Various vehicle-related problems have caused some people to be denied the state welfare card, also known as the poor card. Those who wish to appeal need to know the process, while those who do not appeal can await the "Thai Chai Thai Plus 60/40" program benefits.
On 20 Jul 2026 GMT+7, reporters reported that many citizens missed out on the state welfare card because records showed they owned vehicles exceeding the allowed limits or had bank account balances over 100,000 baht. Many said some of these vehicles are unusable scrap and asked the government to reconsider eligibility based on current circumstances, as they are truly low-income individuals experiencing hardship, as previously reported.
Recently, Pol.Phir Suwanchavee, Deputy Minister of Interior, said the government is not ignoring public feedback. The Ministry of Interior will propose to the Cabinet to extend the appeal submission deadline to 20 September 2026, from the original deadline of 31 July.
Additionally, there will be cooperation with the Royal Thai Police and Ministry of Commerce to investigate cases where people were disqualified due to having their names fraudulently used as company directors or as 'fronts' in gray market businesses without their knowledge.
Meanwhile, Narucha Khosasivilai, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, added that the department has established one-stop service coordination centers at every district office. For those unable to travel, district officials, village heads, and local administrative organizations will visit communities to receive applications and provide assistance on site.
Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Minister of Transport, revealed that the Department of Land Transport has been actively facilitating and handling public complaints. The most common issue concerns vehicle ownership, which is a condition for receiving the state welfare card. Current rules state that beneficiaries must not own a car, except in four cases: motorcycles with engines up to 300 cc, three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled taxis, and agricultural vehicles, each limited to one per person.
However, complaints revealed four main issues:
1. People still have records of owning old vehicles with low value and unused for long periods but have not deregistered them from the system.
2. Vehicles that are lost or no longer operable.
3. Vehicles sold but with ownership not yet transferred officially.
4. Cases where names were fraudulently used to buy vehicles for others.
Due to these problems, the Ministry of Transport has written to the Ministry of Finance requesting a review of the criteria. The Prime Minister is giving this matter serious attention. The Transport Ministry proposes excluding cars older than 20 years and motorcycles older than 15 years from eligibility considerations. They also suggest adjusting motorcycle ownership limits from one to two motorcycles under 300 cc per person, including those still under installment payments, to be eligible.
For citizens disqualified from receiving the state welfare card because of vehicle ownership, follow these steps:
1. If disqualified and wishing to appeal, submit applications through channels designated by the Ministry of Finance from 17 to 31 July 2026 via four methods:
2. Those wishing to verify ownership can bring their national ID card or related documents to any provincial or branch land transport office nationwide. The Department of Land Transport can verify accurate data from the central database (MDM). If discrepancies are found, they will update records or correct registrations according to regulations.
To facilitate and reduce public travel burdens, the Department of Land Transport has collaborated with the Department of Provincial Administration and the Ministry of Interior to create forms allowing citizens to submit information via local agencies, which will forward it to the Department of Land Transport for verification and use in appeals. They affirmed that the Ministry of Transport will strive to ease citizens' burdens as much as possible, ensuring those truly eligible receive their rights.
Winij Wisesuwanphoom, Director of the Fiscal Policy Office and spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, revealed that approximately 2.9 million people have applied for rights review so far, with over 40% disqualified due to vehicle ownership. He acknowledged the seriousness of these facts. The Ministry of Finance is gathering data from relevant agencies to submit to the State Welfare Card Committee for consideration of additional exceptions aligned with actual hardships, aiming for new eligible citizens to receive benefits by 1 October.
There is also a review of criteria for students, especially those in non-formal education systems such as the Non-Formal and Informal Education Office (NFE) and non-formal vocational education students. The government recognizes these groups as pursuing skills and career development and plans to adjust criteria so these individuals are not disqualified solely due to their student status. The Ministry of Finance will consider other eligibility factors beyond student status alone.
Winij Wisesuwanphoom stated that some students under the Office of the Promotion of Learning (SPL) have been disqualified from the state welfare card. So far, 45,000 appeals have been submitted. Discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Education to adjust criteria for non-formal students, ensuring that impoverished individuals eligible for the state welfare card will not be denied.
Regarding cases where people were disqualified due to reported income linked to employers fraudulently withholding tax under their names, Winij said the Ministry of Finance welcomes complaints and will promptly pursue offenders and restore rights to affected citizens as quickly as possible.
People who fail the criteria but previously received state welfare benefits will immediately be eligible for the "Thai Chai Thai Plus 60/40" program, receiving 1,000 baht per month.
Recipients can confirm their rights via the Paotang app from August to September 2026. .69
The Ministry of Finance will propose this to the Cabinet on 21 July 2026, covering about 6 million people, including those not receiving the state welfare card. Therefore, the public is reassured that if they do not get the state welfare card, they will receive "Thai Chai Thai Plus" benefits instead.