The social networks have been in uproar over Rangsit University lecturer Terdsak Chomtohsuwan's suggestion that people be taxed more if they're single. Fortunately a lot of the screaming and ranting has been leavened with humour.
Critics are calling the proposed tax "double jeopardy" for singles and bachelors and bachelorettes demand to know why they're being "penalised". "It's sad enough seeing people who already have their other halves, but this is too cruel," someone called gagigunggai anguished at community chat site Pantip.com.
But the singletons, whether lonely or happily unattached, don't have to budget for the extra outlay just yet. Dr Terdsak was just floating a possible solution to the problem of Thailand "going grey". As is happening in most countries, Thailand's population is ageing, proportion-wise, with citizens 60 and over now accounting for a fifth of the total, and the birth rate is a low 1.6 children per married family. So the good professor thinks the taxman should reward parent-couples and, yes, penalise single people until they get married and mating.
Just a concept, then, but too scary a concept for online society, which prefers chatting to breeding. Facebook cartoonist Jaytherabbit soon had his bunny hero saying, "Must find a husband to get the tax rebate." The picture was shared 11,000 times in five hours. Even top actress Patchrapa "Aum" Chaichue re-posted it on Instagram.
Children's book author and illustrator Nuntawan Wata had another great drawing warning single people to start making babies - otherwise they'll pay the penalty. "It's part of the national agenda and we must try to save our country!" her character stays
Zo Karn Jantako commented that the government should reward couples rather than penalising singles. A lot of women pointed out that there aren't enough men available to rescue them from the Tax Department - since so many are gay. A lot of gay people wondered if the tax would apply to them since they're legally barred from getting married. As another Pantip regular furiously put it, "Yes, I'm a single person, not that I want to be. I am dying to have a legal husband, but I am a queer. If I could have a husband and a kid, I'd have gone ahead without hesitation."
It was widely noted that many politicians, being wealthy for some mysterious reason, shun legal marriage to avoid tax complications. Now they're going to get hit for being single! Even Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra would have to pay more tax since her marriage isn't registered.
It's to be hoped, then, that the government acts quickly to either squash this concept like a bug or at least make it more palatable, maybe something along the lines of the "first house" and "first car" incentive schemes. Folks on the social media said they wouldn't mind another such populist policy - a "first-husband-first-wife" scheme.
"To be fair, the government should also have to find me my first wife," added Awee B Wynn.