The Rakchat Party unveiled an economic policy aimed at small-scale individuals, promoting "Smart Card Max" which consolidates all welfare benefits into a single national ID card. This initiative helps reduce costs for water, electricity, and transportation, affirming that addressing daily livelihood issues is more important than constitutional reform.
On 15 January 2026 evening, Rakchat Party (RCh.) leader and prime ministerial candidate Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, along with candidate Jes Tonawanik and the party's parliamentary candidates, campaigned at the Riam Duan Ramindra Market. The event was lively with the activity "Rakchat Starts with Listening," presenting an economic policy focused on assisting "small-scale people" or small entrepreneurs to stand firm against large capital groups.
Ekpita, from the economic policy team, stated that economic inequality is a core issue. The party aims to provide opportunities and "credit to small-scale people" so grassroots citizens can truly have a stable place in society, not just rhetoric. He clearly declared a position contrary to current political trends: "Rakchat Party's policy will not distribute money."
Natthakorn emphasized the party's stance as a "small-size party" that understands grassroots livelihood problems and introduced a new economic policy focused on structural solutions. Highlighting the "Max ID Card," this transforms the single card into a wallet and welfare card, upgrading the original Smart Card ID to be economically practical by reducing living expenses such as water, electricity, and travel costs.
The system includes point accumulation to redeem benefits, shifting from free handouts to incentive creation. Citizens can accumulate "points" to reduce expenses by participating in "career development courses" and "health care." Healthy, skilled people will receive economic benefits in return.
The party calls for a change in government approach, moving from a "welfare state" (focused on handouts) to a "promotional state" (providing tools for livelihood), enabling citizens to stand sustainably on their own.
To address "capital" and "cost" issues for small operators, the party proposes solving SMEs' difficulties in accessing loans due to documentation and credit bureau checks by commercial banks. They suggest that "state banks" act as intermediaries to pool purchasing power, with the government supplying raw materials in large volumes to lower costs by 15-25%, matching big retail chains. This aims to give small vendors a competitive edge and support funding based on actual potential rather than just accounting documents.
Jes stated the party opposes vote-buying, exposing the "political business" mechanism where 1,000 baht is exchanged for national-level damage. Economically, corrupt politicians are like investors who, after buying votes, will seek to recoup their investments with huge profits, ultimately burdening the people. The economy cannot improve if such money is accepted.
Chaiwut said Thai politics has been stuck in the same cycle for over 20-30 years. It is time to change players and politicians for the country to move forward with proper direction, not by adopting a nationalist hatred mindset that only sees the country's faults or causes damage. Many want change, but changing with nationalism-fueled hatred creates problems everywhere, making people worry the country cannot survive if politics continues this way.
At the end, Chaiwut addressed constitutional reform, stating the party's position is "fix livelihoods before amending the constitution" because the constitution is not the problem. Economic hardship does not stem from the constitution but from self-serving politicians. Politicians with personal interests seek to change rules to regain power, not to help the people. The current constitution is good as it is designed to "keep bad politicians out of politics," so budget should focus on solving economic and livelihood issues, which are far more urgent.
The Rakchat Party's economic policies unveiled include:
1. Stop high-interest informal debt: small-scale people must access formal loans, converting usurious informal debts into fair-interest loans to sustain small vendors and prevent cycles of borrowing thousands and repaying hundreds of thousands.
2. State banks to boost capital for small-scale people: public banks must be gateways to opportunity, not collateral barriers, by providing working capital for livelihoods.
3. Strengthen the Thai stock market to the global level by supporting Thai SMEs to become Global Champions. Foreign investment must benefit Thai people, with Thai parties setting rules. All negotiations must ensure technology and wealth are left for Thailand.
4. Upgrade the national ID card or "Max ID Card (Smart Card)" by combining all welfare benefits into one card to reduce expenses and create opportunities for self-development.
5. Rider savings: the harder you work, the more you get. Instead of simply giving money, special points are awarded for self-improvement, which can be used to reduce water, electricity, or travel costs—like savings earned through diligence and development.
6. "60 Back to Youth" labor market program: assisting seniors to reskill and upskill for re-entry into the workforce or to generate additional income.