Thailand welfare card eligibility and public reaction

On 17 July, Thailand’s Committee for State Welfare published the results of its 2026 State Welfare Card eligibility review. Existing cardholders could resume benefits from 1 August, while newly qualified individuals had to verify their identity through the PhetTung app or one of five registration offices before benefits began on 1 October. Applicants whose requests were rejected could appeal between 17 July and 31 July, with decisions slated for 21 September. Results were made available via the official website, the PhetTung mobile app, the government’s own app, and at designated banking offices.

A poll released on 25 July surveyed low‑income Thai adults about their experience with the welfare card program. More than half of respondents who had registered reported being denied a card. Among those denied, roughly 43 % were not angry, while about 42 % expressed varying degrees of anger. The poll also found that receipt of the benefit modestly increased support for the government among some recipients, though a sizable share remained uncertain or unchanged in their political views.

By early August, the government opened an accelerated review period, urging all applicants to complete the process by 31 August. Over 4 million people submitted requests to reassess eligibility, bringing the total qualified population to 9.5 million (6.3 million existing cardholders and 3.1 million new recipients). As of 2 August, 2.1 million new applicants (69 %) had completed electronic identity verification (e‑KYC), leaving roughly 980 000 still pending. Authorities expanded service channels—including the “Tang Rat” and “Pae Tang” mobile apps, project websites, five state‑bank portals, and One‑Stop Service centres in all 878 districts—to assist elderly, disabled and other vulnerable groups and to ensure no eligible person loses benefits because of procedural barriers.