Aeknithi revealed that the Prime Minister has ordered a review of the State Welfare Card criteria regarding cases where children claim tax deductions for their parents, leading to disqualification. He explained that changes cannot be made this year as tax filings are completed. The State Welfare Card Committee has been assigned to urgently review the matter. Those losing eligibility are advised to register for the Thai Chuey Thai Plus program to receive support instead.
On 8 June 2026 at Military Airport 2, Wing 6, Don Mueang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Aeknithi Nitithanprapas said in an interview about the review of State Welfare Card eligibility related to children claiming tax deductions for their parents, which has caused some to lose benefits. He said the Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance have listened to public concerns and emphasized fairness. The core purpose of the State Welfare Card is to assist truly needy citizens who lack support and other entitlements. Since eligibility has not been reviewed for a long time, many complaints have arisen that among the current 13.2 million cardholders, some do not genuinely need assistance. The government wants the card to reach those who are genuinely in distress. The Ministry of Interior has been working to identify truly needy individuals who may have been overlooked, from 4 to 21 June.
However, the current criterion states that if a person has children supporting them who claim tax deductions, they may lose their card eligibility. In reality, some children do not actually care for their parents but still claim the tax deduction. There is concern that parents' benefits may be unfairly revoked. Therefore, the Prime Minister has ordered a review, assigning the State Welfare Card Committee to reconsider the criteria. The committee will assess whether the current rule is unfair to parents whose children falsely claim tax benefits, causing those parents to lose their rights. The government listens to public feedback and aims to ensure fairness by conducting this review as quickly as possible.
Asked if the review will take long, Aeknithi said the Cabinet has authorized the State Welfare Card Committee to promptly review the criteria and proceed as quickly as possible.
When asked whether the children's income thresholds for tax deductions will be reconsidered, Aeknithi said tax reductions for this year have already been applied under Cabinet-approved criteria, which did not include such revisions. Changing the rules now might unfairly affect those who have already filed taxes. Therefore, it is unlikely changes will be applied retroactively this year. The review will apply to next year to ensure fairness for all parties.
"The key issue to bring to the Cabinet is to review those who have been overlooked—people with no opportunities, no support, and no welfare system. Over the past 10 years, many complaints have arisen about people misusing the card who are not truly needy. We want to remove these people from the State Welfare Card program so they can use other benefits instead. For example, some of those losing eligibility among the 13.2 million cardholders are not the poorest. Many of them have applied for the Thai Chuey Thai Plus program but were denied because they already hold the State Welfare Card. The truly poorest people who cannot even contribute to Thai Chuey Thai Plus are the ones we want to help. Therefore, a review is necessary."
Aeknithi stated that those who lose eligibility for the State Welfare Card can apply for Thai Chuey Thai Plus. The Ministry of Interior is being urged to accelerate this process by July because from 1 August, those removed from the State Welfare Card program can access benefits under Thai Chuey Thai Plus. The government wants to ensure that those truly in need receive assistance and acknowledges concerns about children misusing tax deduction rights that unfairly affect their parents.
Asked if those losing the State Welfare Card on 1 August will receive two months of benefits under Thai Chuey Thai Plus, Aeknithi confirmed they will. He explained that among the 13.2 million current cardholders, both genuinely needy and non-needy people receive benefits of 1,000 baht without contributions. Those who are financially well-off can instead use Thai Chuey Thai Plus, which requires state co-payments. Regarding registration data, nearly 10 million of the 13.2 million cardholders have registered so far.
Regarding incomplete data issues related to tax deduction names, Aeknithi said this is unrelated. He emphasized that the current process is a rights survey, not a disqualification. The government is verifying identities to review eligibility criteria because of complaints that non-needy people falsely claim State Welfare Card benefits, while some truly needy people have not received benefits.