The Ministry of Education reported that 53,000 S.K.R. students have submitted appeals after losing their State Welfare Cards. Appeals will be accepted until 31 July, with the ministry affirming full support and assistance in the appeals process, emphasizing the desire to keep students within the system.
At 10:10 a.m. on 21 July 2026, at the Government House, Minister of Education Prasert Chanruangthong, accompanied by Deputy Minister Akkharanat Kankittinan and Director-General of the Department of Learning Promotion Ketsadee Supavanich, held a press briefing following discussions on adjusting the eligibility criteria for the State Welfare Card concerning out-of-system students under the Department of Learning Promotion (S.K.R.).
Minister Prasert stated that about 270,000 students aged 18 and over are affected, with roughly 53,000 registered and impacted so far. S.K.R. is allowing appeals until 31 July, expecting up to 100,000 appeals, representing 60-70% of the student population. The Ministry of Education will present this information to the Cabinet today to consider adjusting the eligibility criteria.
He added that the 53,000 figure represents those who have already submitted information, with the total currently around 55,000. It is expected that appeals will reach 100,000 by the deadline. All cases will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance at once. S.K.R. is concerned about students who have dropped out and encourages them to reapply, wanting everyone to continue studying. The ministry understands the difficulties and is working on solutions to ensure all receive their rights. When asked about the number of dropouts, Minister Prasert said they are delaying finalizing figures because the ministry does not want anyone to fall out of the education system.
Deputy Minister Akkharanat, overseeing S.K.R., said the department is assisting with all submitted appeals to prevent students from having to drop out. They emphasized that out-of-system education includes both children and adults, and efforts are underway to ensure these individuals receive their entitlements.
Meanwhile, Director-General Ketsadee explained that among the 270,000 S.K.R. students aged 18 and over who have applied for the State Welfare Card since last year, many are continuous applicants. However, this year, new restrictions related to students — particularly out-of-system students who work and are economically vulnerable — have caused issues. Those who have dropped out are still eligible to reapply.