Thais Help Thais Plus records 86.4bn baht in two-month spending
Thailand’s 60/40 co-payment scheme recorded 86.4 billion baht in spending over two months, reaching more than 26 million participants nationwide.
- The "Thais Help Thais Plus" 60/40 co-payment scheme generated 86.44 billion baht in transactions during its first two months.
- This total spending was comprised of 49.60 billion baht from the government and 36.84 billion baht from participants.
- More than 26 million people and nearly 1.2 million merchants participated in the program.
- The scheme was designed to ease household living costs by having the government cover 60% of eligible spending up to certain limits.
The Thais Help Thais Plus 60/40 co-payment scheme recorded 86.44 billion baht in transactions during its first two full months, with more than 26 million people using the programme, according to government figures.
The programme was approved by the Cabinet on May 19 to ease household living costs and support purchasing power, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s administration continuing to monitor its implementation.
Under the scheme, the government covers 60% of eligible spending on food, drinks, goods and services, up to 200 baht per person per day and no more than 1,000 baht per person each month. The scheme will remain available until September 30.
Unused monthly allowances cannot be carried forward to the following month. Participants have therefore been advised to plan their use of the entitlement before each monthly allocation expires.
More than 26 million people join scheme
Lalida Persvivatana, deputy government spokeswoman, reported that 26,040,623 people had joined the scheme as of 11pm on July 31, while 1,192,636 participating merchants had completed the verification process.
Of the verified businesses, 977,059 had previously participated in the Khon La Khrueng Plus, or Let’s Go Halves Plus, programme and confirmed their participation through the Thung Ngern application.
A further 215,577 were new merchants registered through Krungthai Bank, representing about 18.1% of all participating businesses.
Lalida described the number of new registrations as an indication that more small operators were joining digital payment and trading systems.
Spending exceeds 86 billion baht
Total spending under the programme reached 86.44 billion baht, comprising 49.60 billion baht in government contributions and 36.84 billion baht paid by participants.
Transactions made directly with participating shops accounted for about 96.6% of total spending, while purchases through food-delivery platforms represented around 3.4%.
Lalida noted that the spending had benefited restaurants, small retailers, hawkers, market stalls and other small businesses.
She added that the arrangement, under which the government covers 60% and participants pay 40%, allowed the overall value of transactions to exceed the state’s direct contribution and helped sustain private consumption during a period of weaker purchasing power.
AI tools support participating merchants
The government is also seeking to strengthen the longer-term capabilities of small businesses through the Thung Ngern application.
Participating merchants can use its artificial intelligence tools to analyse operating costs, stock levels, liquidity and sales. The information is intended to help businesses improve their management and establish financial records that may assist them in obtaining funding in the future.
