Social Welfare Requirement of Those Who Did Not Receive Governmental Welfare Cards in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Abstract

This article investigated the needs of those who did not receive governmental welfare cards in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The data was collected qualitatively through in-depth interviews with 20 people and a group discussion with 6 people who were the governmental state welfare cardholders. Both groups were the people who did not receive governmental welfare cards. The collected data was analyzed qualitatively and presented with description. The researcher divided the group of the people who did not receive governmental welfare cards into 3 categories based on their ages: those aged 18-22, those aged 23-59, and those over 60. Their needs were expressed and could be categorized into the following 3 issues. Pertaining to employment and income, the people of all the mentioned ages needed increasing income, with most of them wishing the governmental sector to support agricultural prices. Concerning health and sanitary supports, they needed exercise equipment and a sports ground in the village. In connection with education, they needed the government to support their children education despite the governmental policy and its effective translation on a 15-year free education. The people who did not receive the governmental welfare cards possessed two types of needs according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory: physiological needs and safety needs. Nonetheless, they perceived that needs for social welfares of those receiving and not receiving the governmental welfare cards were not different.