Permanent secretary for finance Lavaron Sangsnit said the beneficiaries comprise 13.18mn state welfare cardholders and 26.04mn people registered under the 60/40 co-payment programme.
Funds will be accessible from 6am to 11pm daily starting today, reports the Bangkok Post. The programme runs until Sept 30, and unused funds cannot be carried over to subsequent months.
State welfare cardholders may spend the full B1,000 allowance on essential goods at designated Thong Fah shops without any co-payment requirement, but cannot withdraw or exchange the funds for cash, Mr Lavaron said.
Meanwhile, participants in the 60/40 programme must contribute 40% of each purchase, with the government covering the rest via the Pao Tang mobile application. The government contribution is capped at B200 per day per person, with a monthly ceiling of B1,000.
Deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Persvivatana said beneficiaries can access the funds through the Pao Tang app by selecting the “Thais Help Thais Plus” banner and verifying their allowance.
Transactions are made by topping up a G-Wallet and scanning a QR code generated by participating shops via the Tung Ngern app, with the system automatically calculating the co-payment ratio.
“The government wants the scheme to be a measure that is genuinely accessible to the public, easy to use, and capable of delivering relief from the rising cost of living, while stimulating spending and economic activity at the grassroots level across the country,” Ms Lalida said.
Vinit Visessuvanapoom, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office and Finance Ministry spokesman, said food and beverage purchases through approved delivery platforms will be available from June 15, extending the scheme’s accessibility.
As of Sunday, 721,644 shops had registered for the scheme, including 61,731 new participants, while 329,454 were in the process of approval. Businesses that previously did not participate may register until July 31.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has called for a special parliamentary committee to scrutinise the government’s use of B170bn in borrowed funds to finance the scheme.
Democratic Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the programme attracted 26mn participants, short of the government’s 30mn target, while relying heavily on borrowed funds for a four-month economic stimulus measure.
He criticised the administration for failing to provide adequate parliamentary oversight and said the matter would be tabled before the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Mr Abhisit said the party would push for a special committee to oversee the government’s use of borrowed funds and called for greater clarity on how future projects, including energy-related initiatives, would be financed.