MP Urges Debt Relief for Bangkok Flood Victims
Democrat MP Sakolthee Phatthiyakul told Parliament that Bangkok flood victims face a debt trap due to outdated laws and low compensation caps. He demanded the Bank of Thailand order a debt moratorium for hire-purchase vehicle owners whose cars were destroyed, and urged the Interior Ministry to overhaul disaster aid rules for small businesses. Sakolthee also called for One Stop Service centers in every Bangkok district to streamline assistance.
On November 12, 2026, during a House of Representatives session chaired by Speaker Sophon Sarun, Democrat Party list MP and Bangkok coordinator Sakolthee Phatthiyakul addressed the ongoing hardship faced by Bangkok residents after the major floods of late September. He noted that while floodwaters have receded, the aftermath is not just mud and debris but legal and bureaucratic gaps shifting unjust debt burdens onto low-income earners.
Sakolthee identified the first overlooked group as hire-purchase car and motorcycle owners without Class 1 insurance — mostly low-income individuals, some using their first vehicle for livelihood. After their vehicles were totaled in the disaster, finance companies continue demanding monthly installments under civil hire-purchase contracts, forcing debtors into "paying for empty keys" — paying for scrap metal they cannot use.
He asked the Speaker to coordinate with the Justice Ministry and the Office of the Attorney General's Legal Aid Center to open mediation talks immediately, applying Civil and Commercial Code Section 567 on property lost entirely due to force majeure to protect debtors. Simultaneously, he urged the Bank of Thailand to direct financial and non-bank institutions to grant a 3-6 month moratorium on principal and interest at 0%, or restructure debts without harming credit bureau records.
The second affected group, Sakolthee said, are small shop owners. Current Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation regulations cover mainly residential compensation, while commercial premises can claim only about 10,000 baht for tools — far below actual losses of hundreds of thousands to millions of baht.
"I propose the Interior Ministry urgently review and update the long-standing disaster compensation regulations, raising the assistance ceiling to match economic reality. I also urge Bangkok to establish One Stop Service centers in all 50 district offices, integrating DDPM, the Consumer Protection Board, public prosecutors, and legal aid agencies to handle complaints in one place, easing public distress and cutting red tape immediately," Sakolthee said.
