During the second Thaksin Shinawatra administration, the Committee on the House of Representatives Affairs had made a financial deal with Krung Thai Bank as part of a plan to improve the welfare of MPs.

Under the deal, the bank would lend up to Bt2 million to each MP, and the debtors would repay by having their bank accounts automatically debited by Bt57,000 every month.

More than 200 MPs signed up and the arrangement did not seem to pose any problem for parliamentarians, whose monthly income exceeds Bt100,000.

However, with Parliament dissolved after the coup, many MPs have become unemployed and are now have difficulties repaying. They are receiving no salaries while the bank continues to deduct the instalments from their accounts.

The indebted politicians - particularly those who have no other sources of income - have no chance of returning to the House of Representatives any time soon as the next general election is likely to take place late next year, according to a tentative schedule by the coup-makers.

Rangsima Rodrasamee, a former Democrat MP from Samut Songkhram, says she has decided to stop repaying her debt from March as she cannot afford it.

"My Democrat colleagues and I asked the bank to suspend our debts and we will repay the debts after the election," she said.

Rangsima also took a loan from the bank to open a restaurant in her hometown. She said that though her business was doing well, she had no money for the bank instalments.

"I have a lot of expenses totalling more than Bt100,000 per month," she said.

She added that even though her restaurant would make a profit, and the bank has now allowed the debtors to restructure their debts, reducing their monthly payment from Bt57,000 to around Bt20,000, she still does not have enough money to repay the debt. She still owes the bank Bt1.8 million.

Rangsima said she was also concerned about another bank loan lent to her politician colleague for which she had acted as guarantor.

Nakhon Machim, another Democrat, said many former MPs of the party faced debt problems because they were poorer compared to politicians from other parties.

"In some political parties, faction leaders offer financial aid to members. In our party, we have to help ourselves," he said.

Nakhon, a lawyer who runs a law office, said he had decided not to negotiate a debt restructure. He has continued to pay the same monthly instalments in order to retain his credibility.

"It's very difficult for me [to pay such a huge amount of money] but I don't want to lose my credibility, which is very important in my business," said Nakhon, who still has Bt1.2 million in unpaid debt.

Paijit Srivorakan, a former Thai Rak Thai MP from Nakhon Phanom, said he is repaying his debt at Bt20,000 per month after the bank agreed to his request for debt restructuring.

"This has helped me very much," he said.

Paijit owns an orchid nursery and a contractor's business, which are his main sources of income and yield enough money to repay his debt. He is still owes Bt1.4 million.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn 

The Nation