Sirikanya Slams State Welfare Card System and Data Issues

Matichon•Politics•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Sirikanya Tansakun criticized the government's rigid criteria for the State Welfare Card and called for a data cleanup to prevent eligible poor people from being excluded.

•Sirikanya Tansakun gave an interview on July 20 at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
•Sirikanya Tansakun argued that rigid criteria, such as car ownership, cause genuinely needy people to miss out on welfare.
•The government has allocated 42 billion baht for the State Welfare Card, limiting recipients to no more than 10 million people.
•The period for filing appeals has been extended to September 20.

Overview

•Sirikanya Tansakun gave an interview on July 20 at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
•Sirikanya Tansakun stated that the government's announcement reflects a chaotic system with significant problems.
•Sirikanya Tansakun claimed that the Ministry of Finance did not verify data from other ministries, forcing citizens to file appeals themselves.
•Sirikanya Tansakun proposed using a scoring system instead of rigid pass/fail criteria to better identify the poor.
•Sirikanya Tansakun noted that the budget for the State Welfare Card is 42 billion baht, intended for 9-10 million people.
•Sirikanya Tansakun described the Thai Chuay Thai Plus project as a short-term consolation prize for those who failed the welfare card criteria.
•Sirikanya Tansakun warned that extending the appeal deadline to September 20 will not solve the problem if the government does not clean its data first.
•Sirikanya Tansakun urged the government to investigate data regarding the Non-Formal and Informal Education (NFE) under the Ministry of Education.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Sirikanya Tansakun

"The government itself has admitted that the budget set for about 9-10 million people can be expanded if more people meet the qualifications."

รัฐบาลเองก็ยอมรับแล้วว่า งบประมาณที่ตั้งไว้ให้ได้ประมาณ 9-10 ล้านคน ถ้ามีคนที่เข้าคุณสมบัติมากกว่านี้ สามารถที่จะขยายงบประมาณออกไปได้

Sirikanya Tansakun

"Even if there is time to appeal, if the government does not finish clearing its own data, there is no way to solve the problem even with an extension."

ต่อให้มีเวลาอุทธรณ์ แต่หากรัฐบาลยังเคลียร์ข้อมูลของตัวเองไม่จบสิ้น ก็ไม่มีทางที่จะแก้ปัญหาได้แม้จะมีการยืดระยะเวลาออกไป

Key Entities

Person

Sirikanya Tansakun(ศิริกัญญา ตันสกุล)ℹ️

List MP and Deputy Leader of the People's Party.

Organization

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

The political party of which Sirikanya Tansakun is Deputy Leader.

Ministry of Finance(กระทรวงการคลัง)ℹ️

The ministry criticized by Sirikanya Tansakun for not verifying data from other agencies.

Non-Formal and Informal Education (NFE)(กศน.)

An entity under the Ministry of Education that Sirikanya Tansakun urged the government to investigate regarding data issues.

Ministry of Education(กระทรวงศึกษาธิการ)ℹ️

The ministry overseeing the Non-Formal and Informal Education (NFE).

Policy

State Welfare Card(บัตรสวัสดิการแห่งรัฐ)

A government welfare program with a budget of 42 billion baht for up to 10 million recipients.

Thai Chuay Thai Plus Project(โครงการไทยช่วยไทยพลัส)

A short-term two-month project described as a consolation for those ineligible for the State Welfare Card.

Place

Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20(โรงแรมโนโวเทล กรุงเทพฯ สุขุมวิท 20)

The location where Sirikanya Tansakun gave her interview on July 20.