The government has urged beneficiaries of the “Thais Help Thais Plus” co-payment scheme to use their remaining entitlements before the programme ends, as cumulative spending has surged to more than 138 billion baht and generated income for nearly 1.2 million participating businesses.
Government deputy spokeswoman Lalida Persvivatana, said on Saturday that as of 11pm on Friday, cumulative spending under the programme had reached 138.38 billion baht. A total of 26.04 million people had received entitlements, while 1,192,565 merchants had passed verification and joined the scheme.
The programme operates on a 60:40 co-payment basis, with the government covering 60% of eligible purchases and beneficiaries paying the remaining 40%.
The scheme was intended to ease the cost of living while stimulating consumer spending and distributing income to small retailers, restaurants and community businesses nationwide.
Of the 138.38 billion baht spent so far, the government has contributed 79.51 billion baht, comprising 76.60 billion baht spent through general merchants and 2.90 billion baht through food-delivery services.
Beneficiaries have contributed 58.87 billion baht, including 56.62 billion baht spent at participating shops and 2.26 billion baht through food-delivery platforms.
Combined government and consumer spending through food-delivery services has generated 5.16 billion baht in transactions, providing an additional sales channel for participating businesses.
Ms Lalida said the programme had helped expand both physical and online sales opportunities for small businesses, while injecting money into local economies across the country.
“With the programme now entering its final month, the government urges eligible people who still have remaining balances to check their entitlements and plan their spending within the specified period,” Ms Lalida said.
She said spending under the scheme would not only help reduce household expenses but also channel income to small businesses, allowing money to continue circulating through the wider economy.
The government also urged beneficiaries to check their remaining balances and the conditions governing use of the entitlement, and to spend at participating businesses according to their needs before the programme expires.
The government said making full use of the remaining entitlements during the final month would help maximise benefits for consumers while providing additional income and sales opportunities for small businesses.