At the Cabinet meeting on 14 Jul 2026, approval was given to expand the eligibility criteria for the 2026 State Welfare Card, revising conditions to better assist vulnerable groups in accessing benefits. The tax deduction criterion for supporting parents will no longer be used as a qualification.
On 14 July 2026 at 12:40 p.m., following the Cabinet meeting, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, together with Mr. Winij Wisetsuwannaphum, Director of the Fiscal Policy Office and spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, jointly announced the Cabinet’s resolution regarding proposals. The 2026 State Welfare Card Registration Project. At the Government News Center, Naree Samosorn Building, Government House.
Ms. Ratchada stated, The revision of the eligibility criteria for the 2026 State Welfare Card project aims to ensure government assistance reaches low-income individuals, vulnerable groups, and those truly in need. The Prime Minister ordered a review and adjustment of criteria to align with current circumstances and facts after receiving public feedback, before submitting the proposal for Cabinet approval.
Furthermore, the Cabinet approved additional proposals for the 2026 State Welfare Card Registration Project. As proposed by the State Welfare Committee for the Grassroots Economy and Society,
1. Expand the target group for the 2026 project by including those without the State Welfare Card, identified as marginalized or overlooked groups by the Ministry of Interior during registration from 4 to 21 June 2026, totaling 5.4 million people, into the eligibility verification process for the 2026 project.
.2. Exclude the eligibility criterion 3.12, concerning parents of earners who claim tax deductions for parental support, from the 2026 project qualifications. This is to avoid impacting earners and their parents who currently have such rights.
3. Adjust the loan eligibility criteria for the 2026 project from “no loans or total loans across all accounts not exceeding 100,000 baht according to the National Credit Bureau data” to “no loans or total loans across all accounts not exceeding 100,000 baht according to the National Credit Bureau data, excluding agricultural loans.” This is because agricultural loans differ from general loans; they are tied to seasonal planting cycles and sometimes serve as disaster relief, not reflecting the borrower’s true credit access or financial status like other loan types.
4. Set that those who pass the 2026 project eligibility criteria may start using the State Welfare Card benefits as follows:
Ms. Ratchada added that following this Cabinet resolution, the committee will verify eligibility for all target groups based on the revised criteria and announce the results on 17 July 2026 starting at 6:00 a.m. through various channels includingthe website https://บัตรสวัสดิการแห่งรัฐ.mof.go.th(orhttps://welfare.mof.go.th) the application “Pao Tang” the application “Thang Rat” (Government Way) and five registration units: Krungthai Bank Public Company Limited, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank, and Islamic Bank of Thailand.
The government spokesperson concluded, “This revision of criteria will enable better assistance to low-income and most vulnerable people, enhancing integration of various government policies. It will also improve screening accuracy, giving target groups genuine opportunities to access state welfare benefits comprehensively and appropriately as intended by the project.”
