PATTAYA, Thailand – The government of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced plans to revive the co-pay scheme, a program once praised during the Prayut administration for boosting domestic spending and reducing household costs. Between 2020 and 2022, the scheme ran through five phases with a combined budget of over 234 billion baht, giving Thai citizens a 50% subsidy on small purchases through a government app.
For markets in many parts of Thailand, the program was undeniably popular. Food vendors and small shops saw increased turnover as more Thai consumers were willing to spend. In Pattaya, too, some local street food sellers welcome the idea, saying it might help Thai residents buy more.
But there’s a harder question: does such a scheme really make sense in Pattaya, a city where the economy depends not on local spending but on foreign tourists? Pattaya is not Khon Kaen or Udon Thani. Here, much of the money comes from Russians on Jomtien Beach, Chinese tour groups on Koh Larn, Europeans in Soi Buakhao and Indians on Walking Street. None of these visitors can benefit from the co-pay program.
As one fruit seller near South Pattaya admitted, “If Thai people have more money to spend, that’s good. But most of my customers are foreigners. If the dollar is weak against the baht, I sell less anyway.”
That gets to the heart of the issue. For Pattaya, the real driver isn’t whether Thai consumers get a government-subsidized discount, but whether the euro, yen, and dollar remain strong enough for long-term visitors to feel comfortable spending.
Critics argue the co-pay scheme risks becoming a political sugar rush — a temporary boost in local morale — while leaving untouched the deeper problems: a volatile currency, rising costs, poor infrastructure, and an economy heavily dependent on international arrivals.
Yes, many vendors would welcome the scheme’s return. It eases daily trade for those catering to locals. But in Pattaya, a city that lives and dies on foreign spending, the co-pay program may do little more than paper over the cracks. The real challenge for Prime Minister Anutin is not to hand out subsidies, but to make Pattaya more resilient in a global economy where the strength of the baht matters far more than any government app.
