BANGKOK, Thailand — Registration for the Thai government’s “Thais Help Thais Plus 60/40” co-payment scheme has concluded with more than 26 million applicants, falling approximately four million short of the program’s 30 million participant target, according to official statements from government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek.

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The five-day registration period attracted 26,524,940 applications, a figure the government characterized as reflecting public confidence in its efforts to stimulate domestic spending and alleviate household financial pressures. Of the total applications, 18,900,479 participants carried over from the earlier Khon La Khrueng Plus initiative, while 7,624,461 were new registrants seeking to join the program.

Following verification procedures, 26,040,623 applicants were confirmed as eligible to receive benefits under the scheme. However, 484,317 applications failed eligibility screening, leaving approximately 3.96 million entitlements unfilled from the government’s allocated quota of 30 million participants.

Government officials indicated that the majority of rejected applications involved holders of state welfare cards, who are not eligible for this particular program. A total of 481,604 applications were disqualified on those grounds. An additional 2,505 applicants were found to have either deceased or permanently relocated overseas, while 208 individuals were excluded for breaching conditions under previous co-payment initiatives.

While public registration has concluded, the government continues to recruit merchants ahead of the program’s official launch on June 1. Permanent Finance Secretary Lavaron Sangsnit reported that more than 1.04 million merchants nationwide have registered to participate in the scheme. This figure includes 69,582 newly registered businesses and approximately 977,000 merchants who participated in previous government subsidy programs.

Among existing merchants, 693,000 have confirmed their participation through the Thung Ngern application, while more than 340,000 have yet to complete the confirmation process. The Finance Ministry has urged these businesses to accept the updated program conditions to ensure they can begin processing subsidized transactions when the scheme commences.

Restaurants and beverage outlets represent the largest category of participating businesses, accounting for 595,139 establishments. General retailers follow with 274,334 registered outlets, while 160,702 Blue Flag shops have also enrolled in the program. By region, northeastern Thailand recorded the highest concentration of participating merchants at 203,407, followed by Bangkok with 156,144 and the broader Bangkok Metropolitan Region with 153,028.

Merchant registration remains open until July 31. Existing participants from the Khon La Khrueng Plus program may enroll through the Thung Ngern application, while new businesses can apply through branches of Krungthai Bank. Food and beverage vendors operating through delivery platforms will be able to join the scheme beginning June 10.

Registration for the government's "Thais Help Thais Plus 60/40" co-payment scheme closed nearly four million places short of its 30 million target, despite attracting more than 26.04 million applicants in five days.

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The Finance Ministry is also preparing to launch “Nok Krasip” (Whispering Bird), an artificial intelligence-powered assistant integrated into the Thung Ngern platform. The tool is designed to help small businesses analyze sales performance, manage inventory, assess financial health, and improve access to formal credit facilities.

Despite falling short of the government’s participation target, a survey conducted by E-Saan Poll under the Faculty of Economics at Khon Kaen University suggests the scheme retains broad public support. The survey of 1,072 respondents across 20 northeastern provinces found that 45.4% believed the monthly subsidy of 1,000 baht distributed over four months would provide moderate relief from rising living costs. An additional 17.4% expected significant assistance, while 24.3% viewed the benefit as only marginally helpful.

Respondents also expressed preferences for enhanced support levels. Approximately 41.8% favored a 70% government contribution rate, compared with 36.5% who supported the current 60% subsidy structure.

Under the scheme’s terms, the government covers 60% of eligible purchases while consumers pay the remaining 40%. Participants can receive support on purchases of up to 200 baht per day, with a monthly cap of 1,000 baht. The program runs from June 1 through September 30, targeting stimulation of domestic consumption through participating retail and service establishments.

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Economic analysts note that co-payment schemes represent a common policy tool for governments seeking to balance fiscal responsibility with targeted economic stimulus. The effectiveness of such programs typically depends on participation rates, merchant coverage, and the extent to which subsidized spending represents new economic activity rather than displacement of existing consumption patterns.

-Thailand News (TN)