BackThe Chief Ombudsman of Thailand received several complaints related to preventive or support strategies in the pandemic of Covid-19. The main focus was put on relief measure to “leave no one behind”, assistance from the Telecommunication Sector to support people working from home during the pandemic, and the general shortage of medical equipment.
„No one left behind“ relief measure
The Ministry of Finance has set up a „No one left behind“ income compensation scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to an error caused by the system and also a partly limited access to technical devices and internet in rural areas, eligible applicants were disqualified or were not able to apply for the program.
The Chief Ombudsman discussed this issue with pertinent agencies in order to find an appropriate solution and has the following recommendations:
The Ministry of Finance set up a „local rights defender team“, with officials assigned to verify and review the requests of applicants.
For farmers the payment is approved per household. Since family members of farmers often have additional jobs and incomes which are not considered, payments should be made on individual basis and the amount should be equal to any other payments of the „No one left behind“ program.
The Prime Minister agreed with the recommendations of the Ombudsman and instructed the pertinent agencies to develop proactive measures based on the Ombudsman´s recommendations.
The Ombudsman still received several complaints about the relief measures later on and therefore requested his office to develop guidelines and provide assistance and explanations in order to guarantee access to the program for all eligible applicants.
Assistance from Telecommunication Sector to support people working from home during the pandemic.
Due to preventive measures many people are working and studying from home. The Chief Ombudsman invited the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) to discuss strategies to support these people. The NBTC implemented the following measures:
- 10 GB internet service for those who are working from home, which aims at the most affected group of people with low-income.
- Increasing the speed and capacity of internet service at home to its maximum level.
The Ombudsman endorses this solution, as NBTC measures correspond with government policies.
He has the following recommendations for the NBTC that include discussions with private companies about extending the using period of 10GB, notifications about better conditions for private users via SMS, cooperation of NBTC and universities with regards to online learning and observation of service providers to match people´s demands. NBTC followed these recommendations in the most points.
Shortage of medical equipment
The Ombudsman received a complaint about the inefficient distribution of medical masks and other medical supplies such as disinfection gels. The Ombudsman identified factors that lead to a shortage and gave recommendations for the government, since many national agencies and authorities were involved. The Prime Minister already notified the Ombudsman about his commands to the government, which are in line with the Ombudsman´s recommendations.
For more details on the Thai Ombudsman’s investigation into the main issues of the Covid-19 pandemic, please see the full press release in the download section below.
Source: Office of the Ombudsman of Thailand
