Deadline is 7 Days Away
Time is running out! The Ministry of Finance has issued an urgent reminder to approximately 1.9 million eligible participants in the "Half-Half Plus" program: you must activate your rights by November 11, 2025, or face revocation. With only 7 days left, officials are urging those who haven't yet done so to make their first purchase.
Usage Update: 18 Million Already Benefiting
The vast majority of participants have successfully activated their benefits. As of noon on November 4, 2025, 18.09 million people have successfully used their rights, with cumulative spending reaching an impressive 14 billion baht.
- Public Contribution: 7.11 billion baht
- Government Contribution: 6.94 billion baht
- Total Transactions: 95.2 million
- Participating Merchants: 743,000 across 834,000 registered businesses.
No Second Chances for Phase 1: Focus Shifts to Phase 2
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Lawaron Sangsanit, confirmed that there will definitely be no late registration rounds for the current phase. The deadline of November 11th is final.
The government's focus is now shifting to Phase 2 of the program. Mr. Lawaron stated that the next phase will prioritize those who missed out on registration or who were eligible but have not yet received benefits. While initial guidelines were discussed by the Cabinet on November 4th, the government aims to implement the next phase as quickly and effectively as possible.
The "Half-Half Plus" program (covering 20 million people) combined with top-ups via state welfare cards (for 13.5 million people) brings the total assistance to 33.5 million people, an implementation size described as the largest ever undertaken to cover the population adequately.
Merchant Integrity: Report Price Gouging and VAT Cheating
The Ministry of Finance and local authorities are closely monitoring merchants to ensure compliance and prevent exploitation of the program.
Mr. Lawaron confirmed that stores are prohibited from raising prices by adding a 7% Value Added Tax (VAT), as the net product price must already include the tax. He stressed that the program is designed to help stores increase sales, and taking advantage by raising prices is neither right nor practical.
Warning to Merchants: The excuse that high sales make it impossible to pay taxes is invalid. The Ministry of Finance will not try to force stores into the tax system based on participation; therefore, merchants cannot use this as a reason for price hikes.
Public Action: If you have any information about merchants violating the terms and conditions or taking the opportunity to raise prices, you are urged to immediately report it to the Ministry of Commerce or local authorities. The operational system is more efficient, and all agencies are ready to investigate.
Don't delay! If you are one of the remaining 1.9 million people, make a transaction before November 11, 2025, to secure your rights.