Thai govt doles out cash to countryside

Thailand yesterday earmarked more than 20 billion baht ($635 million) in grants to rural enterprises, a striking revival of policies introduced by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to stimulate the rural economy.

"Next week, I will propose more measures to boost the grassroots economy," Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.

Most of the cash agreed on yesterday will go in one-off payments to villages to be spent on development projects or business ventures.