Cabinet Extends Thailand Stimulus Program Two More Months
Thailand's Cabinet extended the Thai Help Thai Plus stimulus program through November 2025, providing 500 baht monthly to 26 million recipients, while also expanding welfare card benefits by 1,000 baht monthly to help offset rising living c
The Cabinet has voted to extend the Thai Help Thai Plus programme for another two months, from October to November 2025, after its original scheduled end on 30 September 2025. The extended phase will provide 1,000 baht total per recipient, disbursed at 500 baht monthly under the Finance Ministry's emergency borrowing decree to mitigate energy crisis impacts and support the country's energy transition. Additionally, the Cabinet approved expanded state welfare card eligibility, providing an extra 1,000 baht monthly to qualifying recipients beginning in October 2025. Both the programme extension and welfare card increase are part of the government's short-term economic stimulus to reduce household cost-of-living pressures.
A prior committee review of the 400-billion-baht emergency borrowing framework confirmed the extension meets all regulatory criteria and aligns with the decree's objectives, clearing the way for Cabinet approval. To date, the Thai Help Thai Plus programme has benefited 26 million people, with cumulative spending from 1 June to 16 September 2025 totalling 159 billion baht, comprising 88 billion baht in government contributions and 65 billion baht from public co-payments. The state welfare card has reached 9.5 million eligible recipients, with another 5 million currently in the appeals process for eligibility review.
With the government committing 200 billion baht in borrowed funds for the June-September 2025 Thai Help Thai Plus phase and welfare card top-ups, approximately 45 billion baht remains available for the extension. However, the extension halves the monthly allowance from 1,000 to 500 baht per person—a reduction that has already drawn widespread criticism given the already-insufficient benefit level. The co-payment structure, requiring the government to cover 60 percent and recipients 40 percent, continues to face scrutiny, with critics arguing that full government funding is necessary to reach the poorest citizens unable to contribute their share. Observers also note that while the programme provides short-term spending stimulus, broader economic challenges—including high prices for goods, services, and energy—persist, necessitating more ambitious and longer-term economic measures from the government.
