Thailand’s Ministry of Finance plans to open registration in mid-October 2026 for a household solar subsidy program covering 1 million rights at THB 50,000 each, backed by a THB 50 billion budget, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on September 9. The program will let households sell excess electricity to state utility EGAT over 25 to 30 years, forming part of Thailand’s push to lower household power costs and expand distributed solar generation.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Subsidy set at THB 50,000 per right for 1 million rights
- Total program budget of THB 50 billion
- Registration to open mid-October 2026
- Possible expansion to 1.5 million rights under review by the Ministry of Interior
- Covers both rooftop and ground-mounted household solar systems
- Participating households can sell excess power to EGAT for 25 to 30 years
- Limit of one subsidy right per household
- Government banks GSB, GH Bank and BAAC to finance installations for low-income households
Thailand’s government is preparing to launch a large-scale household solar subsidy program aimed at cutting electricity costs and expanding distributed generation nationwide. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, disclosed that preliminary project details are scheduled for submission to the Finance Ministry by September 11, 2026, or the start of the following week at the latest. Budget disbursements tied to the program are expected to conclude by the end of 2027.
The Ministry of Interior is preparing additional project details and may expand the allocation from 1 million to 1.5 million rights. Under the current design, each household would receive a subsidy of THB 50,000 toward installing a rooftop or ground-mounted solar system, with a strict limit of one right per household to prevent concentration of benefits.
Ekniti said the program would let citizens reduce electricity costs and generate income by selling surplus power back to EGAT over a 25 to 30 year period, calling it more budget-efficient than the state welfare card scheme, which cost more than THB 60 billion last year. A 5-kilowatt system is projected to generate roughly THB 1,000 per month in income for participating households.
To reach low-income citizens, the government plans to work with state financial institutions, including the Government Savings Bank, the Government Housing Bank and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, to finance and install systems on their behalf. Revenue from electricity sales would first go toward loan repayments to these banks. To guard against fraud, subsidies will only be disbursed once the electrical connection to the grid has been formally established.
The plan also includes parallel grid investments, with utilities funding smart meters, smart grid systems, transmission line expansion and battery energy storage systems without taking on additional debt. Separately, the Ministry of Finance is weighing tax incentives for domestic solar panel manufacturers and reduced tariffs on components such as solar cells that Thailand does not yet produce domestically, alongside a Ministry of Labor upskilling program for installation and maintenance workers.
Publicly available details on the program remain limited to this single official disclosure, and further specifics are expected once the Ministry of Interior submits its proposal to the Finance Ministry.
