Low-income earners set to get free SIM cards

The Ministry of Finance is coming up with another idea to give free SIM cards to low-income earners so they could access to the Internet easily with hope that they could make some earnings from the use.

But it has yet to consider if free mobile phones will also be given in addition to subsidizing their monthly fees. The new idea was revealed yesterday (Nov 15) by Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong. He said the ministry is considering to give SIM cards freely to low-income earners who now have the government welfare cards so they can access to the internet easily. He said this will include subsidy for the mobile phone monthly fees.

He said this could help them to make earnings from the use. But he said it has yet to consider whether to give them free handsets or not, or how much subsidy should be for the monthly fee. Initially, he said the ministry wanted them to use the TOT Plc’s mobile networks. The minister went on saying that the second-phase assistance for low-income earners will emphasize on income increase, job creation and education so that they would be free from poverty. He said the second phase will initially go to people earning not more than 30,000 baht a year.  Source: Thai PBS