Thai Chuai Thai Plus opens registration for 30 million ahead of June 1 spending

Registration for the government’s Thai Chuai Thai Plus 60/40 co-payment scheme opens on Monday, May 25, for up to 30 million eligible people, ahead of the spending rollout on June 1.

The scheme is designed to ease household expenses while stimulating grassroots economic activity by channelling spending to community shops, small operators and local businesses across the country, deputy government spokesperson Lalida Phertwiwatana said on Sunday.

State to cover 60% of eligible purchases

Under the programme, the government will subsidise 60% of eligible spending, while participants will pay the remaining 40%.

The subsidy applies to food, drinks, goods and selected services purchased from participating businesses. The government says the measure is intended to reduce the cost-of-living burden and help maintain purchasing power during the economic recovery.

The Cabinet-approved framework sets the state contribution at no more than 200 baht per person per day and no more than 1,000 baht per person per month, for four months from June to September.

Public registration opens May 25

Eligible citizens can register from May 25-29, or until the quota of 30 million people is filled.

Applicants must be Thai nationals aged 18 or above, must not hold a state welfare card, and must not have been suspended or ordered to return money under previous phases of the Khon La Khrueng scheme or Khon La Khrueng Plus.

Successful registrants can use the benefit from June 1 to September 30, between 6am and 11pm, at participating shops.

For food delivery, spending under the scheme will start later, from June 15 to September 30, between 6am and 9pm.

Scheme targets local spending

Lalida said Thai Chuai Thai Plus 60/40 will cover general shops, Thong Fah shops, restaurants, food carts, OTOP outlets, food delivery services and public transport services.

The government expects the programme to increase money circulation, stimulate community-level spending and support small entrepreneurs as they continue recovering from economic pressures.

“The government believes that stimulating the economy from the grassroots level is an important mechanism for strengthening the Thai economy,” Lalida said, adding that the programme would help both consumers and business operators by spreading cash flow more widely into local communities.

Shops can confirm or apply through Tung Ngern and Krungthai

Shops that previously joined Khon La Khrueng Plus can confirm their participation in Thai Chuai Thai Plus 60/40 through the Tung Ngern app from May 25 to September 30.

New shops that have not participated before can register through Krungthai Bank branches from May 25 to July 31. They must have a Krungthai personal account, apply as a Tung Ngern merchant, download the required certification form and update the Tung Ngern app before submitting documents.

Public transport operators, including electric rail services, buses, public boats and affiliated transport providers, can apply by activating the Tung Ngern app directly with Krungthai Bank.

Some services excluded from this round

Eligible businesses include restaurants, beverage shops, general goods stores, Thong Fah shops, community enterprises, village funds, community shops, public transport operators and small juristic persons with annual income of no more than 1.8 million baht.

Franchise convenience stores and businesses acting as agents for goods owned by others are not eligible.

Massage parlours, spas, nail salons and hair salons are also excluded from this round. Goods and services that cannot be purchased under the scheme include government lottery tickets, alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, gift vouchers, cash cards and prepaid services.

Government says transparency checks are built in

For shops whose business information is not already in government databases, officials assigned by the Interior Ministry or Bangkok Metropolitan Administration must certify that they are genuinely operating. The government says this is intended to prevent misuse of rights.

The state’s co-payment portion will be transferred to participating shops through the Tung Ngern system. If a transfer fails, the system will retry every Friday until October 30.