In an impressive start, over 20 million individuals enrolled in the digital wallet scheme within the initial two days of registration.
The government expressed satisfaction with the enthusiastic response to its flagship initiative, reporting 20.1 million registrations by Friday afternoon.
During the first hour of registration on Thursday, more than two million people signed up, demonstrating the program’s strong appeal.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin praised the Commerce Ministry for its effective development of the handout scheme and additional economic stimulus measures.
Regarding the scheme’s base application, Tang Rat, officials confirmed that it remained operational despite significant traffic during the opening hour of registration.
Discussions are ongoing with relevant agencies, including law enforcement, to address concerns about counterfeit applications.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced a collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to integrate Tang Rat with the ThaiID application for enhanced user experience.
Warnings have been issued against misleading social media accounts disseminating false information about the registration process.
Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat stated that registration for smartphone users will continue until September 15, while those without smartphones can begin registering the following day.
As participants are encouraged to utilize the wallet funds within their local areas, there is no need for address changes to access the handout money.
Funds in the wallet will expire six months post top-up, allowing users to spend during the New Year and Songkran holidays when visiting family.
All registered participants are expected to receive 10,000 baht in December, as scheduled.
In related discussions, Sirikanya Tansakul of the Move Forward Party raised concerns over potential payment delays and urged the government to provide clearer guidance to manage public expectations.
Additionally, Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja has called for Upper House members to convene next week to discuss the 122-billion-baht supplementary bill concerning the handout scheme.
Senator Gen Kriangkrai Srirak, First Deputy Senate Speaker, indicated that it would be up to Senate members to decide whether to consider three readings of the bill in one session, after adequate review of the agenda.
The Senate has a 20-day timeframe to approve the supplementary bill following its successful passage through the Lower House earlier in the week.
