Review of "Poor Card" eligibility regarding child tax deductions is expected to start next year, providing an alternative for those who do not qualify this round to register for "Thai Chuey Thai Plus" instead. This offers a solution for affected individuals.
On 8 June 2026 at Military Airport 2, Wing 6 (Wing 6) Don Mueang, Mr. Akniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, spoke about the review of state welfare rights related to claiming parents' names for tax deductions that led to disqualification. He said the Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance have listened to public opinion and emphasized fairness.
He emphasized the principle of the state welfare card, which aims to assist citizens in genuine hardship who lack any support or rights. The government has not reviewed eligibility for a long time despite many complaints. Currently, 13.2 million people hold welfare cards, including both those truly in need and those who are not. The government wants the welfare card to reach those genuinely in distress. The Ministry of Interior has been helping to identify truly needy individuals who may have been overlooked between 4-21 June.
Regarding those who claim tax deductions for children they care for, in reality, some children do not genuinely care for their parents but use the tax deduction rights. There is concern that cutting parents' rights this way could cause harm. The Prime Minister has ordered a review. A State Welfare Card Committee has been assigned to reconsider criteria under the Prime Minister's directive, noting the existing rules may be unfair to parents whose children falsely claim the rights, resulting in loss of benefits. The government listens to society and acts swiftly to ensure fairness for all.
When asked if the review would take long, Mr. Akniti said the Cabinet has authorized the State Welfare Card Committee to promptly review the criteria, and they will proceed as quickly as possible.
Asked whether the children's income base for tax deductions must be reviewed, he said the tax deductions for this year have already been applied under Cabinet-approved criteria, which did not specify this. Changing it now might be unfair since deductions were already made last year, potentially causing parents to lose benefits. He thinks it might not apply this year but will be reviewed for next year to ensure fairness for all parties.
"The key issue for the Cabinet is reviewing those who have been overlooked—people with no opportunities or support and no welfare system to assist them. Over the past 10 years, many complaints have been made that some welfare card holders are not truly needy but misuse the rights. We want to remove such people from the welfare card and redirect them to other benefits. For example, among the 13.2 million cardholders, some are not genuinely needy and have applied for the Thai Chuey Thai Plus program but were not accepted because they already hold welfare cards. The truly poorest who cannot even contribute to Thai Chuey Thai Plus are the group we aim to help. Hence, a review is necessary."
Mr. Akniti said that those who lose eligibility for the welfare card can use the Thai Chuey Thai Plus program. The Ministry of Interior has been urged to expedite this process by July because from 1 August, those who lose welfare card benefits can access Thai Chuey Thai Plus. The government wants to ensure that those truly in hardship receive support, acknowledging societal concerns about parents losing rights due to children unknowingly claiming them.
When asked whether those who do not receive welfare cards will have only two months to use Thai Chuey Thai Plus starting 1 August, Mr. Akniti confirmed they will receive two months. Currently, 13.2 million people use the welfare card, including those truly in need and those who are not. Many complaints over the past 5-6 years have noted that some ineligible people have been affected. These individuals receive 1,000 baht without needing to contribute. If they are financially stable, they can also use Thai Chuey Thai Plus, which is jointly funded by the state. Regarding registration data for the welfare card, nearly 10 million people have registered out of 13.2 million.
Regarding incomplete information issues related to tax deduction name usage, Mr. Akniti said this is unrelated. He emphasized that today is only a rights survey, and no one has been disqualified yet. The survey aims to verify identities to reassess eligibility and review criteria because there have been complaints about people who are not truly needy falsely using welfare cards, while genuinely needy individuals are missing out.