Bangkok: The government has announced a series of financial and commercial measures aimed at assisting individuals and businesses impacted by recent incidents along the Thai border. These measures, which include financial support and career promotion initiatives, are designed to alleviate the challenges faced by those living and working in the affected areas.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Jirayu Huangsap, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that the government has coordinated with seven financial institutions to implement relief measures. These institutions include the Government Savings Bank, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), the Government Housing Bank, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand, the Export-Import Bank of Thailand, the Islamic Bank of Thailand, and the Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Corporation.
The relief measures encompass various financial supports such as emergency loans to improve liquidity for everyday expenses, including the BAAC Emergency Expense Loan Project 2025 targeting farmers. Additionally, low-interest loans are available through the Government Savings Bank, offering 20,000 baht per person without collateral, to support living and working conditions during the affected period.
Furthermore, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is providing home repair loans for refurbishing damaged properties and agricultural equipment. These loans offer a credit limit of up to 500,000 baht per individual, with an interest rate of MRR – 2% per year and a repayment term of up to 15 years.
To aid sustainable business operations and enhance competitiveness, rehabilitation loans are available from the BAAC, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank, and the Government Savings Bank. Debt repayment suspension measures are also in place, with the Government Savings Bank and the SME Bank offering options to suspend principal repayments and adjust installment terms.
Mr. Jirayu highlighted that the Ministry of Commerce is executing proactive measures for entrepreneurs along the Thai-Cambodian border. These measures target three groups: farmers and fruit and vegetable entrepreneurs, small traders and villagers, and exporters-importers in Cambodia. Short-term initiatives include facilitating the distribution of goods, opening sales points for entrepreneurs, and addressing supply chain backlogs.
Long-term measures involve organizing events like the Thai Fruits Festival 2025 in collaboration with major gas stations, conducting online trade training, exploring new transport routes through Laos and Vietnam, and hosting activities across ASEAN to support affected entrepreneurs.