Small retailers on the rise: 'คนละครึ่งพลัส' brings 20 million users!

Small retailers on the rise: 'คนละครึ่งพลัส' brings 20 million users!

In Bangkok, preparations for the new program “คนละครึ่งพลัส” are in full swing. Since October 29, 2025, citizens have been able to register via the “เป๋าตัง” app and benefit from the benefits of the program. The goal is to support small traders and improve their income opportunities. The rush is huge: 20 million people have already registered, while around 190,000 applications, mainly from social welfare card holders, have been rejected.

As far as businesses are concerned, around 590,000 businesses have already invested in the program. This includes 100,000 existing stores and over 400,000 new stores, with another 100,000 currently under review. Store registration remains open until December 19, 2025, so there is still plenty of time to join.

Support for small traders

From November 3, 2025, registered stores will have the opportunity to connect with food delivery services through various platforms. This could represent a golden opportunity for many smaller businesses to expand their business. To encourage participation, some platforms have drastically reduced fees from 30% to just 5%. This shows that support for local traders is very important in Bangkok.

Technology that helps

The program illustrates how digital solutions can play a key role today. The “เป๋าตัง” app uses modern technology to make the program easier to access, similar to how Hotmail logs in via Outlook.com. Consumers can log in with their existing accounts and continue to benefit from digitalization in the future. This could make access to these offers easier, especially for older people.

The constant development in the digital world is also supported by advances in the collection of terrain data. This data is crucial to better understanding the landscapes in which we live. NASA, for example, provides detailed elevation measurements that are used to create digital elevation models (DEMs). These models are particularly important for observing sudden changes in the landscape caused by natural events or human activities. This way we stay up to date not only in our business world, but also in our living environment.

Overall, it shows that Bangkok is moving in an exciting direction to improve economic conditions for small traders while bridging the digital divide. With the right support and modern tools at our disposal, it will be exciting to see how the market landscape evolves.