No Gamble on Governance: Yodchanan Defends ‘Daily Millionaire’ Lucky Box as Key to Digital Reform

 

 

The Pheu Thai candidate hits back at "selling dreams" accusations, claiming the 9-million-baht daily prize is a strategic bait to formalise the tax economy.

 

Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate, Yodchanan Wongsawat, has mounted a robust defence of his party’s latest campaign pledge: a "9-million-baht daily lucky box" intended to transform Thailand into a digital-first economy. 

 

Addressing critics who dismiss the policy as populist "dream-selling," Yodchanan insisted the scheme is a scientifically backed data-gathering exercise rather than a mere game of chance.

 

Speaking at the Yasothon Provincial Central Stadium on Saturday, Yodchanan argued that the policy is a vital tool for national modernisation. 

 

The scheme promises a substantial daily payout to participants who submit transaction data and receipts into a centralised government system. 

 

According to the candidate, this is designed to incentivise citizens—particularly those in the informal sector—to join the national tax net.

 

 

 

 

Digital Transformation vs. Fiscal Waste 

The proposal has drawn sharp rebukes from high-profile political figures.

 

Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij have criticised the plan as a wasteful expenditure of taxpayer funds that fails to address the root causes of structural poverty.

 

However, Yodchanan argued that these critics are missing the "big picture" of digital governance.
 

 

 

 

"This is not simply about handing out money; it is about building a comprehensive data infrastructure," Yodchanan stated. "If we do not know the real-time income and expenditure of our farmers and small business owners, we cannot design efficient state aid. The 'Lucky Box' is the mechanism that brings the informal economy into the light."

 

 

 

 

Legislative Clearances 

Yodchanan confirmed that the policy has been thoroughly vetted by legal teams to avoid the "legislative deadlock" that plagued previous digital stimulus efforts.

 

He expressed confidence that the proposal would meet the requirements of the Election Commission (EC), noting that the long-term benefit of accurate GDP forecasting and AI-driven aid would far outweigh the initial costs.

 

When pressed on the specifics of the multi-billion-baht budget required for the payouts, Yodchanan declined to provide a detailed breakdown, responding instead with a confident smile and a thumbs-up.
 

 

 

 

The candidate, who has long maintained an academic image, dismissed concerns that the policy encourages a "reliance on luck." 

 

He maintained that using digital receipts to expand the tax base is an international administrative standard. 

 

By integrating AI into public health and agricultural data, he believes the "Lucky Box" will bridge the data gap and allow the government to "prescribe" economic solutions with surgical precision.