People gather outside Krungthai Bank's Bang Yai Market branch in Nonthaburi on June 4 to register for the new round of state welfare cards.
Is Thailand becoming a welfare state? The answer remains to be seen, given the government's fiscal constraints.Public debt has risen recently, nearing the statutory ceiling of 70% of GDP.
The government is striving to establish a welfare system that supports all segments of society, particularly low-income and vulnerable groups. While the financial assistance and benefits provided may be modest and intended merely to help recipients get by, they are significant for those who rely on them.
The administration revised the eligibility criteria for the state welfare card, initially attempting to exclude the parents of children who claimed parental tax deductions on their income tax returns. However, the government scrapped this screening method recently following public outcry.
The goal is to ensure welfare benefits are directed to those who are genuinely poor, rather than those who merely qualify on paper. The move also reflects growing concern within the Finance Ministry over the government's rising welfare spending burden.
