A majority of respondents to a recent opinion poll are satisfied with the government’s ‘Thai Chuay Thai Plus’ economic stimulus scheme, with many preferring it over the previous ‘Khon La Khrueng’ (Half-Half) co-payment program.
The survey, released today by Bansomdej Poll, of Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University, revealed that 55.4% of respondents expressed a high level of satisfaction with the framework of the new project, while 41.4% felt moderately satisfied and only 3.2% reported low satisfaction.
When asked to compare the new scheme with the ‘Khon La Khrueng’ initiative, 46.9% said they preferred ‘Thai Chuay Thai Plus’. Meanwhile, 37.3% saw no significant difference between the two, and 15.8% said they still prefer the original co-payment model.
Under the ‘Thai Chuay Thai Plus’ scheme, which is running from June 1 to September 30, 2026, the government covers 60% of expenditure on goods and services at participating local shops, while the user covers the remaining 40%.
Available daily from 6am to 11pm, the subsidy is capped at 4,000 baht per person, with a monthly limit of 1,000 baht and a maximum daily allowance of 200 baht distributed via the ‘G-Wallet’ on the ‘Pao Tang’ mobile application. Any unused monthly balance is immediately forfeited.
The poll showed that a majority of the respondents believed that the ‘Thai Chuay Thai Plus’ scheme helps to ease daily living expenses.
In terms of financial liquidity, 33.2% of those surveyed noted that the program allows them to purchase a larger volume of household items. 25.4% said it frees up cash to pay debts and utility bills on time, while 19.2% reported being able to put the extra money into savings. 15.4% said it gave them the confidence to purchase higher-quality food or household goods, while 6.8% stated they did not feel any significant increase in financial liquidity.
When asked how they utilise the cash saved on meals and groceries through the subsidy, 53.7% said they spend it on other necessary goods, 20.7% put it into savings, and 16.9% use it to service debts. 8.7% said they were unsure.
The scheme has also successfully steered consumer traffic towards grass root businesses. A total of 44.8% of respondents indicated that they have shifted their shopping habits to purchasing from small retailers and fresh markets, instead of large shopping malls or corporate convenience stores.
Another 38.7% said they alternate between small shops and standard convenience stores. 16.5% said they continued to shop at the same stores they always have, simply changing their payment method.
Ready-to-eat meals and beverages topped the list of most purchased items through the app, at 33.9%, closely followed by daily necessities, like soap and detergent, at 31.3%, fresh cooking ingredients at 29% and pharmaceuticals and basic medical devices at 5.8%.
The survey also highlighted minor complications. While 31.4% reported encountering no issues, 26.7% complained that some opportunistic merchants had raised prices or added hidden fees and 18% experienced application glitches or slow processing during transactions. 10.8% found it difficult to locate participating shops, while 10.5%, complained that the restrictions excluded certain essential goods. 2.6% reported encountering corruption or cases where the subsidy was illegally exchanged for cash.
The initiative aims to ease financial burdens while stimulating the economy for small shops and local entrepreneurs nationwide.
The ‘Thai Chuay Thai Plus’ scheme serves as an additional measure to alleviate household expenses, while simultaneously boosting cash flow for shops, restaurants and community businesses.
