The SME Bank joins forces with partners to open a ‘Wheelchair Repair Center’ to help ‘vulnerable groups’ affected by floods in the North by repairing wheelchairs for the disabled for free, and to quickly restore their quality of life after the floods recede.
SME Bank visits the area to provide financial support to open a ‘Wheelchair and Equipment Repair Service Center for the Disabled’ to help ‘Vulnerable Groups’ affected in the northern region to quickly restore their quality of life after the flood receded, along with developing professional skills for wheelchair and equipment repair technicians for the disabled in Chiang Rai Province, supplemented by a low-interest loan guarantee project ‘SMEs Rehabilitation No One Left Behind’ to increase liquidity and help SMEs revive their businesses more easily and quickly.
Mr. Sittikorn Direksunthon, Director and General Manager of the Small Industry Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG), Ms. Dusida Thapwong, Senior Deputy General Manager of Channel Management and Ent
repreneur Development, Mr. Kittipong Buranasiri, Deputy General Manager of Strategy and Product, and Upper Northern Regional Office visited Chiang Rai Province to provide financial support for the opening of a wheelchair repair service center and equipment for the disabled to help ‘vulnerable groups’ of the disabled, the elderly, and wheelchair users affected by floods in the northern region under the activity ‘TCG joins in the rehabilitation, cares with heart’ at the Upper Northern Regional Office of TCG, Chiang Mai Province on October 8, 2024.
Mr. Sitthikorn said that from the flood situation that occurred in various regions, the latest in the northern region, Chiang Mai Province, which has affected a large number of people and businesses, TCG is moving forward to help SME entrepreneurs in all dimensions to help customers, debtors, and SME entrepreneurs to be able to get through the crisis and recover their businesses more easily and quickly with measures to suspend fees and debts, as well as measures to i
ncrease liquidity, the low-interest loan guarantee project ‘SMEs Rehabilitation No One Left Behind’, which helps entrepreneurs to access loans more easily through TCG’s guarantee mechanism.
In addition, the SME Bank also places importance on ‘vulnerable groups’ in the northern region. From visiting Chiang Rai Province on September 17 to donate money to help and rehabilitate flood victims to Chiang Rai Municipality, it was found that there were many ‘vulnerable groups’ who were affected, especially the disabled and the elderly in wheelchairs, whose wheelchairs and equipment were damaged or lost due to the flood. This led to the cooperation between the SME Bank and the Thai Disabled Foundation and the Chiang Rai Physically Disabled Association to open a ‘Wheelchair and Equipment Repair Service Center for the Disabled’, supported by 2 organizations: the Thai Disabled Foundation, which provided spare parts at cost, and the Chiang Rai Physically Disabled Association, which provided a venue and a team of technicia
ns for the disabled in Chiang Rai.
According to the Center for Accelerated Management of Public Welfare (CWMS), Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), Chiang Rai Province has 1,993 vulnerable households affected, or 3,716 people, divided into 390 children, 353 disabled people, 1,741 elderly people, 54 bedridden patients, and 678 low-income people. A survey of the impact on disabled members by the Thai Disabled Foundation found that more than 3,000 disabled people registered with the foundation in Chiang Rai Province have requested assistance in repairing wheelchairs and equipment for the disabled, with 10 people already requesting assistance in repairing wheelchairs and equipment for the disabled. It is expected that no less than 70 wheelchairs will be repaired in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai Provinces alone.
‘The SME Bank realizes the difficulties in living among the disabled affected by the flood in the northern region. It is necessary to provide urgent assistance and rehabilitation to al
leviate the suffering of the people in the area. It also promotes and develops the professional skills of wheelchair and equipment repairers for the disabled in Chiang Rai Province of the Thai Disabled Foundation,’ said Mr. Sitthikorn.
In addition to providing assistance through various measures, the SME Bank has also closely monitored the situation and impacts in other provinces that are likely to be flood-affected areas. It has also assigned SME Bank District Offices nationwide to continue surveying, inspecting, and communicating SME Bank’s various assistance measures, as well as mobilizing teams to go to the areas to listen to problems and provide additional assistance. In addition, the SME Bank District Office ‘Financial Advisory Center’ team has been sent to the areas to provide advice to SME entrepreneurs affected by the floods to provide advice on business recovery.
For vulnerable groups, the disabled and the elderly whose wheelchairs were lost or damaged by the flood in the northern region, you can
contact and send your wheelchair for repair for free at the Association of Physically or Physically Disabled Persons, Mueang District, Chiang Rai Province or donate money to support the Thai Disabled Foundation account, Bangkok Bank, Pak Kret Intersection Branch, Account Number (Savings) 207-406850-9. The amount of donation can be deducted from taxes 1 time. For more information and details on joining the measure, please contact the local district office or LINE OA TCG First: @tcgfirst and TCG Call Center, Tel. 02-890-9999.
Source: Thai News Agency
