
A 25-year-old Thai woman who called the 5,000 baht government handout she received as “small change” has been released by police after questioning.
The woman received the 5,000 baht as part of the government’s subsidy program designed to help people who had lost their jobs or are financially affected by the coronavirus situation.
As she ran a garment shop in Patong, Phuket that had to close due to the restrictions currently in place across the island, she qualified for the 5,000 baht cash and received it into her account.
However, shortly after receiving the money, she posted on Facebook saying:
“The 5,000-baht handout has already been wired to my account. It’s just small change behind my refrigerator.”
Her post sparked outrage among the Thai public, leading her to later delete the message due to the number of negative comments.
Despite the deletion of the post, police brought the woman into Patong police station for questioning. She told the police that she was happy to receive the cash and felt bad that her friends did not get the handout.
After questioning, the police gave the woman a warning and released her without pressing any charges.
Source: Bangkok Post | Photo: Bangkok Post