The government revealed a rise in tackling informal debt, having approved loans to assist over 150,000 people with funds exceeding 3.7 billion baht through the mechanisms of Government Savings Bank and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). The tags are [government debt relief, informal debt, loan approval, Government Savings Bank, BAAC, financial assistance].
On 20 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Airin Panrit, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, announced progress on addressing informal debt issues under government policy. She said the Ministry of Finance, together with state specialized financial institutions, has successfully implemented loan measures to assist debtors. From 1 Dec 2023 to 17 Feb 2026, a total of 152,521 people received approved loans amounting to 3,777.16 million baht. Tags: [Ministry of Finance, loan measures, debt assistance, government policy, state financial institutions].
The assistance covers several measures, including the People's Bank Loan program, loans to settle informal debts, and revolving fund loans to help poor farmers. These focus on reducing interest burdens and creating new financial opportunities for those previously exploited. Tags: [loan programs, informal debt settlement, farmer support, interest reduction, financial inclusion].
Additionally, the Ministry of Finance has promoted the pico finance business to expand access to provincial-level funding at fair interest rates. Currently, 1,176 legal entities have received licenses and operate across 75 provinces nationwide. The cumulative approved pico finance loans for individuals have reached 5,753,190 accounts, totaling over 56 billion baht. Tags: [pico finance, provincial funding, loan licenses, financial access, interest rates, provincial coverage].
“The government aims for citizens to sustainably access formal funding sources and invites interested operators to join the pico finance business to legally help solve debt problems. For more information, please contact hotline 1359,” the Deputy Spokesperson concluded. Tags: [government strategy, financial sustainability, pico finance business, debt resolution, hotline].