By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE indebted to loan sharks has now surpassed 100,000 over a three-week period, confirmed the Ministry of Interior’s undersecretary Sutthipong Chulcharoen today (Dec.21).
A total of 105,482 people have so far claimed with the authorities to have a combined sum of 6.57 billion baht in illicit, informal debt currently owed to a total of 76,223 loan sharks in all parts of the country since the beginning of this month, Sutthipong said.
Of that total, 92,235 people have notified the authorities of their illicit debt online whilst 13,247 others have contacted them in person.
Most of the registered debtors have been reported as Bangkokians, followed by those of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Songkhla, Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen respectively.
Nevertheless, those who may as well owe illicit, informal debt are encouraged to follow suit by registering with district officials or police based in their home district, either online or in person, until the end of March, Sutthipong said.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the indebted people and illicit money lenders with government officials performing as mediators over a combined 133 million baht in debt have been so far settled to rid the debtors of a combined 89 million baht in otherwise-illicit debt, leaving the balance of a combined 44 million baht to be settled at a later date, according to the Ministry of Interior’s undersecretary.
The settlements have so far involved 224 out of a total of 1,294 indebted people who had come to the negotiating tables alongside their money lenders, he said.
The Pheu Thai-led government’s anti-loan sharks campaign is primarily designed to rid all people of their illicit debt burdens by having the disproportionately high interest substantially cut and the repayment terms extended on instalment basis.
In case that the principal of a debt may have been fully paid, the debtor will be no longer obliged to pay any more interest under the anti-loan sharks campaign.
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Top and Front Page: Representative images of debt. Credit: Matichon
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