Thailand: Critics warn government not to use student loan programme for political gain.

(From Thai Press Reports)

Section: Government and Politics - Critics have warned the Income Contingent Loans (ICL) scheme should be arranged exclusively for needy students and not be abused by the government as a populist policy to score political gain, the Bangkok Post reports.

Somkiat Tangkitvanich, a researcher at Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), suggested on May 25 that the government review regulations for approving the loans in the face of its current budgetary constraints.

Only poor applicants should be entitled to the loans while requests for loans from students in wealthy families should be rejected, he told a seminar on the …