Bangkok – According to Thailand’s Comptroller General’s Department (CGD), more than 11.9 billion baht was spent during the first four months of the state welfare card scheme.
CGD Deputy Director-General and spokeswoman, Yanee Sangsrichun, reported that 10.9 million out of 11.4 million people who are eligible for the social welfare card program have already received their cards.
She clarified that, in the first four months of the scheme, 11.8 billion baht was spent at Pracharat Blue Flag shops, 14.3 million baht on cooking gas, 38.2 million baht on bus fares and 65.3 million on rail fares.
She added that a total of 20,272 electronic data capture (EDC) devices have been installed at participating stores, 8,789 of which were installed at Blue Flag shops, 828 at cooking gas retailers, 534 at the State Railway of Thailand, and 121 at the Transport Company Limited.
Yanee said the government will install an additional 20,000 EDC devices to serve cardholders to improve their quality of life in the long term.
