Debt

[Coss]

Wow!

 

I didn't intend to be so prescient.

 

In your opinion, how common, are people such as the in-law, I mean do you hear of others like this, or do you think this one is an isolated case?

[cavanami]

What about the folks who bought into Yingluck's first time buy plan, expending a big cash rebate ... which most of them never got?

 

Wrong, we had 3 ~ 4 people here at the office buy a new car and ALL got the rebate.

[Flashermac]

Aha, I see my confusion. It seems that many people had second thoughts and never even picked up their reserved car.

 

Yingluck auto rebate faces official axe

 

Excise Department chief Somchai Poonsawat will seek cabinet approval to officially terminate the Yingluck Shinawatra government's tax rebate for first-time car buyers, saying the scheme created artificial demand.

 

Mr Somchai said the shutdown of the tax-credit plan launched in 2012 would help save government funds and reduce bureaucratic workload.

 

A total 100,000 vehicles were booked under the programme, but their prospective buyers never took delivery. Their rights will expire if they do not collect the booked cars by Sept 30.

 

He believes no one will pick up the remaining booked vehicles as new models have since been released and buyers have either changed their minds or purchased other cars.

 

He also noted that some persons had booked more than one vehicle under the first-car tax scheme and artificially inflated the number of bookings.

 

He said the Finance Ministry had approved the department's request to close down the programme.

 

 

http://www.bangkokpo...es-official-axe

 

 

p.s. Probably worst of all is that encouraged people to buy an expensive new car instead of a reasonably priced used one which would have fit their budget (presuming most Thai even know what a budget is). I'm quite happy with my second-hand car, saw no reason to spend 3 times as much on a new one of the same model.

 

Interesting analysis in the Post:

 

...

 

TDRI president Somkiat Tangkitvanich said the second generation of populist policies championed by the Yingluck Shinawatra government generate fewer public benefits compared to the first-generation policies from the era of the now defunct-Thai Rak Thai government.

 

For example, the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's 30-baht universal healthcare scheme and the One Tambon One Product (Otop) entrepreneurship programme benefited the majority of the people and assisted social development, he said.

 

But the current populist policies, such as the first-car tax rebate scheme or the controversial rice pledging scheme, only serve the interests of specific groups, Mr Somkiat said.

 

The rice pledging scheme distorts market fundamentals and causes substantial economic losses, he said

 

...

 

http://www.bangkokpo...se-than-thaksin

 

 

Needless to say,Thaksin himself thought them all up. He just ran out of good ideas.

[Pom Michael]

In your opinion, how common, are people such as the in-law, I mean do you hear of others like this, or do you think this one is an isolated case?

 

Have enough problems keeping up with my extended family - so don't have any anecdotal evidence of others....

[Coss]

I, have perhaps unfortunately, lost track of my Thai inlaws since the divorce. However I have a substitute Laos family who are just as entertaining.

[Flashermac]