MP Blasts Government Over Flawed Welfare Card Rollout
Pheu Thai MP Sirikanya Tansukul criticized the government's flawed welfare card rollout, calling for temporary benefit reinstatement while criteria are reviewed through September.
Sirikanya Tansukul, a list-based MP and deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party, criticized the government on July 27, 2569 for its careless approach to revising and expanding the state welfare card criteria, saying officials failed to consider the real hardships of ordinary citizens. Speaking at Parliament, she stated she expects temporary reinstatement of benefits over the next two months to address problems pending appeal, though she is uncertain whether other criteria will be reviewed, as the public has encountered rules that fail to reflect their genuine difficulties, including issues around debt and life insurance purchased by children for parents.
If further review is needed, the matter must go to the Public Welfare Committee, a process that could take considerable time. However, with the appeal deadline extended through the end of September, there may be enough opportunity to address current problems. When asked whether she saw the government's adjustments as easing social tension, Tansukul said the repeated cycle of reversals and rule changes with the welfare card stemmed from initial criteria that were poorly conceived and failed to prioritize public welfare. She concluded that the government's approach has been careless and error-prone, lacking thorough consideration and real concern for citizens' struggles.