10% of Thais living below poverty line when Covid hit - The Nation

10% of Thais living below poverty line when Covid hit

National

Mar 20. 2021

By THE NATION

Around 10 per cent of low-income Thais fell below the poverty threshold in 2019, according to the latest report by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). 

The new report measures income before the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the economy and household finances.

However, it provides a useful baseline to measure the impact of the pandemic on poorer citizens, with the 2020 survey expected to show a surge in poverty.

The NESDC's income distribution report for 2019 divides low-income Thais into 10 groups according to their income level. The top group earned an average Bt32,663 a month while the poorest earned only Bt2,049 per month.

The NESDC surveys poverty and income distribution every two years.