Leaders Back Making Social Security Office Independent

Picture courtesy of Matichon

Senior political figures have voiced support for removing Thailand’s Social Security Office (SSO) from the civil service system, arguing that greater independence would improve transparency, flexibility and benefits for insured workers and employers. The proposal comes amid public scrutiny of the management of the Social Security Fund, which affects 24 million insured persons and more than 500,000 employers nationwide.

On 25 January 2026, Labour Minister Trinuch Thienthong said the SSO, established 31 years ago, should be reformed to better reflect changing social and economic conditions. She confirmed that she had instructed Labour Ministry permanent secretary Pol Lt Gen Wannapong Kocharak to commission a leading university to study the feasibility of restructuring the SSO and its governance model.

Ms Trinuch said the review would focus on professional management, particularly expertise in public finance, and a genuine understanding of insured persons’ needs. She identified systemic and structural constraints within the current bureaucratic framework as key obstacles to efficient administration and effective care for contributors.

She added that one option under consideration was separating the SSO from the traditional civil service, with models similar to the Government Pension Fund or a highly flexible financial institution. Any future investment decisions would be based on accurate big data analysis, comprehensive impact assessments and strong, auditable governance, stressing that all funds belong to contributors.

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party and a prime ministerial candidate, said the Social Security Fund is the largest in the country, currently valued at 2.8 trillion baht. He questioned why workers’ contributions were managed by a state system he described as lacking transparency, citing spending on items such as calendars, a ministry canteen and the purchase of an office building later found to be overpriced.

He compared the fund’s management unfavourably with the Government Pension Fund, which is professionally managed despite also being a compulsory scheme. While acknowledging that the Social Security Fund reported investment profits of more than 80 billion baht, he said returns could be higher under more professional management and argued that political factors had hindered accountability.

Former prime minister and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva also supported making the SSO an independent body. He said the entire system needed a major review, noting concerns that insured persons pay both social security contributions and taxes for universal healthcare, yet sometimes receive fewer benefits.

Mr Abhisit suggested integrating healthcare fully into the universal coverage system, while redirecting contributions towards other benefits such as old-age pensions. He said demographic change, inequality and non-progressive payout structures made a large-scale overhaul unavoidable.

Matichon reported that the Labour Ministry’s commissioned study is expected to outline concrete reform options. Any decision on restructuring will require political agreement and legislative action, with transparency and sustainability set to be central to the next phase of debate.

Key Takeaways

• Political leaders across parties support making the Social Security Office an independent body.

• The Social Security Fund is valued at 2.8 trillion baht and covers 24 million insured persons.

• A formal study has been commissioned to propose reform models and governance changes.

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Matichon 2026-01-26