Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has sent letters to the country's multi-billionaires, asking them to help people affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic through assistance projects. He will not accept cash donations.
It was reported that the prime minister signed and sent the letters to 20 multi-billionaires on Sunday.
The subject headline was - a request for national cooperation for the country to overcome Covid-19.
Gen Prayut wrote that the Covid-19 pandemic posed the greatest damage to lives, social relationships and the economy to the country and the whole world, and "it is the time when Thai people and Thailand need the best cooperation from all sectors, especially the groups of people or organisations that have knowledge, capabilities and strengths".
"Therefore, I contact you as you are senior people in our society," the letter said.
The prime minister wrote that he was impressed with the assistance given by many people "but I need everyone to do more".
He asked the recipients of his letters to use their potential to quickly and more efficiently help Thai people facing extreme hardship.
The prime minister asked them to propose projects in writing within the next week, and promised to facilitate implementation at their request.
"I will not accept cash donations, but I ask you to implement projects to help all groups of Thai people... Please make them direct and concrete assistance for people," Gen Prayut wrote.
Dr Prasert Prasattong-Osoth, co-founder of Bangkok Dusit Medical Service, said that he planned to spend 100 million baht helping local officials dig out existing and new ponds, as well as waterways and artesian wells, to help people fight drought after the Covid-19 pandemic ends.
He said no one had thought about post-Covid solutions, and people would be facing drought after the pandemic.
He had a lot of machinery for the task and he thought the project would supply water for people within 10 days, and farmers could catch fish in their ponds and have enough water to grow rice.
