Thailand Tightens Poor Card Screening to Aid Neediest
Thailand approved welfare cards for 9.5 million of 18.8 million applicants after stricter screening, with rejected applicants able to appeal and access details on why they were denied.
The government is clarifying its decision to approve the state welfare card for 9.5 million out of 18.8 million applicants, aiming to help the truly disadvantaged, while opening an appeals process for those rejected.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas disclosed during an official delegation accompanying the Prime Minister to Shanghai that eligibility verification for the 2025 state welfare card resulted in a significant drop in approved applicants following rigorous screening of all 18.82 million registrants.
Verification found 9.51 million qualified while 9.31 million were rejected. The large number of rejections reflects the government's overhaul of screening procedures to be more rigorous and stringent. Applicant data was cross-checked against multiple government databases in detail against qualification criteria including tax records, land holdings, income, and vehicle ownership, filtering out those not genuinely impoverished.
"The intent of this policy's rigorous screening is to bring truly poor people into the system," Ekniti said. "I speak from the heart when I say the government wants to help those genuinely struggling. Welfare budgets are limited, so we want this card to go to people with nothing, such as elderly bedridden patients with no income, so that assistance reaches those who truly deserve and most desperately need welfare."
Citizens can check their own eligibility online. Those rejected will receive clear details explaining which qualification criteria they failed to meet, ensuring transparency and verification. Appeals are also available.
