Social Security Fund

[Rickman]

My new employer insists that it is compulsory to pay a portion of the total payment for the Thai Social Security Fund from my salary. This apparently gives me 100% free health care at certain hospitals after a 3 month qualifying period. The deduction is 600baht p/m Can someone please let me know if this true for all schools or are they pulling my leg? Does anyone have details on the scheme in English, website perhaps.

[Sumitr Man]

Rickman:

Your post says that your total deduction will be Bt. 600 p.c.m. The first thing this tells me is that you earn less than Bt. 15k p.c.m. - because SS payments are capped at Bt. 750- p.c.m. on Bt. 15k p.c.m. salary.

In short, I would have given you a link to the Ajarn.com board where I have given some fairly in-deepth advice on this issue in the past. However, it would appear that this is now all "lost" - a fact which has pissed me off no end.

So, with that in mind, as and as a basic summary, as a farang you can avail yourself of the Government SSF as a contributor. You can go to ANY government hospital, and you can also go to a chosen hybrid hospital, which is a hospital somewhere between the private sector and government sector. You are also entitled to certain other benefits, so long as you meet the qualifications for them; included in these would be the new unemployment benefit package (which came into force on 01.01.04) and child allowance for any children you have. Also included in this, depending on your current situation, may be certain allowance for your spouse.

In the event that you would like to read up on this, go to the Ministry of Justice web-site where there should be a link to Thai legislation. Under this, in English, should be a copy of the Social Security Fund Act. Failing which, pm/email me, and I'll send you a copy (which I don't have here and now but will have by tomorrow morning).

Regards

SM

[Indo-Siam]

Current social fund pay-in is 5% withheld from salary, with matching amount contributed by employer. Pay-in total is capped at 1,500 baht per month per individual, so that is why the 750 baht deduction is the maximum.

I do not know much about using the benefits. It is evidently not a case where benefits you receive come from your personal account - everyone's payments are evidently comingled.

I can imagine that this "pot of money" would be irresistable to government officials in a corrupt country.

Cheers!

Indo-Siam

[paully]

Yes, you'll have 750 baht a month deducted from your salary towards the Fund unless your salary is really low. You may be asked to 'nominate' a hospital where you can go for treatment and you'll get a plastic card plus a paper card (renewed yearly) that you need to show when you go to the hospital. It's quite a good benefit: there are financial limits, but it also covers outpatient fees (up to a limit) and you can also claim for a couple of visits to the dentist each year.

[qwertyuiop]

Not much to add except that to answer one of your questions.

Yes your company/school is correct in deducting this from your salary.