"Hybrid 2 Chips" to be handed out by mid-October

BANGKOK, September 25 (TNA) -All low income earners nationwide who have registered with the Thai government and passed an official screening process will get the "Hybrid 2 Chips", the single welfare card issued by the Ministry of Finance's Comptroller General's Department, by October 17, 2017, with all in 70 provinces to first get their welfare card by the end of this month. The department's spokeswoman, Oranuch Wainusit, told journalists of the update on September 24, saying that about 15 per cent of the "Hybrid 2 Chips", or 1.5 million out of a total of 10 million, have already been handed out to local low income earners in 70 provinces so far. The spokeswoman, who is also the department's advisor for the financial and fiscal system development, stressed that the remaining 8.5 million registered low income earners in 70 provinces will get their "Hybrid 2 Chips" by the end of this month, while those in the remaining seven provinces will get the single welfare card by October 17, as officially announced earlier. The spokeswoman revealed those who have already received their "Hybrid 2 Chips" can immediately start utilize the card, in which the ceiling prices of free utility and public transport services and household products monthly are clearly imprinted in separated categories. The spokeswoman stated that low income earners getting their cards for the monthly free welfare late will be added the welfare amounts in all categories next month as a fair compensation. According to the spokeswoman, local banks will install all 10,000 machines to take the card for auto-payments of the utility services by the end of this month, while those at train and electric train stations, as well as inter-provincial bus terminals have all been installed. However, the auto-machines will be first installed aboard 200 passenger buses in Bangkok and its peripheral areas next month, followed by the remaining 800 buses by November. (TNA)