Suradech urges the government to overhaul the screening and income verification measures following complaints about the State Welfare Card. He recommends using local mechanisms for surveys because they are closer to the people and can provide faster, more up-to-date information.
On 20 July 2026, Suradech Yasawat, former deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party, spoke about the criticism surrounding the screening measures for State Welfare Card eligibility. He said it is time to revise the criteria and conditions for receiving welfare and state assistance. Previously, problems arose during registration for the Thai Help Thai Plus 60:40 program, and now with the State Welfare Card program, where many applicants failed the criteria and appealed their cases. As of 20 July, the number of appeals reached as high as 2.7 million. The most criticized issue was the ownership of cars or motorcycles causing people to lose eligibility, even though some vehicles were old, broken down, or just left unused, and the owners were genuinely poor. There were also cases of out-of-system students dropping out out of fear they would lose benefits. The government is trying to resolve this by asking the Ministry of Finance to review the criteria for a proposal to the Cabinet meeting soon.
Suradech said this is commendable that the government listens to feedback and criticism. However, the issue of rights verification, or what some call poverty verification, along with accuracy and coverage of the screening system, still has problems. Relying solely on income, assets, or tax conditions often causes people to be wrongly excluded or included. Even though digital technology is used for convenience, gaps still exist for people in remote areas, preventing state assistance from reaching the true target groups.
Suradech said to minimize future problems or errors, he suggests the government revise the criteria and screening system by replacing fixed income measurements with a comprehensive vulnerability assessment that prioritizes actual expense burdens and household dependency conditions.
He also said it is necessary to link government databases (Big Data) with financial institutions and local authorities to keep information up to date, reducing the burden on citizens. At the same time, the government should maximize the use of local mechanisms, especially for verification and certification of rights to collect data, which will be more accurate than central government efforts.
“The Ministry of Interior, which oversees local administration, is a key government tool that can be used effectively for this purpose to prevent future problems. Village heads, subdistrict chiefs, local administrative organization leaders, mayors, and even health volunteers are close to the community and know household information well, such as in the case of vehicle ownership, motorcycles, which can be quickly inspected and reported back to the government for future use. There is no need for citizens to travel to submit appeals or documents, which can be burdensome,” Suradech said.
Suradech said he believes the government should elevate the role of the welfare card from merely a subsidy or cost-of-living aid, which is temporary, to a tool for creating economic opportunities. This could involve adjusting spending conditions to stimulate the grassroots economy by encouraging purchases at community shops, community enterprises, and small local farmers. This would serve as a long-term aid measure instead of money flowing back to large capital groups.