The Comptroller General's Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited, is accelerating the registration of stores to use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' application through a One Stop Service approach. Registration will be open nationwide starting from April 23, 2019.

 

Ms. Sutthirat Rattanachoti, the Comptroller General, revealed that the registration for stores to use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' application has been ongoing since July 2, 2018, until April 22, 2019. Currently, there are 23,700 stores using the app. When combined with the 34,221 'Thung Fa Pracharat' stores accepting payments for consumer goods via Electronic Payment Devices (EDC), there are a total of 57,921 stores that accept the state welfare card. Most of these stores sell essential goods such as soap, toothpaste, and detergent. The Ministry of Finance aims to enhance convenience and provide more options for state welfare cardholders, allowing them to pay for food from small stores selling fresh food, ready-to-eat meals, and made-to-order dishes. At the same time, this initiative will help small stores increase their income, with a target of registering 100,000 stores using the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app and developing the registration system into a One Stop Service.

 

The Comptroller General's Department, along with the Ministry of Commerce and Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited, will begin accepting registrations for stores to use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app as a One Stop Service at various markets nationwide starting April 23, 2019. This initiative aims to facilitate stores so they can use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app immediately upon registration. A video conference was held with provincial treasury offices, provincial commerce offices, and branches of Krung Thai Bank to ensure understanding before going out to register stores for the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app in every district.

    

Stores interested in registering to use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app for accepting payments for essential and consumer goods can apply at service points in markets (the provincial treasury and provincial commerce offices will announce the registration plans for each province later). Store owners should prepare their ID cards, a Krung Thai Bank savings account, and a mobile phone or tablet that supports Android version KitKat 4.4 or higher, or iOS version 9.0 or higher, with internet connectivity. Stores must fill out the registration form and attach a copy of their Krung Thai Bank savings or current account. Individual applicants must present their original ID card, while legal entities must provide a copy of their corporate registration certificate. After that, officials will verify the documents and register them in the system, allowing stores to download the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app and start using it immediately. If a store does not have a Krung Thai Bank account on the registration day, they can open one, and they will be able to download and use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app the following day.

 

State welfare cardholders can use their cards to pay for goods from both the welfare budget (200/300 baht per month) and from their electronic wallet (e-Money) at stores that have installed the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app in two easy and convenient ways:

1) The store scans the front of the state welfare card of the eligible person > enters the amount > the eligible person confirms their identity with a 6-digit PIN (the last 6 digits of their ID card or a new 6-digit code that has been changed).

2) The store scans the front of the state welfare card of the eligible person > enters the amount > scans the face of the eligible person (the system will prompt them to blink). To make payments through the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app easier and more convenient, if the front card scan fails, the system will allow the entry of the last 8 digits on the front of the state welfare card instead.

    

Moreover, purchase data through the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app will be transmitted online to Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited to process the information for the Comptroller General's Department to transfer money to the store owner's bank account the following day (in case of a holiday, the transfer will occur on the first business day after the holiday).

    

Stores that register to use the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app must have a mobile phone or tablet that supports Android version KitKat 4.4 or higher, or iOS version 9.0 or higher. To facilitate stores, TOT Public Company Limited has arranged to sell smartphones and SIM cards exclusively to stores wishing to register for the 'Thung Ngern Pracharat' app at special prices.