Commerce Ministry warns against cash refills from welfare cards

Khaosod•Society•17d ago

Reader Briefing

The Buriram Provincial Commerce Office warns that deducting state welfare card funds in excess of purchase prices to refund as cash violates project regulations.

•Mr. Opas reported a store in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram, deducted 1,000 baht from his state welfare card for a 128 baht purchase.
•The store later returned the difference in cash, claiming the transaction was based on mutual consent.
•The Buriram Provincial Commerce Office stated that exchanging welfare funds for cash is a clear violation of the State Welfare Card project's purpose.

Overview

•On August 6, 2026, a case was reported regarding a store in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram, deducting funds from a state welfare card in excess of the purchase amount.
•Mr. Opas purchased goods worth 128 baht and performed a facial scan for identity verification.
•Mr. Opas discovered two days later that 1,000 baht had been deducted from the card balance despite only one purchase.
•The store claimed the deduction was based on the customer's consent and subsequently returned the difference in cash.
•The Buriram Provincial Commerce Office stated that while mutual agreements to reduce the frequency of facial scans may be flexible, refunding cash for deducted card balances is a clear violation.
•The State Welfare Card project specifies that funds must be used only for purchasing consumer goods and cannot be exchanged for cash.
•State welfare cardholders found to be in violation may have their rights revoked.
•Stores found to be in violation may have their rights to participate in the project revoked.

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Key Entities

Organization

Buriram Provincial Commerce Office(พาณิชย์จังหวัดบุรีรัมย์)

The government agency that clarified the regulations regarding the use of state welfare cards in Buriram.

Person

Mr. Opas(นายโอภาส)

A resident of Prakhon Chai District, Buriram, who reported a store for over-deducting funds from his state welfare card.

Place

Prakhon Chai District(อ.ประโคนชัย)ℹ️

The district in Buriram Province where the reported incident occurred.

Buriram Province(จ.บุรีรัมย์)ℹ️

The province where the reported incident and the commerce office's clarification are located.

Policy

State Welfare Card(บัตรสวัสดิการแห่งรัฐ)

A government project providing funds for citizens to purchase consumer goods, which prohibits the exchange of credits for cash.