The first 3 million needy and disabled people — out of a total of 14.5 million — will receive their 10,000-baht handout under the government’s digital wallet programme on Wednesday, according to Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat.
Due to limitations of the PromptPay payment system, only 3 million eligible recipients can be served initially. Funds were to be transferred to recipients’ bank accounts at midnight before Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra takes part in the official launch at 9am Wednesday.
Mr Julapun said registered recipients could check the results via the Rath Jai application, which the Comptroller General’s Department developed for recipients of state welfare benefits.
According to the minister, there are about 10 million overlaps between those holding state welfare cards and disability cards.
He conceded that the second phase of the digital wallet scheme is unlikely to start this year due to delays in the development of the payment system.
The government decided to prioritise the distribution of funds to 12.4 million welfare cardholders and 2.1 million holders of disability cards, continuing until the end of this month.
However, Mr Julapun said the funds for the second phase have been included in the spending plan for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins on Oct 1. The government has reportedly earmarked 186 billion baht for the initiative.
The original plan proposed by the Pheu Thai Party as the centrepiece of its economic stimulus policy called for a budget of 450 billion baht to distribute 10,000 baht per head — all of it in the form of digital money — to 45 million recipients.
Pornchai Thiraveja, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, said state welfare cardholders and disabled people should ensure that they are subscribed to the PromptPay system and that their bank accounts are active so they do not miss a payment.
Prospective recipients on Tuesday welcomed the government’s decision to distribute the handout in the form of cash, saying they need it to pay rent, school fees for their children and utility bills.
Anek Jongphimai, a 35-year-old disabled worker in Nakhon Ratchasima, said he felt relieved that the scheme was finally starting after the government had adjusted the details and postponed its launch several times.
