Mae Rim district officials, including the district chief and development officer, trekked up the mountain to find a 62-year-old man after he tearfully failed to confirm eligibility for the state welfare card. They discovered his name had been omitted, conducted a new survey confirming his eligibility, and re-registered him.
Mr. Chao Rattanadilokkul, a resident of Pong Yaeng subdistrict, Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai province, traveled down from his mountain home over 30 km to the Krungthai Bank Mae Rim branch in the district center to confirm his eligibility for the new round of the state welfare card (2026). On the afternoon of 4 June 2026, he was unable to verify his identity and broke down in tears, a story that was reported widely in the media.
On the afternoon of 5 June 2026, Mr. Prasertsak Butsa, senior district official acting as Mae Rim district chief, assigned Ms. Nattharada Mueanglue, Mae Rim district development officer; Mr. Theerawat Na Lamphun, district official; Ms. Wijitra Srikiewkhan, community development coordinator for Pong Yaeng subdistrict; and Mr. Jue Rattanadilokkul, village headman of Village 6, Ban Mae Sa Mai, to visit Mr. Chao's home in Village 6, Pong Yaeng subdistrict to verify information after his failed identity confirmation.
Initial checks of the civil registry and 2025 Community Welfare Survey data showed that Mr. Chao's family works in farming with about 3 rai of land. The household consists of nine registered members, including Mr. Chao, his three sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren who are currently studying.
Mr. Chao suffers from Alzheimer's disease and has been receiving treatment at Nakornping Hospital, making him unable to work for over two years. He previously applied for the state welfare card in 2022 but was denied due to incomplete documents. In 2026, he remarried and moved to Village 10, Ban Mae Sa Noi, Pong Yaeng subdistrict, but has since separated and now lives alone, though he was not recorded in government data.
When the new round of identity confirmation for state welfare card holders opened from 4 to 21 June 2026, Mr. Chao learned about it from neighbors and television and took a taxi to the Krungthai Bank Mae Rim branch, hoping to obtain the card and financial aid.
After district officials, the development officer, and village headman reviewed his eligibility and found he qualified but was previously omitted from surveys, the district entered Mr. Chao's data into the Thai ID system for Ministry of Finance verification. The village headman certified the information and community approval for the new case. Officials then explained the details of the new welfare card round to Mr. Chao for his understanding.