Intressant sätt att få fart på ekonomin 
First B2000 cheques handed out By: BangkokPost.comPublished: 26/03/2009 at 10:40 AM The first of the government's 2,000-baht gift cheques to low-income people were handed out in a ceremony at City Hall on Thursday morning attended by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
There were about 1,000 recipients.
The government plans to inject about 16 billion baht into the domestic economy by handing out the cheques to about eight million people with incomes less than 15,000 baht a month.
It is part of the government's 117-billion-baht economic stimulus package aimed at boosting domestic spending and putting more money in circulation.
Mr Abhisit said the handouts would help people on low incomes pay their bills and give them more some spending money.
The government would like to see more money circulation, but does not want people to spend lavishly, he said.
"If you want to help the nation I ask that you buy Thai goods, eat Thai food and travel in Thailand," Mr Abhisit said.
Four economic ministries would also create more jobs in the next few weeks, he added.
Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said the government planned to implement short-term economic stimulus measures in the second and third quarters. Long-term measures would focus on investment.
