Bangkok: "Madam Yok," the leader of the Indy Party, has urged the government to expedite the payment of COVID-19 relief funds under the "COVID-19 Insurance: Pay on Diagnosis" scheme. She highlighted that there has been no progress over the past five years, raising concerns about public confidence in the insurance industry and the fear that people may become reluctant to purchase insurance in the future.

According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Kochaporn Weroj, known as Madam Yok, has persistently called on the government to speed up payments for flood relief, COVID-19 insurance, and compensations related to earthquake damages and the Thai-Cambodian border conflict. She emphasized that these relief funds are obligations the government must fulfill rather than discretionary distributions. Specifically, the COVID-19 insurance scheme still carries an outstanding debt of approximately 70 billion baht, reduced from an initial 80 billion baht over five years. Despite the availability of a central budget for emergency relief, the government has yet to deliver this aid effectively to the public.

Ms. Kochaporn cited her experience with the Move Forward Party, noting their longstanding commitment to supporting people in times of crisis, whether due to COVID-19, natural disasters, or border issues. She expressed concern for soldiers guarding the nation's borders who remain uncompensated. To address these issues, she proposed utilizing central government funds or other allocated sources to accelerate the payments. Regarding the COVID-19 insurance scheme, she suggested that the Non-Life Insurance Fund (NHIF) should consider increasing the payment frequency to three times a year to expedite compensation. She concluded that accelerating these payments would boost public confidence in the insurance industry, preventing hesitation in purchasing insurance in the future.