Traders at the Business Park night market in Nong Pa Khrang said they have been waiting for the programme’s return and believe it will encourage shoppers to open their wallets again. One vendor said customers have been spending less and less as the cost of living bites, and that any measure prompting people to feel confident spending would translate directly into better sales figures.
Opinion is divided, however, on the revised disbursement structure, which will pay out 1,000 baht per month over four months rather than a lump sum. Some vendors said they understood the government’s fiscal constraints and considered phased payments better than nothing. Others were less satisfied, arguing that 1,000 baht a month falls short given rising prices, and calling for either a single 4,000-baht payment or two instalments of 2,000 baht each.
