Govt Charity TV Programme Raises over Bt260 for Flood Victims

BANGKOK, Sept 18 (TNA) – A charity TV programme on MCOT HD 30 channel on Tuesday night, in which the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers take the lines to receive donations raised 263 million baht fund for assisting flood victims in the Northeast. The government, MCOT.,Plc. and the government public relations department co-organized the televised fund raising programme from 7.30-10 pm on Tuesday. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha said the government did not ignore flood problems and made all-out efforts, with the deployment of personnel to aid flood victims but the government alone cannot respond the need in time. He asked for cooperation from the public as he confirmed the government would do everything to help affected people overcome the crisis. Besides the cabinet members, actors and actresses, Bin Bunluerit, a well-known volunteer rescue worker and actor, who has helped flood victims on the spot joined the programme to take the calls. He earlier posted on his Facebook to receive donations to the relief fund and he himself gave 1.5 million baht to hand out to flood victims. The donations to his account reached more than 300 million baht and he was considering how to distribute to money to cover all flood –stricken areas. He said what he was worrying was whether he had to pay tax from receiving donations and he wanted to consult with officials of the revenue department on the issue. Meanwhile, Prasong Poonthanet, Permanent Secretary of the Finance Ministry confirmed that in his case, the proceeds were not considered as income for tax calculation because he handed it out to flood victims. (TNA)