A woman stretches on a bench marked for social distancing in Lumpini Park, which was reopened after the Thai government relaxed measures to combat the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, in Bangkok on May 3, 2020. (AFP / Mladen Antonov)

Misinformation recirculates in Thailand claiming elderly allowances have increased

This article is more than one year old.
Published on May 28, 2020 at 09:45
2 min read
By AFP Thailand

Multiple posts on Facebook and messaging app Line shared in May 2020 claim monthly government allowances for elderly people in Thailand have been increased. The claim is false; on May 27, Thailand's Department of Older Persons denied there had been any increase to elderly stipends; the Thai government separately labelled the posts “fake news”.

The claim was shared on Line on May 23, 2020.

The Thai-language message translates to English as: “Who has families or relatives that receive the elderly allowance, please don’t forget to tell them to proceed.

“The elderly allowance has been adjusted, everyone please declare yourselves at the district office with the related documents. Within October, please go to the district office to show them that you are still alive

"(*) Bring a copy of your ID card

"(*) The house registration

"(*) A copy of your bank book for the bank transfer

"(*)(*) If you don’t go to declare yourself, in the next fiscal year the money won’t go to your bank account

"(*) For your information:

"Age 60 is increased to 700

"70 is increased to 800

"80 is increased to 900

"90 is increased to 1000

"Please bring a copy of your ID card and house registration, and spread the word.”

A similar claim was also shared on Facebook here, here, here and here.

The claim is false.

“The progressive rate of elderly allowance hasn’t been changed and remains the same since October 2011,” Tatiya Krisornsri, a senior development official at the government’s Department of Older Persons, told AFP by phone on May 27, 2020.

Krisornsri said that monthly elderly allowances remain 600 Thai baht for those aged 60-69; 700 baht for those aged 70-79; 800 baht for those aged 80-89; and 1,000 baht for those aged 90 and older. The stipends are also detailed in this official parliament document.

Thailand’s Anti-Fake News Centre, a government-run platform within the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, also refuted that elderly allowances were increased. In a Facebook post on May 12, 2020, the agency labelled the misleading posts “fake news”.

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Misinformation recirculates in Thailand claiming elderly allowances have increased

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