Blind 85-Year-Old Loses Welfare Card Over Inherited Land
An 85-year-old blind man in Buriram province was denied a state welfare card because he inherited over 9 acres of farmland, despite the land producing no income and his family living in poverty relying on pensions alone.
On July 26, 2025, it was reported that Bua Chamnikul, 85, a blind resident of Nong Muang village in Nang Rong district, Buriram province, has been denied a state welfare card because he holds title to over 9 acres of inherited farmland, even though the land is used only for subsistence rice farming and generates no income. He is calling on the government to review eligibility criteria to better reflect the actual circumstances of poor and disabled persons.
Bua revealed that he currently lives with his 33-year-old grandson, who has an intellectual disability and serves as his caregiver, helping him walk and gather food. His 74-year-old wife, Thongmuan, is bedridden and cared for by their daughter, placing significant financial strain on the family. With no regular income, Bua relies solely on elderly and disability pensions to survive. When he applied for the state welfare card with help from his family and community leaders, his application was rejected because the system flagged him as holding property exceeding the asset limit—specifically the inherited farmland totaling over 9 acres.
Bua confirmed that the land is inherited from his ancestors and produces no family income; it is used only for household consumption. He expressed discouragement, noting he does not know which agency to appeal to, and emphasized that his visual disability makes traveling to conduct government business extremely difficult. He is asking the relevant agencies to facilitate a review of his case and reconsider the rights of disabled persons affected by this policy.
Udomsilp Chamnikul, 42, Bua's son, added that the family is destitute—his father is blind and his mother bedridden—while the children work as day laborers earning only about 3,000 baht per month. Although Udomsilp himself qualifies for the welfare card, he does not understand why his father, a disabled person, was denied simply because his name appears on inherited farmland that generates no income. He called on the government to revise the welfare card criteria to prioritize actual living conditions and financial need rather than asset ownership, noting that approval would significantly ease the family's burden and provide crucial support for their survival.
