"Can't Do It, Can't Register in Time" - Elderly Woman from Chainat Gives Up Rights to Thailand Helps Thailand Plus Program Despite Needing Money for Food
A 61-year-old woman in Chainat Province abandoned her claim to Thailand's welfare assistance program because she lacks the technology and skills to register online, despite living in poverty with her elderly aunt and disabled brother on jus
On May 24, 2025, a reporter visited Moo 2, Had Asa Subdistrict, Sapphaya District, Chainat Province following reports of hardship faced by Ms. Nattaya, 61, who lives with her 95-year-old aunt and 56-year-old brother suffering from mental illness in a severely dilapidated wooden house. The home has large holes in the roof from storm damage, with buckets lined up inside to catch rainwater that prevents residents from sleeping during rain. Rotting floorboards pose safety hazards, with residents having fallen and sustained injuries.
Ms. Nattaya explained that the family has no primary income or occupation. She previously earned money from tailoring and selling food, but economic hardship forced her to close these businesses when customers disappeared. She must now care for her elderly aunt and mentally ill brother while managing expenses for three people and four animals on state welfare benefits alone: 800 baht monthly for her brother's disability allowance, 1,800 baht combined for her aunt's disability and elderly benefits, 300 baht from the state welfare card program, and 600 baht for her own elderly allowance—totaling only 3,500 baht monthly.
When asked about hopes for the government's Thailand Helps Thailand Plus program, which would add 700 baht to welfare card holders and allow general groups to register for 1,000 baht over four months, Ms. Nattaya reluctantly admitted that only her aunt would automatically qualify through the existing welfare card. She and her brother have no hope of registering because they lack technology skills and smartphones. During previous assistance programs, she had to pay 500 baht to hire a village child to register her, and often missed deadlines anyway.
"Although I truly need this money to buy rice, dry goods, and cooking oil to survive, I can't manage the registration," she said. "I hope government agencies and local leaders will help repair our house and ensure people like us can access welfare benefits more easily."
