Bangkok – The Comptroller General’s Department (CGD) has warned retail stores not to allow welfare cardholders to redeem their new cards for cash.
CGD Director-General Suthirat Rattanachot said there are more than six million welfare cardholders in the country. At least 400,000 of them have already spent 100 million baht on household goods at Blue Flag stores.
Suthirat said she was told by local commerce and finance officials that some of the retail stores let the cardholders redeem the cards for cash. The CGD Director-General stressed that it was not how the government intended to help people shoulder the cost of living.
The cards cannot be exchanged for cash under any circumstances. Any retail store in violation of this regulation will be removed from the list of Blue Flag stores. They must also return their electronic data capture machine immediately.
Cardholders found in violation of this rule will also have their rights to the cards revoked. They will be required to return the money they have redeemed as cash to the government.
