"Pradorn" confirms ongoing efforts to eliminate public sector corruption by requiring approval requests through a platform, according to the Super License policy. He stresses that the "Poor Card" rights remain valid until the end of September, pending completion of the appeal process.
At 09:25 on 24 July 2026 GMT+7. Mr. Pradorn Prissanantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, gave an interview at Government House regarding the Anti-Corruption Coordination Committee's (ACC) decision to appoint him as chairman of the subcommittee overseeing bribery-related corruption in the public sector. He stated that the main objective is to raise the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and decisively tackle structural corruption issues. His subcommittee will focus on government agency approval processes.
Mr. Pradorn further revealed that he had previously discussed with Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, and Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiyachon Chidchob that corruption arises mainly from government agencies, especially in approval processes. This led to the Super License policy, which consolidates various permit requests into a single platform to facilitate entrepreneurs. For example, building permits often require leaving documents for months or years without approval, creating legal loopholes and discretionary power for officials. Therefore, the approval process has been moved onto an online platform so that government inspectors can monitor the progress and each step's timeframe. He emphasized that his subcommittee will expedite this work by scheduling formal meetings to assign tasks and set clear KPIs with relevant agencies, primarily the Digital Government Development Agency (DGA) under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.
Additionally, Mr. Pradorn spoke about the Ministry of Finance's plan to propose to the Cabinet (COC) three additional conditions regarding the State Welfare Card. These include criteria related to vehicle ownership and out-of-system students. He stated that the current rights will be maintained until the appeal process concludes at the end of September. Those who have received benefits will continue to receive them.
Meanwhile, among those newly screened, 80% qualify for the program. The Thai Chuey Thai Plus program already operates on a 60:40 basis. Currently, over 9 million people have State Welfare Card benefits. The final number after review is unknown and depends on appeal outcomes. However, the government is committed to supporting those genuinely in need. For those misusing the card by using poor individuals' names as company directors, ghost accounts, or tax deductions as employees, once the Ministry of Finance completes the card criteria review, it will investigate such abuses.
When asked if the number of beneficiaries would return to the previous figure of over 13 million, Mr. Pradorn said there is no estimate or target; it depends on the appeal results. He added that the Prime Minister has emphasized that the number of beneficiaries and the amount of money involved are not the main issues. The government can allocate funds to assist those truly affected. The review process was initiated because of complaints about unqualified individuals receiving benefits or qualified individuals not receiving them. Currently, reviews have reinstated 2.3 million beneficiaries, which is why a full reassessment was necessary.
Regarding whether the government will disclose the names of people misusing the benefits, given confusion from rightful claimants filing complaints while offenders remain unpunished, Mr. Pradorn stressed that the appeal process is ongoing. The Ministry of Finance will conduct follow-up audits, such as retroactively checking taxes on those using names for deductions.
When asked about ongoing reviews amid criticism and when the process will end, Mr. Pradorn said this is an update of information. For instance, some were flagged for owning two vehicles, but their cars were old or unused. The problem is that the country's data is not regularly updated, so this is an opportunity to review national data.