Thailand's Ministry of Finance published a Cabinet-approved package of measures to support households, farmers, transport operators and businesses affected by the conflict in the Middle East, combining cost-of-living relief, concessional credit and administrative flexibility to manage energy-price driven cost pressures. For vulnerable households, the monthly spending allowance on the State Welfare Card will rise from THB 300 to THB 400 for 13.22 million people for one month from 13 April 2026 to 12 May 2026. For broader adaptation to cleaner energy, Government Savings Bank will run a THB 5bn soft-loan scheme to finance measures such as solar installations and electric vehicle purchases, with loans capped at THB 2m per borrower and applications open until 31 March 2027, while Government Housing Bank will continue special-rate products including loans starting at 2.20% per year for energy-saving housing and renewable-energy equipment (applications until 30 April 2026), a “Baan No. 5” loan at a fixed 2.69% per year for the first two years (applications until 30 December 2026), and an additional “Solar Roof” top-up for eligible welfare customers capped at THB 300,000. In agriculture, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives will provide a THB 30bn “half-and-half interest” credit programme to reduce input costs, charging 6% per year with the government covering 3% per year if borrowers meet conditions, with a maximum THB 100,000 per farmer, repayment of up to 12 months, and a three-year programme period. For firms, the Comptroller General’s Department will relax certain public procurement requirements for government contractors, including treating inability to sign a contract as a justified reason with return of bid security and without “abandonment” designation, allowing temporary work stoppages for affected signed contracts, and permitting contract termination with return of security where work has not started. Construction cost-estimation parameters will also be adjusted by expanding the diesel reference price range to THB 51.00–69.99 per litre, alongside steps to expedite budget transfers for approved price-adjustment compensation (K factor) and to review adjustable-price contract calculation conditions. SME support includes a THB 100bn Government Savings Bank soft-loan programme for business transformation investments and a Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand “SME Green Productivity” facility priced at 3% per year for the first three years with a cap of THB 30m per borrower, while Export-Import Bank of Thailand will offer EXIM Support Plus working-capital funding for affected exporters with a 4.00% per year rate for small businesses and export insurance at special premiums. For transport, the Cabinet approved THB 2,061m of fuel-cost subsidies for 42 days from 20 April 2026 to 31 May 2026 across multiple vehicle categories, plus THB 200m to The Transport Co., Ltd. to reduce Songkran travel costs for 6 April 2026 to 19 April 2026, and instructed the Budget Bureau to consider reductions in government spending and energy use, including limiting overseas travel and enabling work from home where public services are not affected.
Ministry of Finance (Thailand) 2026-04-11
Thailand's Ministry of Finance details Cabinet-approved relief package for Middle East conflict including welfare-card top-up, THB 100bn SME soft loans and THB 2,061m transport fuel support
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance announced a Cabinet-approved package of cost-of-living relief, concessional credit and administrative flexibilities to mitigate energy price pressures from the Middle East conflict. Measures include temporary increases in State Welfare Card benefits, multiple soft-loan schemes via state-owned banks for clean energy, agriculture and SME investment, relaxed public procurement rules and construction cost parameters for government contractors, and targeted fuel subsidies and budget restraint measures for the transport and public sectors.