Digital wallet registration for non-smartphone users starts in Oct

Eligible recipients of the 10,000-baht handout who do not have smartphones can start registering from next month, the deputy finance minister told the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat was responding on behalf of Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira to queries raised by People’s Party MP Sirikanya Tansakun.

Sirikanya had called on the finance minister to explain why the registration of digital wallet recipients who do not have smartphones had been delayed.

The government had earlier started registering those eligible for the 10,000 baht handout scheme via the Thang Rath app last month. The registration ended on September 16.

However, last week, the government said it was postponing the registration of those who did not have smartphones but did not set a timeframe for this delay. The government said registration would continue after 10,000 baht has been paid to 14.5 million people from vulnerable groups first.

Julapun told the House that the registration had not been delayed because the digital wallet scheme had problems, but because it would overlap with the first phase of payments and cause confusion.

“I believe the registration of the remaining recipients can start in October and everything will be done,” Julapun told the House.
He added that the government is rushing to pay the 14.5 million welfare cardholders and the disabled within this month, not because of legal issues.

He said the Budget Bureau and Council of State had explained to both him and Sirikanya that the government can use funds from the fiscal 2024 budget to make payments in fiscal 2025. About 145 billion baht is required to pay the vulnerable group.

Julapun, however, said the government was afraid that waiting to use fiscal 2024 funds during the 2025 fiscal year would lead to more complaints.

He said such complaints affect the government’s stability and affect the government’s work to improve people’s well-being.