Southeast Asia's second largest economy expects less than 40 million to join handout scheme

The government has planned to give away 450 billion baht (US$13.6 billion) to 45 million people under its stimulus program, which will see 10,000 baht ($300) transferred to each person who registers to spend in their localities within six months. The first phase is set to be distributed to 14.5 million vulnerable people from Sept. 25.

About 36 million people have so far registered for the program, some of which overlap with the vulnerable groups, Lavaron Sangsnit, the finance ministry's permanent secretary, told reporters on Monday.

There are about 3 million people without smartphones, he added.

"From the current data, it is expected that the number of participants in the project will not reach 40 million, which will allow for more flexibility in budget management," he said.

The second phase of the handout is expected in early next year, Lavaron said.