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Thai households struggle with record debt, Covid-19 increases burden
Thai farmer Jamras Kongchai is struggling to pay off 500,000 baht ($16,082) in debt as money from the sale of her crops is not enough to make payments.Adding to the strain, the coronavirus outbreak has shut a small construction firm where she worked for $10 a day for much needed extra income."I'm so heavily indebted and don't know what to do," said the 51-year-old, single mother of two, who travelled from the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet to join a demonstration of indebted rice growers in Bangkok late last month, asking the government to help reduce their debt burden.Also Read | Inside the march of virus variantsJamras has only repaid some of the interest since 2013, and hasn't put a dent in the principle.