The Thai massage industry is fighting for therapists to qualify for the 5,000 baht monthly government handout after thousands of applications were rejected.
All massage parlors across Thailand are currently closed due to the nationwide state of emergency and curfew, affecting hundreds of thousands of masseuses who no longer have an income.
More than 140,000 massage therapists who applied for the government’s 5,000 baht cash handout to assist with expenses until massage parlors open again have had their application rejected due to issues related to their occupation.
The Ministry of Public Health is looking into the situation and considering appeals launched by the thousands of massage therapists who have been left without any income.
They will hold talks with the Ministry of Finance later this week to discuss ways of helping the massage industry and assisting masseuses who don’t qualify for the handout.
The Thai Red Cross Society has also set up a service to deliver relief supplies to any massage therapist who is out of work and can’t return home due to the current lockdowns across the country.
Source: NNT
