By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A TOTAL OF 256 lawsuits have been so far filed on charges of illicit lending business against loan sharks who have allegedly stonewalled on debt settlement bids, according to a senior government official.
Those informal money lenders have allegedly stonewalled or even failed to attend compromise-based negotiations to settle the illicit debt arranged between themselves and their indebted people with government officials acting as mediators, prompting the authorities to proceed with 256 cases in court, said Interior Ministry Undersecretary Sutthipong Chulcharoen.
The authorities-mediated negotiations have so far succeeded in settling a combined 635 million baht in illicit debt borne by 11,149 among a total of over 18,000 debtors who had so far attended the debt settlement process, the undersecretary said.
The number of stonewalling loan sharks was among a total of over 106,000 illicit money lenders who had handed out a combined 9.5 billion baht in loan money to over 138,000 people in all provinces of the country.
Nevertheless, many more lawsuits against uncooperative money lenders are anticipated under the government’s anti-loan sharks campaign launched in early Dec.
The provincial and district authorities have strongly recommended the interest rates for the illicit loans be fairly reduced and the periods of time to repay on instalment basis be considerably prolonged whilst those who may already have returned the principal of their loan in full need not pay anymore.
CAPTION:
Representative images of illicit money lending. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
Also read: Many thousands so far assisted under anti-loan sharks campaign
110,000-plus debtors point finger at over 81,000 loan sharks
2 foreign men plunge to death from separate Pattaya hotels in one night
PM annoyed 10,000 baht digital wallet scheme stuck with graft-busters
Elderly activists resume anti-Thaksin protest outside Government House
13 nabbed in raid on Khao San road shops selling laughing gas balloons
Threat of overtourism returns as Thailand, China sign total visa-free travel deal, as of March 1
Trio of US aircraft carriers conclude drill on upper skirts of South China Sea
