Help Thais Plus (60/40)” program generated more than 43.2 billion baht in spending during its first month in June, with 25.69 million participants and more than 1.07 million participating merchants. Eligible participants have been encouraged to use their July spending allocation via the Pao Tang mobile application, and any unused monthly benefits expire at the end of each month. The government also said more than 640,000 merchants have adopted the “Nok Krasip” (whispering bird) AI chatbot on the Tung Ngern application to help manage their businesses more efficiently.
Participants can also receive discounted fares on State Railway of Thailand services at 117 stations nationwide from July 1 through September 30, helping to reduce travel costs, encourage domestic tourism, and increase rail travel. The government has also introduced the “Thais Help Thais Franchise Career Development Plus” program, offering subsidies covering 50% of franchise package costs, up to 10,000 baht per person, for eligible packages priced at no more than 100,000 baht. Participants may also qualify for business loans, loan guarantees, and up to six months of free retail space at more than 2,000 Lotus’s and Makro branches, with applications open through August 31.
