An elderly scrap collector in Nakhon Ratchasima wept after losing both her and her husband's state welfare card rights because the system showed their names as owners of a motorcycle bought 20 years ago. She pleaded with the government for understanding, as the information does not reflect their current true financial status.
On 21 Jul 2026 GMT+7 in Nakhon Ratchasima, reporters reported that 64-year-old grandmother Saad Nakchaturat from Hua Thale Subdistrict held back tears and raised her hands pleading for government help after she and her 73-year-old husband, Sommai Pimanthong, both had their state welfare cards revoked simultaneously. Previously, they had always received these benefits, which they used to cover living expenses.
Grandmother Saad revealed that last month she still received the state welfare card normally, but when checking eligibility this month, both she and her husband were disqualified. She felt saddened and hopeless because the government assistance was a vital hope for their poor family, which has no steady income and survives solely by collecting scrap such as bottles and paper.
She explained the cause of ineligibility was due to owning an old motorcycle bought 20 years ago when she was still strong enough to work and support the family. Now, the bike is old and hardly used, while she suffers multiple illnesses and cannot work as hard as before.
Her husband, 73-year-old Sommai, currently works by collecting scrap to earn a small income to buy food and support the family. He also lost eligibility because he missed the registration deadline for the state welfare card.
Grandmother Saad said with a trembling voice that their family has no assets or steady income and relies solely on her husband's scrap collecting. The money from the welfare card helped ease monthly expenses, including buying rice, food, drinking water, and necessities.
“I want the authorities to look at grassroots people like me. We are truly poor, really have nothing, living hand to mouth. This money helps a lot—to buy rice, food, and other necessities,” she said through tears.
She also highlighted that the condition requiring owners of old motorcycles to travel to the transport office to remove their names from the system is very difficult due to health problems, inconvenient travel, and the office being far away, making it impossible for her to do it herself.
Reporters noted that during the interview, grandmother Saad cried intermittently and pleaded with the government and relevant agencies to verify the facts and adjust the criteria to reflect actual living conditions, especially for those still listed as owning old assets that do not represent their current economic status.
“I am already suffering every day, and this makes it feel like being hurt all over again. This money is our hope, but losing it is like having a dream shattered. I ask that the authorities please consider helping people who are truly poor like me,” grandmother Saad concluded.