{"id":35583,"date":"2025-10-17T13:59:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T06:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phuket-times.com\/?p=35583"},"modified":"2025-10-17T13:59:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T06:59:12","slug":"slow-start-for-phukets-new-co-payment-scheme-despite-government-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/17\/slow-start-for-phukets-new-co-payment-scheme-despite-government-push\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow Start for Phuket\u2019s New Co-Payment Scheme Despite Government Push"},"content":{"rendered":"

Khon La Khrueng Plus Aims to Support Small Businesses and Ease Living Costs<\/strong>
Phuket officials have rolled out the Khon La Khrueng Plus<\/strong> (Half-Half Payment) scheme to provide financial relief and boost local spending, yet early participation has been slower than anticipated<\/strong>. The initiative, which began accepting registrations on October 15<\/strong>, offers 50% government subsidies<\/strong> on eligible purchases to help reduce the cost of living and stimulate economic activity among small merchants.<\/p>\n

Merchants can register through the Tung Ngern system<\/strong>\u2014either online or at Krungthai Bank<\/strong> branches across the island. According to official data, 52.1% of applications were submitted online<\/strong>, highlighting the growing preference for digital registration.<\/p>\n

However, participation numbers remain modest, with only 22 merchants in Mueang District<\/strong>, 13 in Thalang<\/strong>, and 11 in Kathu<\/strong> signing up on launch day, despite extensive outreach efforts such as the \u201cPhuket 120 Days Nonstop\u201d<\/strong> campaign.<\/p>\n

Officials Encourage Wider Participation Among Local Vendors<\/strong>
To boost engagement, Kathu District Chief Akkaraphon Suthirak Chittsuphap<\/strong> and Senior Officer Thamrong Chuay-akson<\/strong> personally visited Si Kor Fresh Market<\/strong> to promote the scheme and assist vendors with on-site registration.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe Khon La Khrueng Plus project is a key government measure to reduce the cost of living for residents and stimulate local spending. We will continue promoting the programme to ensure every shop and community can benefit fully,\u201d said officials.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mobile Registration Points to Improve Access<\/strong>
To make registration more accessible, authorities have scheduled mobile sign-up points<\/strong> across Phuket throughout October.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    October 15\u201317:<\/strong> Provincial Hall, Kathu, and Thalang District Offices<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    October 20\u201322:<\/strong> Rawai and Karon areas<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    October 24:<\/strong> Mai Khao, Sala Phikun Thong<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    October 27:<\/strong> Pa Khlok Subdistrict Municipality<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    October 28:<\/strong> Kamala Child Development Centre<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These mobile units are expected to make it easier for small business owners in remote areas to join the programme.<\/p>\n

    Eligibility and Verification Requirements<\/strong>
    The co-payment scheme is open exclusively to Thai nationals<\/strong> who operate independently owned small businesses<\/strong> with annual revenues below 1.8 million baht<\/strong>. Franchises and vendors previously suspended from participation are not eligible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Before activation, all applications must be verified by district offices<\/strong> and approved by Krungthai Bank<\/strong> through the Tung Ngern app<\/strong>. The bank has also reminded participants to update their Pao Tang app<\/strong> and confirm their personal details if needed.<\/p>\n

    Officials assured merchants that no registration data will be shared with the Revenue Department<\/strong>, emphasizing privacy and encouraging more businesses to participate.<\/p>\n

    Optimism for Growth in Coming Weeks<\/strong>
    Despite the slow start<\/strong>, local authorities remain confident that registrations will increase<\/strong> as more merchants become aware of the benefits. The government continues to promote the scheme as a crucial step toward economic recovery<\/strong> and community-level support across Phuket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Khon La Khrueng Plus Aims to Support Small Businesses and Ease Living…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-35583","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-other"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.phuket-times.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}