New “Half Each” Scheme Details Emerge, Potential Benefits for Taxpayers
The Thai government is preparing a new iteration of the popular “Half Each” economic stimulus program, with a potential launch within the fiscal year 2025, ending September 30th. This was revealed by Lawan saengsanit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Chief of the Pride Thai Party, anticipates the project could be operational within two weeks of the Cabinet taking office, aligning with the timeframe outlined by the Permanent Secretary.
The original ”Half Each” program aimed too boost revenue for small entrepreneurs, especially street vendors adn market stallholders, by subsidizing purchases made by consumers. The government previously covered 50% of the cost of food, beverages, and general products, up to a maximum of 150 baht per person per day, or 3,000 baht per person throughout the projectS duration, using the “Pao Tang” application.
The new version, proposed by Finance Minister Ekkit Nitiyaprapa and approved by the Prime Minister, introduces differentiated support levels based on tax status. The proposed structure is as follows:
* Non-Taxpayers: The government will continue to cover 50% of the purchase, with the consumer paying the remaining 50%.
* Taxpayers: The government will increase its contribution to 60%, with the consumer paying 40%.
According to the Permanent Secretary, all Thai citizens will initially receive the standard 50:50 split. However, individuals who are registered in the tax system, or submit tax return forms, will be eligible for the enhanced 60:40 support. Importantly, being a registered taxpayer does not require actual tax payments to the state to qualify for the increased benefit.
While the initial costs are expected to be similar to the original program, the new iteration may include additional features to enhance its appeal.The daily spending limit and the overall project budget are still under discussion.
Regarding a potential increase in the daily spending limit from 150 baht to 200 baht, Siripong Angkasakulkiat cautioned that any increase would likely be accompanied by a reduction in the subsidy percentage or require a larger overall budget allocation.
Registration for the previous “Half Each” program (2562/2019) involved the following steps:
* Registration: Individuals and stores registered via a dedicated website on specified dates.
* Application Download:
* Consumers downloaded the “Pao Tang” application for making purchases.
* Stores downloaded the “Money Bag” application for receiving payments.
* Activation: Consumers had 14 days from receiving an SMS notification to begin using their rights.
* Usage: The government subsidized purchases of food, beverages, and general products thru the ”Pao Tang” app, at a rate of 50% up to 150 baht per person per day.
* Rights Rollover: Unused daily rights where rolled over to the next day and recalculated at 6:00 AM.
* Participating Stores Only: The rights could only be used at registered participating stores.
* Time Restrictions: Rights could be exercised between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM.
The new condition regarding benefits for the “Income taxpayer group” requires further clarification from the government. Updates will be provided as they become available.
