Keeping social security after employment ended

[Gulfsailor]

Is there an official regulation in regard to keeping your social security health insurance active after your employment ends?

I asked at Koh Samui and the person there won’t do it unless I’m a permanent resident or at least registered at the tessabaan. Is that correct?

For the tessabaan registration what is required?

thanks. 

Edited February 3, 2021 by Gulfsailor

[kralledr]

afaik just continue to pay, and it will remain!

[mrwebb8825]

4 hours ago, kralledr said:

afaik just continue to pay, and it will remain!

yup. it's 450 baht a month

[Gulfsailor]

2 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

yup. it's 450 baht a month

Yeah I know it should be possible, just wondering if anyone had experienced refusal by  the sso office. So far they have been refusing me. 

[orchidlady]

When did your employment end?  Hopefully you are still in the 6 motnh grace period.They continue it free of charge for 6 months.

 

I went through the same hassles with 5 different offices in the Bangkok area when I tried to continue my self pay. No one i know from my school continued it on their own. They had left it up to their wives to get it converted. I'm sure when they were told the same <deleted> and they just gave up.Two offices would not even let me in the door stating not for foreigners. Others told me it was too early to apply, I had to wait until the end of the 6 month grace period which would have meant I lost my right to it. The helpline was basically useless-told a Thai friend (lawyer) that each office makes their own rules. One office told me when I said a friend recently got it processed two weeks ago at their office with her partner translating that they needed her name to close her account as it was illegal! I told them I just knew her nickname. I knew i was entitled to it so I did not give up. I went to the office 4 days in a row. Finally they consented to talk to my friend the lawyer. They told him a bunch of <deleted> making up regulations. He spent considerable amount of time online searching the Thai documents and phone calls to the help line to come up with what would solve the problem to allow me to get it.

 

Basically what worked in the end was getting a pink Thai ID card for foreigners. They want to use that id number to process the forms-they cannot use any other number. Very few foreigners continue with the self pay so they basically do not know how to process it. You will need a copy of the letter (document)from your employer specifying date your work permit was cancelled. A cop[y of your work permit was also requested. My employer gave the work permit back to the labor department-not required to cancel it. But i had a copy of it. Getting the id card was another hassle. You have to get your landlord to go with you to the district office in person and bring all their papers regarding the property and their id. Fortunately my friend could go with me as he was let out of work early for the protests. He had to come with me twice-2 half days wasted.  The Bang Sue district office does not have staff the speak English, same at most social security offices. If you have a Thai who can go with you it will make it much easier. The district officer had to ask questions of my friend in Thai, he translated and then they produced a document of the running conversation--about 5 pages for both of us to sign-Thai and English. The district officer mentioned that if I had not worked for a government school previously, they would have wanted all of my documents that were in English to be translated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

 

If you need anymore specifics send me a PM.

 

 

 

[janejira]

I needed a pink ID card to continue social security. To get that I needed to be in a tabien baan (house registration)— which was my main hassle.

I got both (ID and house registration) on the same day and used copies of similar paperwork—but if you need to do both, mention this in advance. I was almost asked for a second set of documents with original stamps.

 

The paperwork you need for the tabien baan varies slightly by district office. I remember needing a verified translated copy of my passport, which was a hassle going to the embassy and MFA. My district office also wanted relatives as witnesses. It is worth a call or visit in advance just to ask what is actually  needed.

 

Once you have the pink card and if you have been out of work for less than 6 months, you should be allowed to continue with your social security benefits. 

 

You can set up direct debit from your bank account each month (currently 432 THB per month). If you are setting up direct debit from a SCB account, you will need another form from the bank to allow this, other banks, as far as I know of now, don’t need it. You can get the form from social security to take to your bank to sign.

[Neeranam]

I did this last year when I reached 55 in Khon Kaen.

I pay 432 baht a month, sometimes less. 

I think I just needed a tax ID. 

 

The problem i face recently, they kept calling me a foreigner even when I showed them my Thai ID card! 

That threw them off their comfort zone as no foreigner here has ever changed their nationality. 

[hapark]

Can you use any SS office to do the processes, or do you have to use the office closest to your home?

Can you opt to continue any time within 6 months after finishing the employment?

How to receive the old age pension or old age lump sum for past SS contributions made?  Has anyone done this before?

 

Thanks for replies.

 

[lexilis]

I have been self-paying Thai SS for about 4 years since I retired from teaching. At first when I went to the Chiang Mai SSA offices (a large complex) one person told me that foreigners could no longer continue SS after retirement. I tried again at a different room with better results. I eventually ended up at the desk of a young guy who spoke passable English. He helped me through the whole process filling in the forms in Thai. I had to come back the next day with copies of various things (passport, university documents, etc.). I never had to get a "pink ID card". I am not married to a Thai (or at all). I have been paying at 7-11 each month since. I have received various mailings from the SSA and just recently I got my (blue) SS card renewed. I have only actually used SS to pay for medical service once. I did a trial run to assess a minor condition I had (joint pains). My assigned hospital is Lanna Hospital in CM. I showed them my SS card in the lobby reception. SS recipients are separated out and sent to a large receiving area (on the 5th floor if I remember). Maybe 200 or more Thais waiting and I think I was the only foreigner. There were 10-12 doctors in small offices. A young lady helped with the process for seeing a doctor. After maybe 30 minutes they called my name and I was shown to the doctor. After a 20 minute consultation he wrote out several prescriptions. The young lady showed me to the pharmacy which filled the prescriptions and I walked out. No bill was presented. So the system seemed to work. I intend to only rely on Thai SS for major medical issues requiring hospitalization. For simple outpatient issues and initial diagnosis and testing I pay out-of-pocket at the best available facilities in CM (outpatient charges are pretty affordable even at places like Bangkok Hosp. and CM Ram). I know another retired foreigner (married to a Thai) who is on Thai SS and has had several major operations payed for by SS.

 

Also when I originally set up SS continuation the young guy also did the paperwork for payment of a pension lump sum based on previous SS contributions. A few months later I received the check. It wasn't a huge amount but it was better than nothing.            

[orchidlady]

7 hours ago, hapark said:

Can you use any SS office to do the processes, or do you have to use the office closest to your home?

Can you opt to continue any time within 6 months after finishing the employment?

How to receive the old age pension or old age lump sum for past SS contributions made?  Has anyone done this before?

 

Thanks for replies.

 

I went to 5 different offices in Bangkok. The one for my district wouldn't even let me in the door. Do not know if you can file in another province. You can try the helpline (they have English line but seems the hours are limited) they may be able to answer the question. I was told you had to work 15 years to get monthly payment of old age pension so i got a lump sum payout. I would ask the helpline about when you can start the process. I was told by some offices to wait until the "end of the grace period" which meant i would not have been able to file. I would start at least a month b4 the end of your grace period to allow for all of the local rules regarding additional documentation  that office may have.