The Cabinet approved the return of state welfare cards to vocational students and SGR members, emphasizing that new eligibility criteria will be used to review 5.01 million applicants before announcing results on 30 September 2026, with rights to benefits starting 1 October 2026.
Today (22 September 2026), Ms. Lalida Pertwiwatthana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, disclosed that the State Welfare Committee for the Grassroots Economy and Society proposed additional measures for the 2026 State Welfare Registration Project to the Cabinet. They reviewed some eligibility criteria to better reflect the realities and hardships of the people after finding that some previous criteria might have excluded deserving beneficiaries.
This review follows the Cabinet resolution on 21 July 2026, which instructed an urgent reconsideration of eligibility criteria, especially conditions that might exclude those truly in need. Subsequently, on 27 July 2026, the Cabinet acknowledged guidelines for promptly reviewing eligibility data to alleviate citizens’ difficulties.
The first proposed adjustment concerns students. It suggests excluding vocational students in rural development programs and learners acquiring qualifications under the Learning Promotion Act from being disqualified solely due to their student status, ensuring that such enrollment does not lead to benefit revocation.
The second issue concerns partnerships, directors, or shareholders in businesses. The proposal exempts individuals involved in registered social enterprises under the supervision of the Office of Social Enterprise Promotion or community enterprises under the Department of Agricultural Extension. This prevents automatic disqualification solely based on association with such enterprises.
The third point involves securities and bonds ownership. It proposes that those with no securities or bonds, or with total holdings not exceeding 5,000 baht across all accounts, should not be disqualified. Authorities consider such small investments as minor long-term savings and not indicative of substantial economic status.
The fourth point relates to vehicle ownership. It proposes excluding motorcycles older than 15 years from disqualification unless they are high-value or collectible models as defined by the Department of Land Transport. Similarly, cars, trailers, and agricultural vehicles older than 20 years will be exempted unless they are high-value or collectible vehicles per department announcements.
Additionally, debt verification guidelines will be adjusted to better reflect actual debt burdens. For example, agricultural loans from BAAC that have been restructured and reclassified will have only the non-agricultural portions reported to the Ministry of Finance for evaluation. Loans from the Community Honest Product Project by the Islamic Bank of Thailand, signed by mosque representatives on behalf of communities, will not count towards disqualification since they are not personal loans.
Furthermore, guarantees for loans from the Small Industry Credit Guarantee Corporation (SICGC) reported to the National Credit Bureau, which may overlap with direct bank loans, will exclude guarantee amounts without actual outstanding debt from being counted as liabilities for registrants.
"This review aims to ensure screening better reflects individuals’ true economic status and hardships. Some data, such as minor investments, long-used vehicles, or involvement in certain types of businesses, may not indicate high economic standing. It also seeks to prevent double counting of debts or inclusion of data that do not reflect personal liabilities, which could unfairly cause loss of benefits," Ms. Lalida explained. .
The Deputy Spokesperson added that an important point for the public to understand is that the revised criteria will apply to the current review cycle. The submission period for eligibility review ended on 31 August 2026. There are 5,011,678 applicants who failed eligibility upon review and 4,302,575 individuals who did not apply for review but are also ineligible.
For the 5,011,678 applicants who requested a review, the committee allows corrections with verification agencies until 20 September 2026. Their data will be re-examined using the revised criteria, pending Cabinet approval, before announcing results on 30 September 2026.
Ms. Lalida said that all 2026 project beneficiaries who have completed e-KYC identity verification can begin using benefits from 1 October 2026. Beneficiaries can verify their identity at BAAC, Government Savings Bank, Government Housing Bank, and the Islamic Bank of Thailand until 14 October 2026; Krung Thai Bank allows verification until 12 January 2027.
Additionally, the committee proposed using the 2026 registration database—which includes income, age, health, education, and occupation data—to integrate additional assistance for both eligible and ineligible groups. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Ministry of Interior will consider support for vulnerable groups. Commercial banks and state financial institutions will consider debt relief and business loans. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Labour, and Ministry of Education will focus on skills development and labor market integration tailored to individual potential.
Relevant agencies must also investigate cases where personal data has been used without consent or names have been fraudulently used in transactions, enforcing legal actions. They must continuously update public databases to ensure future assistance measures are accurate and appropriately targeted.
It is expected that the welfare allocation for eligible registrants of the 2026 State Welfare Registration Project will not exceed 42 billion baht from the State Welfare Fund for the Grassroots Economy and Society, within the 2027 fiscal year budget framework. This review aims to align state welfare distribution with factual, accurate, and up-to-date data to better address individual needs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Akkharanat Kankittinan, Deputy Minister of Education, stated that the Ministry of Education has been pushing for improvements to restore fairness to students. Previously, some students faced the unfair choice between continuing their studies or retaining state welfare rights.
“I am pleased to bring good news to students and SGR learners that the Cabinet has approved the plan to restore their rights. No child should have to choose between their educational future and essential welfare support. We want all children to continue their education and have opportunities to build their futures without worrying about losing welfare their families rely on. The state's role is to create opportunities, not force children to choose one over the other,” Mr. Akkharanat said.
He added that for economically vulnerable students, welfare card funds are significant as they help reduce family expenses and enable children to continue their education.
“We do not want any child to say, 'I must stop studying because continuing would cause loss of welfare.' We are working to fix this. I want to encourage children to keep going, not to abandon their education or their future,” Mr. Akkharanat said.
Mr. Akkharanat further stated that restoring state welfare card rights is key to enabling children who have dropped out due to economic constraints to return to education. The Ministry of Education seeks to remove such barriers so children can resume learning and pursue their futures.