Bangkok (VNA) – Eight state-owned banks of Thailand have introduced relief measures for victims of the earthquake, including debt repayment suspension and low-interest loans, deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksanusak said on March 31.
The financial institutions are the Government Housing Bank (GHB), SME Development Bank (SME D Bank), Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG), Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Exim Bank), Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), Government Savings Bank (GSB), Islamic Bank of Thailand (IBank) and Krungthai Bank, he said.
Financial measures are for both individuals and businesses affected by the earthquake to provide them with immediate relief and help them maintain their livelihoods and business operations. These banks are expediting programmes to cover all groups.
Meanwhile, the Thai military announced that it has deployed more than 1,000 troops, heavy machinery and cranes to rescue and recovery operations in Bangkok.
According to the latest figures, 78 people remain missing - most of them in the only collapsed building in Thailand - while the death toll has reached 18. The majority of the victims were construction workers at the site./.