Poor Family Loses Welfare Benefits Over 20-Year-Old Motorcycle Still in System

A 13-member family in Chai Nat province is appealing for the restoration of their state welfare benefits after being disqualified due to a system error showing them owning three motorcycles, even though they sold one more than 20 years ago. The Ministry of Finance has announced results of the 2025 state welfare program eligibility verification, allowing those denied to request a review by July 31, 2025, with corrections due by August 16, 2025, before final results are announced on September 21, 2025, and benefits resume October 1, 2025.

On July 21, 2025, a reporter visited a home in Khao Tha Phra Subdistrict, Muang District, Chai Nat, and met 48-year-old Somchit, who was stripped of her welfare benefits. She explained that her household of 13—seven adults and six children aged 3–17—lives together with many unemployed members, making survival difficult. She used to collect and sell garbage from a landfill, earning 500–600 baht per sale, but after the landfill closed permanently, she switched to construction work. Now she collects garbage from neighborhood bins, accumulating it over 6–7 days to sell for only 300–400 baht, often borrowing money from neighbors to cover expenses. She received the 300-baht monthly state welfare benefit since the program began, which was vital to her family's survival. However, the 2025 eligibility check found her disqualified because the system listed her owning three motorcycles, exceeding the program's asset limits.

Somchit confirmed that one of those three motorcycles was sold over 20 years ago, but the buyer never transferred ownership, leaving her name still registered with the Chai Nat Provincial Transportation Office, inflating her vehicle count above the program's threshold. "I feel hopeless, disappointed, heartbroken, and very stressed," she said. "That 300 baht a month matters so much to us—it buys rice to feed the children. My partner earns the main income but it's still not enough, and we have many children. Without that help, life becomes very difficult."

Although the state opened a window for appeals, Somchit admitted feeling discouraged and unwilling to apply, knowing she still appears to own three motorcycles in the system and fearing rejection. She pleaded with relevant agencies to review her case fairly, noting her family is genuinely poor and the motorcycles are only work vehicles. If she regains her welfare benefits, it would ease her burden and help her buy food and care for her family during periods of irregular income and high living costs.