The Cabinet has extended the appeal period for the State Welfare Card until 31 August, while lifting the old vehicle criteria by excluding cars over 20 years old and motorcycles over 15 years old from asset disqualification. This aims to help over 9.3 million people who were previously disqualified before the simultaneous rollout of rights for existing and new cardholders nationwide on 1 October.
On 27 July 2026 at 11:45 a.m. at Government House, Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Minister of Transport, revealed after the Cabinet meeting that the Cabinet approved extending the appeal deadline for those denied State Welfare Card rights from 31 July to 31 August 2026. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance requested an extension for using the State Welfare Card until 30 September for current cardholders to continue using their rights, while newly selected recipients will start using their rights simultaneously from 1 October 2026.
“Budget efficiency is a priority for the government, but the revised State Welfare Card is a strong government effort. Those who are denied may feel dissatisfied, but what matters now is that for those previously without cards, the policy is to manage transparently who should receive what rights and in what amounts. The government must ensure sufficient and appropriate rights distribution,” Siripong said.
For cars over 20 years old, they will be excluded from the data sent to the Ministry of Finance and immediately removed from the disqualification criteria. Motorcycles over 15 years old (with engine size not exceeding 300 cc) will also be excluded. In cases where vehicles are less than 20 years but deemed unusable, affected individuals must submit an appeal.
“Motorcycles over 15 years old and cars over 20 years old will be considered low in value and will not be used as disqualification criteria, except for classic cars with high value,” Siripong added.
Lawaron Saengsanit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, said the Cabinet resolved as follows: 1. Existing cardholders can use their rights until 30 September 2026; 2. New cardholders will be able to use their rights starting 1 October.
The appeal period has been extended to 31 August from the original 31 July 2026, and document submission is now allowed until 20 September, extended from 16 August. A One Stop Service center has also been established to facilitate appeals for the public.
“Today, 9.3 million people failed the registration round: some definitely failed, some believed they passed but had outdated information causing disqualification and will be asked to appeal, and a third group had their names used improperly or registered companies owning assets, land, vehicles, or students meeting asset criteria involving nominees. Further screening is needed,” Lawaron said.
For citizens disqualified due to certain securities account criteria but who did not actively use those accounts—for example, accounts opened during promotions or receiving gifts from some companies—they are advised to close such accounts and appeal if the information does not reflect the facts.
For non-formal students and those affected by vehicle ownership conditions, the Ministry of Finance will reconsider the data, especially for cars and motorcycles older than 15–20 years, by evaluating the asset's value and condition. The public is urged to appeal if their information is inaccurate so the government can verify and correct it.
Winai Tocharoen, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, said citizens can check their rights via the Paotang app, government websites, the Department of Provincial Administration, and five designated banks. He emphasized that districts should widely publicize this and arrange units to assist people who have difficulty traveling with e-KYC verification.
Winij Wisesuwanphum, Director of the Fiscal Policy Office, stated that relevant agencies are urgently addressing issues, including unused or lost vehicles. The Ministry of Education is expediting student data. Those unsure are encouraged to submit appeals for review.