Transport
Thailand to Ease Welfare Card Eligibility Criteria for Older Vehicles
The Ministry of Transport is removing automatic disqualification for state welfare card applicants who own older vehicles, potentially adding millions to the beneficiary list.
On August 5, 2026, Deputy Minister of Transport Siriphong Angkasakulkiat announced that the Department of Land Transport is updating its systems to facilitate state welfare card applications. The government plans to waive the automatic disqualification criteria for individuals who own cars older than 20 years or motorcycles older than 15 years.
According to Khaosod Online, this policy shift is expected to benefit over one million vehicle owners currently excluded by the age-of-vehicle rule. The Department of Land Transport is integrating this data to submit to the Ministry of Finance for eligibility review by mid-August. Since the Cabinet meeting, over 200,000 citizens have already filed appeals at transport offices. Officials estimate that these combined efforts could result in 2 to 3 million additional people qualifying for state welfare benefits.
For residents, this change may significantly expand access to social support programs. However, it remains to be confirmed how quickly the Ministry of Finance will process these new applications and when the final list of approved beneficiaries will be officially announced. Travelers should note that this is a domestic administrative update regarding social welfare and does not impact tourism or visa regulations.