Blind 85-Year-Old Denied Poverty Aid Over Abandoned Motorcycles
An 85-year-old blind man in Nakhon Ratchasima was denied poverty assistance because two abandoned motorcycles from his youth remain registered in his name, despite living on just 1,600 baht monthly and depending entirely on relatives for su
On July 20, Poon Padtonghlang, an 85-year-old blind and immobile resident of Nong Song Hông village in Mueang District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, wept after learning his application for the state welfare card had been rejected. The system flagged him as owning two motorcycles, though they are old vehicles from his youth that have long since broken down and vanished. Poon survives on 800 baht monthly in elderly allowance and 800 baht in disability benefit—totaling just 1,600 baht per month—and depends entirely on relatives for care and food, as he cannot help himself. His eldest daughter, Samreung Haenyok, 58, explained the family's desperation: traveling to the transport office to remove his name from the motorcycle registrations is nearly impossible because her father is completely blind and cannot move independently. The old motorcycles are long gone, but their names remain in the system, disqualifying him from aid. When Poon learned he had been rejected, he wept and said simply, "I want the card so I can have money to buy rice." Though he has saved roughly 10,000 baht over his lifetime, the family insists this does not reflect financial stability—they still depend on relatives to buy rice, food, milk, and necessities. The family is appealing to the government and relevant agencies to verify the facts, reconsider his eligibility, and help elderly and disabled people who cannot travel to handle paperwork themselves, so that outdated property records do not block vulnerable groups like Poon from receiving aid.
