Bangkok: The government has announced a significant achievement in its efforts to address informal debt, assisting 152,521 individuals with a total approved loan amount of 3,777.16 million baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Airin Phanrit, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, shared that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with specialized financial institutions such as the Government Savings Bank and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, has been instrumental in this progress. The initiatives include various loan programs like the People's Bank Loan Project, loans for consolidating informal debt, revolving fund loans for impoverished farmers, and job creation loans, among others. From December 1, 2023, to February 17, 2026, these efforts have benefited 152,521 people, providing substantial financial assistance to alleviate informal debt burdens.
Ms. Airin further explained that the government is committed to promoting regulated provincial-level microfinance businesses (Pico Finance) to ensure that individuals have access to formal financial sources at fair interest rates. This initiative aims to protect borrowers from exploitative informal lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates, while also providing a legitimate platform for informal lenders to operate within the formal financial system.
As of January 2026, there are 1,176 licensed pico-finance companies operating across 75 provinces. By the end of December 2025, these companies had approved a total of 5,753,190 pico-finance loans, amounting to 56,287.33 million baht. Currently, there are outstanding loans totaling 7,317.71 million baht across 397,770 accounts. Legal entities interested in joining this initiative can find more information at www.1359.go.th or contact the hotline at 1359.