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Social protection for the poor: Evaluating Thailand's state welfare card programme

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  • Wannaphong Durongkaveroj
  • Riswandi Riswandi

Abstract

In recent decades, cash transfers have played an important role in enhancing social protection in developing countries. This paper examines the causal effects of Thailand's large-scale unconditional cash transfer programme (“the state welfare card programme”) that covered over 20 percent of the country's population. Using regression discontinuity methods and nationally representative household socio-economic surveys, the results suggest that this programme had a negative and statistically significant impact on total expenditure and food expenditure.

Suggested Citation

  • Wannaphong Durongkaveroj & Riswandi Riswandi, 2025. "Social protection for the poor: Evaluating Thailand's state welfare card programme," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2025-103, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2025-103
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Gustavo A. Marrero & Luis Servén, 2022. "Growth, inequality and poverty: a robust relationship?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 725-791, August.
    5. Santiago Levy & Norbert Schady, 2013. "Latin America's Social Policy Challenge: Education, Social Insurance, Redistribution," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 27(2), pages 193-218, Spring.
    6. Adams, Richard Jr., 2004. "Economic Growth, Inequality and Poverty: Estimating the Growth Elasticity of Poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1989-2014, December.
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