Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon was at a ceremony in Udon Thani province on Thursday to return land to informal debtors, part of 7,000 rai being handed back in ceremonies nationwide.
In his ceremony in the northeastern province, Gen Prawit, also the defence minister, handed 1,523 title deeds covering 6,309 rai to 1,778 people of the Northeast. Also present were Gen Theppong Thipayachan, defence permanent secretary, and army chief Chalermchai Sittisad.
"This government has not ignored the problem. It is solving the fundamental problem and treating it as a national strategy to create opportunities and social equality," Gen Prawit said.
Defence spokesman Kongcheep Tantrawanit said there were about 900,000 informal debtors nationwide and the majority, or about 560,000, were in the Northeast.
Most informal debtors were low-income farmers and people who had been taken advantage of and deprived of their land and farming tools. They had heavy financial burdens, faced threats and were vulnerable to violence, Lt Gen Kongcheep said.
The government restructured informal debts for 209,538 debtors and and freed about 7,000 rai of land and many vehicles worth about 3 billion baht pledged as collateral. Nationwide ceremonies were organised to return the assets to 2,287 debtors nationwide on Thursday, the spokesman said.
