Bangkok: Most individuals registered for the government's welfare card program have not received their benefits, according to recent findings.
According to Thai News Agency, a survey conducted by the NIDA Poll, the public opinion survey center at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), revealed that 51.73% of respondents who registered for the 2026 government welfare card program did not receive the card. The survey, titled "Do the poor have the right?", was conducted between July 21-23, 2026, among 1,850 respondents aged 18 and over with incomes not exceeding 10,000 baht per month, or with no income. It covered all regions, educational levels, and occupations nationwide. The survey used probability sampling from NIDA Poll's Master Sample database and employed multi-stage sampling through telephone interviews, maintaining a 97.0% confidence level with a margin of error of 0.05.
The survey further revealed that 53.78% of respondents had previously received benefits under the government welfare card program, whereas 46.22% had not. Of those who registered for the current program, 24.65% did not register, and only 23.62% registered and received the card. Among those who did not register, 50.66% believed they were ineligible, 22.37% did not want it, 14.25% missed the registration deadline, and 12.72% were unaware of the program.
Feelings among those who registered but did not receive the state welfare card were varied. A significant portion, 43.26%, were not angry at all, while 21.53% were very angry, and 20.69% were somewhat angry. Meanwhile, 14.52% were not very angry.
For the 437 individuals who registered and received the state welfare card, 36.84% were unsure of their decision regarding government support after receiving benefits. Furthermore, 32.49% felt it contributed to their support of the government, 19.00% would support the government regardless of receiving the card, and 11.67% did not support the government under any circumstances.
The demographic breakdown of the survey sample showed that 8.05% resided in Bangkok, with the Northeastern region housing the largest group at 34.05%. The sample consisted of 47.35% male and 52.65% female participants. Age-wise, 25.57% were 60 years and above, with other age groups fairly evenly distributed. Educational attainment varied, with 49.68% having completed secondary education or equivalent. In terms of occupation, 29.89% were general laborers/manual workers, and 26.16% were housewives/househusbands/retired/unemployed. Income levels indicated that 53.19% had an average monthly income of 5,001-10,000 baht, while 32.38% had no income.