Thailand to Leverage Welfare Data for Jobs and Skills for Over 5 Million Low-Income Earners

The Thai government plans to leverage data from its latest state welfare card registration to create job opportunities and enhance skills for over five million low-income individuals aged 20 to 60. This initiative aims to address the root causes of poverty and boost national income. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas stated that the registration exercise revealed that more than five million of the program's over nine million recipients fall within the 20 to 60 age bracket. "This is an issue that must be addressed," Mr. Ekniti said. "We cannot allow people to continue earning less than 100,000 baht a year indefinitely. The government must use this data to create employment opportunities and upgrade workers' skills so they can earn higher incomes." His comments come amid criticism of the 2026 state welfare card registration, where over 9.3 million applicants failed to qualify, prompting the government to review the scheme's eligibility criteria. Mr. Ekniti assured that changes in the number of beneficiaries would not create budgetary problems, noting that the country already spends over 70 billion baht annually on the program. "Our priority is to make sure assistance reaches those who truly have nothing," he said, adding that those who did not qualify remain eligible for other forms of government assistance. He attributed many disputes to incomplete or outdated government databases rather than flaws in the criteria. "The problem lies in the data, which may not have been updated, particularly regarding applicants' assets." However, the new exercise has helped expose weaknesses in government databases and identify cases where people may have been deceived into transferring or registering assets. "If it can be proven that applicants were defrauded, the government will restore their welfare rights," Mr. Ekniti pledged.