Deputy Government Spokesperson "Airin" clarified that the dissolution of funeral aid associations must undergo consideration and an official order from the local registrar. She confirmed this does not affect other funeral aid associations, revealing that currently more than 3,839 remain active, and urged the public not to worry about this.
On 19 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Airin Panrit, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, explained that recent online sharing about the dissolution of funeral aid associations has caused concern among people who contribute to such associations in other areas. She clarified that funeral aid associations are groups of people who come together to assist each other in funeral arrangements or to support the families of deceased members, operating on a non-profit basis without distributing income. The authority to consider registration and dissolution of these associations lies with the local registrar, who must issue an official dissolution order and post it at the association. This order is then sent to the central registrar—the Director-General of the Department of Women's Affairs and Family Development under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security—to announce the dissolution as ordered by the local registrar before forwarding it to the Secretariat of the Cabinet for publication in the Government Gazette. Once published, the Gazette notice is returned to local administrative organizations to inform the public that the association has been dissolved and proceed with liquidation as required by law. Therefore, the central registrar does not have the authority to dissolve funeral aid associations.
Regarding the grounds for dissolving funeral aid associations, which is the authority of the local registrar, the Funeral Aid Act B.E. 2545 (2002) specifies three cases: 1. The general meeting passes a resolution to dissolve; 2. The local registrar orders dissolution under Section 52, for example, when there is evidence of fraudulent operations after investigation or when the association's activities cannot continue for any reason; and 3. A court orders dissolution under Section 54. Additionally, if the local registrar neglects to act under Section 52, interested parties can petition the court to order the dissolution of the funeral aid association.
"Data shows there are over 4,874 funeral aid associations nationwide, with 3,839 still active. The public is urged not to worry, as reasons for dissolution vary and do not affect other funeral aid associations. Moreover, dissolution must be considered and ordered by the local registrar," she said.