Finance Ministry Approves 11.22 Million for Poor Card Program
The Finance Ministry approved 11.22 million applicants for Thailand's 2026 State Welfare Card program, rejecting 7.6 million who failed eligibility criteria including vehicle ownership and excessive debt.
The Finance Ministry presented the screening results for the 2026 State Welfare Card program to the cabinet on September 29, following approval from the Steering Committee on September 27. Among 18.82 million total registrants, 11.22 million (59.63%) qualified and 7.6 million (40.37%) did not. Of those who qualified, 9.5 million passed the standard review and 1.72 million passed through the rights appeal process.
The main reasons for disqualification were vehicle ownership (3.00 million), housing loan debt exceeding 100,000 baht (2.49 million), annual income over 100,000 baht (1.61 million), and real estate ownership (1.55 million). Additional reasons included ineligible personal circumstances (1.39 million), excess financial assets (862,629), and credit card ownership (254,173). Some registrants failed on multiple criteria; 56.1% failed one criterion while 43.9% failed two or more.
The majority of qualified applicants are aged 51 and above, with 2.21 million aged 51–60, 2.42 million aged 61–70, and 2.34 million aged 71 and older. The Finance Ministry will now present the full results to the cabinet for approval before proceeding with the next implementation phase.
