Government Overhauls Welfare Card Eligibility Criteria
New regulations have been implemented to refine the criteria for Thailand’s welfare card program, marking the most significant update since 2022. The primary shift is a move from a household-based income and asset assessment to an individual-based evaluation. This change is designed to ensure that benefits are more accurately directed to those most in need, addressing past situations where families with both high-net-worth and low-income members collectively received aid.
Individual Assessment for Precision
Finance Permanent Secretary Lavaron Sangsnit explained that the transition to individual-based criteria will enhance the precision of the government’s database, which is crucial for the future development of a planned negative income tax system. To qualify for the welfare card, applicants must be Thai nationals aged 18 or older and meet all stipulated requirements. Failure to satisfy any single qualification will result in ineligibility.
Five New Disqualification Categories
To improve the scheme’s targeting accuracy, five new groups of individuals will be disqualified:
- Students: They are not currently considered part of the active labor force.
- Company Directors and Partnership Executives: Individuals listed as directors of registered legal entities are presumed to have the financial capacity for self-support.
- Securities Holders: This includes individuals with active stock trading accounts or investments in bonds and other debt instruments.
- High Life Insurance Premium Payers: Those paying more than 12,000 baht annually in life insurance premiums are deemed financially capable.
- Parents Claimed as Tax Dependants: Parents for whom a child claims a parental support tax deduction (30,000 baht) will be disqualified.
Financial and Asset Limitations
In addition to the new categories, applicants must adhere to strict limits on income, assets, and debt, all capped at 100,000 baht.
Asset Restrictions
For financial assets, combined savings deposits and savings lottery holdings must not exceed 100,000 baht. Exceeding this limit will lead to disqualification.
Debt Limitations
Applicants with loans from financial institutions recorded with the National Credit Bureau totaling over 100,000 baht will also lose eligibility, as this suggests a greater capacity to access credit than intended beneficiaries.
Property and Credit Card Criteria
Regarding property-related debt, home loans are capped at 1.5 million baht, and auto loans at 1 million baht. Furthermore, credit cardholders may be disqualified, as approval for a credit card is viewed as evidence of sufficient income and creditworthiness above the lowest-income threshold.
Vehicle Ownership Review
Vehicle ownership is also under review. The possession of cars and motorcycles, particularly large bikes with engine sizes of 300cc or more, will result in disqualification. However, vehicles used for work purposes, such as tricycles, agricultural vehicles, and tuk-tuks, remain exempt from these new rules.
Verification Process Underway
The ministry has initiated an identity verification process for all existing 13.2 million welfare cardholders. This verification is available through five channels until June 21. Cardholders can complete the process via the Paotang mobile application, the program’s official website, Krungthai Bank (KTB) ATMs, and at branches of five state-owned banks: the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Government Savings Bank, KTB, Government Housing Bank, and the Islamic Bank of Thailand.
Timeline for Results and Appeals
Eligibility results are scheduled for announcement on July 17. Following the announcement, a two-week period will be allocated for applicants to submit appeals.
