Government says less than half of the 11 million low income earners come to collect welfare cards

 

The government yesterday (Sept 29) said that less than half of the 11.67 million qualified low-income earners have came to pick up their welfare smart cards to get monthly subsidies from the government for purchases of necessary goods, for bus and train travels, and for power and cooking gas bills.

 

A total of 14.1 people have registered as low income earners, but 2.53 million were disqualified.

 

According to the Comptroller General’s Department, although less than half of the 11.67 million welfare cards were collected by qualified income earners, the cards will be valid for use on scehule on October 1.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/government-says-less-half-11-million-low-income-earners-come-collect-welfare-cards/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-09-30

The rest of them is too busy running motorbike taxis and hawker stalls in off limit areas. Or they are just nurses in provincial hospitals.

The benefits are so lousy even the poor cant be assed to pick up the card...

If Thailand were a nanny state , I could get one too .

My wife went for her card. Application refused because she has a ' farang ' surname. But then it's only 300 baht so who cares ?

Based on the assumption and a major part of your visa/ extension requirements that you are not destitute or needing handouts. 

Seems like an excellent way of tracking the poor - having a poor ID card - and knowing if to investigate a crime properly or wheneverly

Good of the government to support the low income population

I just wonder what the negative commentators might think if the low income card benefit was raised prior to an election?

Not me of course happy to see a little redistribution of wealth to the needy 

 

Stigma.....being poor and knowing you are poor is your business. A (so called) government then putting this in the public domain and making you a card carrying member of the poor class is disgusting. I can't help thinking it is also a way of knowing who is going to vote for "that" party if they ever have an election again....

2 hours ago, finnomick said:

My wife went for her card. Application refused because she has a ' farang ' surname. But then it's only 300 baht so who cares ?

Same here plus house in her name so no chance

But she doesn't work so no income so she should qualify !

 

"A total of 14.1 people have registered as low income earners, but 2.53 million were disqualified."

 

14.1 people - that's not many! The 0.1 must have been a toddler or a dwarf... 

Nearly impossible to believe.  They probably thought the govt was just talking as usual, and that it would never really happen