Thai berry pickers no longer have to borrow money from private loan sharks to pay for travel costs to go to Sweden or Finland to pick wild berries for the summer and autumn. The Thai Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) has set up a lending program specifically aimed at helping the berry pickers.
The total loan amount is 375 million baht, targeting 5,000 BAAC customers. The loan limit for going to work as a wild fruit picker in Sweden is not more than 75,000 baht per person. For Finland, the loan limit is no more than 65,000 baht per person.
The bank places importance on the protection of welfare for such work travel, which must be legal, including guaranteeing appropriate income. Therefore, it does not allow customers to borrow money to travel to pick wild fruits abroad independently without going through a company.
For interested BAAC farmer customers, you can express your intention to apply for a loan or ask for more details at any BAAC branch nationwide from now until July 31, 2024.
