Thai Parliament Panel Demands Clarity on Poor Card Appeal Deadline
A parliamentary committee is demanding the government clarify conflicting deadlines for welfare card appeals, warning that millions of citizens could lose rights due to confusion between a publicly announced September 20 extension and the F
On July 22, the House of Representatives Social Welfare Committee, chaired by Ratchanok Sookprasoet from Samut Prakan and vice-chaired by Natchaa Bunchaiinswasdi, held a briefing about problems with the state welfare card. Ratchanok stated that although the government publicly promoted an extension to September 20, the Finance Ministry confirmed that the appeal deadline remains July 31. This conflicting information risks causing many citizens to miss the deadline, as they may assume they have until September.
Ratchanok emphasized that the government has not yet brought the matter to the cabinet for formal approval. She warned that without a cabinet resolution, millions of eligible people could lose their appeal rights due to confusion about the actual deadline. She called on the government to either clarify the deadline immediately or extend it, noting that many people must travel long distances to file appeals and face significant hardship.
Ratchanok further criticized the inconsistency, stating that the government appeared to be misleading over 9 million citizens who previously received welfare card benefits. She urged the government to maintain their original status and provide them adequate time to file appeals. She also noted that local authorities have not yet received official orders from the Interior Ministry regarding the new deadline, adding to the confusion.
