Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pledges monthly salary and allowance to charities

BANGKOK: Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, in a benevolent gesture, will donate his monthly salary and allowance to various charitable foundations throughout his term.

Thai Government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said that the Prime Minister, who also serves as the Finance Minister, receives a total of 125,590 baht per month, comprising a 75,590-baht salary and a 50,000-baht position allowance.

"The Prime Minister believes that giving is a good thing... Therefore, he plans to start by himself," he said in a statement.

The initial contribution will be directed towards the Foundation for Children, a non-profit organisation dedicated to safeguarding children's rights, education, and overall well-being.

The foundation also supports underprivileged and homeless children in realising their full potential in physical, mental, and creative aspects.

A specialised working group will be formed to carefully select the recipients of the donations.

Chai outlined the Prime Minister's intention to engage directly with representatives from charities and foundations, seeking to understand their specific needs and challenges in order to provide meaningful solutions.

Srettha, 61, formerly served as the president and chief executive of Thailand's prominent property conglomerate, Sansiri Plc, prior to his foray into politics earlier this year.

Notably, he relinquished his position at the company and transferred 661,002,734 shares, valued at 1.24 billion baht, to his daughter Chananda Thavisin in March, as reported by the Bangkok Post.