Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Cabinet on May 19 approved the "Thai Help Thai Plus" programme worth 176 billion THB (5.38 billion USD), alongside additional support measures for vulnerable groups, in an effort to ease rising living costs as the country faces a “second wave” of the global energy crisis.
Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said the measure will ease living-cost pressures on the public and small businesses to prevent public purchasing power from contracting too sharply.
He said Thailand is entering a third wave of crisis after the energy crisis: a crisis of high prices, driven largely by inflation in April 2026, which reached 2.9%. There is a very high chance it will rise further, and it could reach 5%.
The Krungthai Bank Public Company Limited has prepared its operating system so that people could register via the Pao Tang application, covering all 30 million entitlements. Registration will be open from May 25 to 29.
Lavaron Sangsnit, Permanent Secretary for Finance, said Thai Help Thai Plus will support more than 43 million people. The first group, 13.2 million state welfare card holders, will receive an increase of 1,000 THB between June and September 2026 to buy consumer goods.
AI will be used to upgrade small shops and familiarise them with digital systems, helping them manage costs and creating a stepping stone for access to formal credit./.
