The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has passed a bill which will provide up to 4 billion baht a year from sin taxes to support the monthly living allowance for the elderly poor.
The bill was passed with a unanimous vote. It will funnel 2% of taxes from alcohol and cigarettes to support the country's low-income senior citizens.
The National Committee for the Elderly will outline guidelines on who is entitled to support. Adm Polawat Sirodom, head of the NLA committee behind the bill, said that financial assistance will not be given to everyone.
Those eligible must be at least 60 years old and have an income of no more than 100,000 baht a year, he said. They must also be registered under the government's low-income earner assistance scheme.
The National Committee for the Elderly, he said, will outline criteria on how much assistance the elderly poor would receive.
Most lawmakers agreed with using sin taxes to support low-income seniors. However, they wanted it made clear who is entitled to receive assistance.
According to a Fiscal Policy Office report, people aged 60 and over will account for 20% of the total population by 2025, up from 14% in 2015.
There are around 10 million people aged 60 or older nationwide. 8 million of them depend on a monthly living allowance from the government. The state spends 70 billion baht annually to cover their living costs.
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