Populist-policy rush to the head

20% annually.

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"We are not merely creating new millionaires," he said. "We are building a sustainable welfare system. Increased revenue will be reinvested in national development, and most importantly, the state will gain massive data sets to be analysed with AI for more precise policymaking."

The party says even a modest increase of just over 10% in tax compliance could generate an additional 100 billion baht a year, far outweighing the annual prize budget of 3.29 billion baht.

RIVAL WELFARE VISIONS

Pheu Thai's rivals have responded with equally ambitious proposals. The People’s Party has pushed for universal welfare policies requiring more than 172 billion baht annually.

Key pledges include raising the elderly allowance to 1,000 baht immediately in 2026, increasing it to 1,500 baht by 2030, providing universal child subsidies of 600-1,200 baht per month, and introducing a 3,000-baht “welcome box” for newborns. These measures are paired with an immediate 4% increase in the minimum wage.

The Democrat Party, under the lead of Abhisit Vejjajiva, has returned to income guarantee schemes for farmers, offering support prices for five types of rice, including jasmine rice at 15,000 baht per tonne. It has also proposed direct subsidies for production costs and introduced the idea of provincial savings lotteries that blend chance with compulsory saving.