Thailand's Finance Ministry is preparing a 50,000-baht rooftop-solar subsidy for households, a proposed 50 billion baht program intended to ease power costs and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.
The Bangkok Post reported Friday that Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas outlined the plan ahead of a Cabinet review scheduled for Oct. 26. The proposal would provide a 50,000-baht subsidy to each participating household, with a program budget of 50 billion baht. It is aimed at households seeking to install rooftop solar systems.
Under the arrangement described by the newspaper, participating homes could sell surplus electricity generated by systems with a capacity of up to five kilowatts, at 2.20 baht per kilowatt-hour. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority and Provincial Electricity Authority would purchase the power for up to 20 years. The report said utilities are also replacing meters with smart meters to support the program.
The newspaper said three state-owned lenders — Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives — would offer loans at 2.5% interest over seven years. Revenue from electricity sales could help borrowers make installments estimated at 1,000 to 1,100 baht. The report also said households may see lower electricity bills.
The rooftop-solar plan is part of a broader investment. The Bangkok Post put the overall project at 100 billion baht when a planned smart-grid upgrade by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is included. Ekniti pointed to Thailand's exposure to imported fossil fuels, which he said can amount to as much as 10% of gross domestic product, as a reason to move toward cleaner energy.
In a separate speech on the 2027 economy, Ekniti listed high interest rates, geopolitical fragmentation, artificial-intelligence disruption and climate-related volatility among pressures on Thailand. He said the country's hosting of IMF and World Bank meetings earlier in October created an opportunity to “take off once again.”
The Cabinet is scheduled to consider the proposal Oct. 26. If approved, registration would open Oct. 27 and continue until one million households have signed up. Ekniti said the government could enlarge the program if enrollment exceeds its target.
