Summary: Thai People Are Becoming Indebted to Platforms
By Longtunman
1. In an era where almost everything can be done easily with just a tap of a finger, platform businesses have become deeply embedded in our daily lives.
Whether it is consuming content, shopping, ordering food, or calling a ride, these platforms have become almost impossible to separate from everyday life.
2. Originally, these platforms served only as intermediaries.
But today, they have expanded into the role of creditors by offering loans through a service we know as Buy Now Pay Later, or buying first and paying later.
3. These services are easy to apply for, approved quickly, and often require only one document: a national ID card.
The platforms assess customers’ creditworthiness based on their past behavior and usage patterns on the app.
4. Many platforms also offer special promotions for installment payments.
Some platforms even set installment payment as the default payment option.
5. From the platform’s side, this is like killing two birds with one stone.
Not only do they gain more sales because customers can buy more easily, but they also earn income from interest.
All of this would not be a problem if customers had financial discipline and could repay on time.
6. But in reality, this convenience is becoming a time bomb in the economy.
That is because it makes people take on more debt without even realizing it.
7. When installment payments become extremely easy, many people end up casually choosing to pay in installments for small items that cost only a few hundred baht.
They think they can afford it.
But by the time they realize what is happening, the actual amount they have to repay may be much higher than the price of the product itself.
8. Some people who cannot repay choose to withdraw money from cash cards.
Or worse, they borrow from loan sharks to pay off the debt because they are afraid it will affect their ability to apply for loans in the future.
In the end, their lives become trapped in an endless debt cycle.
9. What is worrying is that the groups who can access this type of credit most easily are often financially vulnerable groups.
This includes people who do not yet have a stable income, such as students or first jobbers who have just started working and do not yet have much financial history.
10. In reality, Buy Now Pay Later is not wrong in itself.
If we have discipline and know how to plan our finances, this tool can help increase liquidity and allow us to manage the cash in our pocket more effectively.
11. Whenever we are thinking about buying something, we should first ask ourselves how necessary that product really is.
One simple method is to leave the item in the shopping cart for one day.
This gives our brain time to think about whether we truly need it, or whether we only want it in the moment.
12. The next checkpoint is before pressing the payment button.
Some platforms may offer special promotions for installment payments.
But we need to weigh whether the promotion is truly worth it.
Sometimes, the discount we receive may be swallowed up by the interest or extra fees we have to pay on top of the product price.
13. Most importantly, we must set our own installment limit, no matter how much credit limit the platform gives us.
We may set a strict rule that the total monthly installment burden across all apps must not exceed 10-20% of our income.
14. For anyone who is already trapped in the debt cycle, the thing to do is not to run away from the debt.
Instead, we need to lay out all debts from every platform and look at the full picture.
During this period, we must strictly avoid creating any new debt.
15. After that, we should start planning how to pay off the debt.
The focus should be on the debt with the highest interest rate first.
Or if the total debt is already too large to handle, we should quickly contact financial institutions to negotiate and find a way to restructure the debt.
In the end, Buy Now Pay Later is not the villain.
It is simply a tool designed to make our lives easier.
At the same time, it is also a double-edged sword that can make it easier for us to fall into debt.
If we do not stay mindful and assess ourselves carefully before confirming a purchase,
platforms that were created to make life more convenient may also become debt traps that consume our financial future.