The Ministry of Finance has opened registration to verify eligibility for the "State Welfare Card," commonly known as the 'Poor People's Card,' from June 4 to 21 this year. It emphasized the eligibility criteria and procedures, with results to be announced on July 17, 2026, while also preparing to survey marginalized groups who may qualify but have not yet received the card.
2 June 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Akniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, revealed after the Cabinet approved the registration for the State Welfare program for 2026. This project aims to assist low-income citizens who truly meet the target criteria to receive basic government welfare rights and improve their quality of life.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lawan Sangsnit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, stated at one point that current State Welfare Card holders should register to confirm their eligibility under the new criteria, summarized as follows.
1. Eligibility Criteria for Registration
1) Must be a Thai national and at least 18 years old.
2) Must not be any of the following persons:
3) Have income or payments to any individual not exceeding 100,000 baht per year.
4) Do not hold any credit cards.
5) Do not have total credit loans exceeding 100,000 baht.
6) Do not have deposits or lottery savings exceeding 100,000 baht per year in total.
7) Do not own real estate or only own real estate as follows:
8) Do not own vehicles except for one motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 300 cc, one three-wheeled vehicle, one small four-wheeled taxi, or one agricultural vehicle per category.
Details of the eligibility criteria as approved by the Cabinet are provided in the attached documents.
The Cabinet also assigned the Ministry of Interior, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and Pattaya City to survey individuals who qualify but have never held the State Welfare Card through the Ministry of Interior’s system for identifying those omitted from state welfare rights, to verify under the new criteria.
2. Procedures
1) Current State Welfare Card holders must register to confirm their eligibility to participate in the program. Registration is open from June 4 to 21, 2026. Registration can be done through various channels, including
2) The Ministry of Interior, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and Pattaya City will survey those omitted from the Basic Necessities Database (JPT) of the Department of Community Development or the electronic family book system of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and register their data through the Ministry of Interior’s system for checking omitted welfare recipients. Officials will assist registration directly in the field.
3) The registration results will be announced on July 17, 2026, through the Paotang application, government applications, and websites https://welfare.mof.go.th or https://บัตรสวัสดิการแห่งรัฐ.mof.go.th and at the five registration units. Those who pass the eligibility verification but have never had a State Welfare Card can confirm their identity starting from the announcement date (17 July 2026) via the Paotang app and the five registration units, and can start using the welfare benefits from August 1, 2026 onwards.
4) Those who fail the eligibility verification can appeal the results through the Paotang app, government applications, websiteshttps://welfare.mof.go.thorhttps://บัตรสวัสดิการแห่งรัฐ.mof.go.thand the five registration units from July 17 to 31, 2026. They must correct any disqualifying information at the verification units as notified by August 16, 2026. The Ministry of Finance will announce the appeal results on September 14, 2026. Those who pass verification in this appeal round can confirm their identity starting from the announcement date and use the benefits from October 1, 2026 onwards.
3. Allocation of State Welfare Benefits for the program: Those who pass eligibility verification and confirm their identity will receive the following benefits:
(1) A monthly credit of 300 baht per person for essential consumer goods, educational materials, and agricultural inputs at Blue Flag Discount stores, local economic development stores, and other stores designated by the Ministry of Commerce.
(2) A discount credit of 80 baht per person every three months for purchasing cooking gas from stores designated by the Ministry of Energy.
(3) A monthly travel credit of 750 baht per person for public transportation, usable on eight types of transport:
(4) Electricity cost relief: a subsidy of 315 baht per household per month. If electricity usage exceeds the set limit, beneficiaries must bear the full cost of the excess usage.
(5) Water cost relief: a subsidy of 100 baht per household per month. If water usage exceeds 100 baht but does not exceed 315 baht, beneficiaries receive the 100 baht subsidy and must pay the excess themselves. If usage exceeds 315 baht, beneficiaries bear the full cost.
