Bangkok: The government spokesperson has officially announced the cancellation of the “Half-Price Plus” scheme after thorough discussions with Prime Minister Bowornsak. The spokesperson addressed and countered the Pheu Thai party’s argument, which claimed that the “Half-Price Plus” scheme was more cost-effective compared to the proposed 10,000 baht cash handout, suggesting that it would have provided short-term economic stimulation with long-term benefits and a broader distribution.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Siripong Angkasakulkiat, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, clarified the criticisms surrounding the continuation of the “Half-Price Plus” Phase 2 project. He confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Bowornsak Uwanno, responsible for legal affairs, consulted with the Election Commission and concluded that the caretaker government is unable to proceed with the “Half-Price Plus” Phase 2 project. Consequently, he offered an apology for the situation.

In response to a statement by Ms. Monporn Charoensri, former Deputy Minister of Transport and a key member of the Pheu Thai Party, Mr. Siripong refuted her claim that the 10,000 baht payment project was rejected because the minority government diverted the budget to a 50/50 split. He labeled this assertion as untrue and irresponsible, highlighting a failure to fulfill campaign promises. He pointed out that on May 20th, the then Prime Minister announced a postponement of the 10,000 baht project, deeming it less necessary than infrastructure investment. Furthermore, Mr. Siripong noted the expedited conversion of a 150 billion baht project, emphasizing the urgent justification provided was the lower priority of the 10,000 baht project. As a result, this phase could not proceed, and no budget was allocated for the 10,000 baht project when the current government assumed power.

Mr. Siripong also contrasted the “Half-Price Plus” project with the 10,000 baht initiative, noting that while the former utilized central government funds for economic stimulation without prior budget planning, the scale of both projects differed significantly. The “Half-Price Plus” project expended over 40 billion baht, whereas the 10 billion baht per phase project consumed more than 100 billion baht.

He emphasized, “Ours is a short-term stimulus with long-lasting and widespread effects. But from what I’ve heard from the villagers, the previous project had short-term stimulus but the effects were lingering for a long time.”