Thailand Screens Welfare Card Users, Adds 2.3 Million Poor

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas told reporters on July 21 that the welfare card review aims to ensure aid reaches the truly poor, not to strip people of benefits. The new registration round is significant because it can enroll 2.3 million previously excluded citizens who survey data shows genuinely need state support. At the same time, the government must screen out ineligible recipients, as numerous complaints have surfaced about fake poor people fraudulently accessing welfare benefits. Ekniti acknowledged that some genuinely poor residents may be incorrectly removed during fraud screening and pledged to help them reenter the system by establishing One Stop Service centers at the district level to process appeals and assist with documentation.

Ekniti identified systemic issues hampering accurate identification. Thailand's data infrastructure is outdated and does not reflect real-world circumstances—for example, people who own old, unused vehicles still registered in their names are wrongly classified as wealthy. The Finance Ministry is consulting with the Transport Ministry to revise asset criteria, especially for old or non-functional vehicles, to avoid cutting benefits to the genuinely poor.

Another problem is that personal data has been misused without people's knowledge through fake business registrations, stock holdings, corporate board memberships, and tax deductions linked to nominee rings and gray-market operations. "The truth is emerging," Ekniti said. "After we help the truly struggling, we must go after the groups deceiving villagers by using their names and causing them harm."

The government will extend appeal and review periods so genuinely distressed people can submit clarifications and evidence. Ekniti stressed that the welfare card is only one support tool; the government operates multiple social safety nets for vulnerable groups.