The Finance Ministry has urged low-income people who are missing from state welfare databases to register through local administrative authorities before the June 21 deadline.
Vinit Visessuvanapoom, director of the Fiscal Policy Office and Finance Ministry spokesman, said the government is focusing on helping people who have been left out of existing welfare databases and screening systems operated by the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
He said a special registration channel has been opened through local administrative authorities to allow eligible citizens to apply for assistance.
Many people had mistakenly gone to banks to register or confirm their eligibility. However, banks are responsible only for processing people whose names are already listed in the system.
As a result, many overlooked citizens were unable to register. The Finance Ministry has therefore urged those not in the system to contact local authorities directly rather than banks.
People in the provinces can seek assistance from village headmen and subdistrict headmen, while those living in Bangkok and Pattaya can register through district offices and local officials. Authorities will assess applicants' circumstances, verify their information and help them complete the registration process.
The initiative has drawn strong public interest, with more than 1.5 million people already submitting their information through local authorities. The government has urged remaining eligible citizens to register before the June 21 deadline.
As of Thursday, about 11.8 million existing State Welfare Card holders had completed the eligibility confirmation process, while about 1.38 million had yet to do so, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.
Results of the qualification screening will be announced on July 17.
