My apologies if this topic is in the wrong place. I wasn't sure where to start it. However, I can't be alone in this situation, and I am hoping that there are foreigners in a similar situation as mine.

I have been working here in LOS for over 15 years, and so my opportunity to take the lump sum pension amount has passed me by. I am however, entitled to a monthly payment of around 3500 baht every month for life. It is a small amount, but I feel that I have earned it & would like it paid to me.

Getting it is fine according to the people at the social security office, BUT if I want to pay voluntary conscription into the fund for continued health care, then I don't get the monthly pension. It's either one or the other. This seems incorrect and I am pretty sure that it is. Getting punished because I didn't take the lump sum doesn't make any sense, but I know where we are.

I have scoured the internet, and feedback tells me that I can get my monthly pension AND still opt for voluntary payments into the health care scheme. It's getting the local office to agree and understand that this is available to foreigners. Many Thai's just take the lump sum and then use the universal healthcare that they get as a Thai citizen.

Is there anyone out there who has worked in Thailand like me, and has found a way to negotiate this very uneven playing field. Were you able to claim your pension each month after 15 years of paying in & still able to enjoy the healthcare for the 400 odd baht a month you need to pay in? Any experiences and help in going in the right direction, are very much appreciated.

As I said, I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, so MODS feel free to move it.

Many thanks in advance.

11 minutes ago, hughrection said:

As I said, I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, so MODS feel free to move it

You have posted in correct forum.

I have no expertise re your question.

@Tod Daniels or @BrandonJT

May have input along with first hand experience from folk in your situation

Ignore emoji in your op

I don't know even the first thing on this topic unfortunately @DrJack54

Sadly @DrJack54 I too do not possess the skill-set or knowledge in this subject ☹️.. Wouldn't even know where to send them to find out 😶

https://aseannow.com/topic/1348150-health-insurance-in-thailand-after-leaving-employment/

It's one or the other.

Most people opt for the health care as it is stupidly great value.

https://thaicitizenship.com/thai-social-security/

1 hour ago, kiwiaussie said:

It's one or the other.

Most people opt for the health care as it is stupidly great value.

https://thaicitizenship.com/thai-social-security/

Many thanks, However, as per the article that you sent me ...... (Quote) 'if you do decide to take the medical insurance, the SSO will use a different income base to calculate your pension payment, effectively lowering it by a few hundred baht a month, assuming you have made 180 months worth of contributions.'

I have made over the 180 months, and this suggests that I can have both. The pension payment may be lower, but I should still get something. Correct?

Go to your local SSO office.

You only have 6 months to register after finishing employment, after that you can not get either.

The monthly health insurance will cost you less than 450 baht per month, automatically deducted from your bank account.

You should also get the monthly pension payment, but a slightly reduced amount.

The health insurance will likely be for one designated hospital near you, where it was previously for any Thai government hospital.

Get to the SSO office with all your documents and get it sorted out. You don't want a delay for something or other from some office or whatever. You have six months to be registered from the date your finish employment before both are gone forever.

11 minutes ago, hughrection said:

Many thanks, However, as per the article that you sent me ...... (Quote) 'if you do decide to take the medical insurance, the SSO will use a different income base to calculate your pension payment, effectively lowering it by a few hundred baht a month, assuming you have made 180 months worth of contributions.'

I have made over the 180 months, and this suggests that I can have both. The pension payment may be lower, but I should still get something. Correct?

Good point - that is indeed written there. But do double check with the SSO office - hopefully you can.

Do note also the other main caveats:

• you need a yellow tabieen baan to process the health insurance

• It can only be applied for within 6 months of finishing work.

19 minutes ago, kiwiaussie said:

Good point - that is indeed written there. But do double check with the SSO office - hopefully you can.

Do note also the other main caveats:

• you need a yellow tabieen baan to process the health insurance

• It can only be applied for within 6 months of finishing work.

Many thanks for the reply. Have had the yellow book for some years now and pink ID card. Seems daft that you can claim all payments back if under 15 years & continue the insurance, BUT can't get the pension & the health cover, if you didn't take the lump sum.

I do forget sometimes however, where I am living. :)

30 minutes ago, Packer said:

Go to your local SSO office.

You only have 6 months to register after finishing employment, after that you can not get either.

The monthly health insurance will cost you less than 450 baht per month, automatically deducted from your bank account.

You should also get the monthly pension payment, but a slightly reduced amount.

The health insurance will likely be for one designated hospital near you, where it was previously for any Thai government hospital.

Get to the SSO office with all your documents and get it sorted out. You don't want a delay for something or other from some office or whatever. You have six months to be registered from the date your finish employment before both are gone forever.

Many thanks. Yes, I believe that I can get the reduced pension payment (monthly) & the health cover, BUT local office says 'No.' It's one or the other. I have time, as I am still employed, but I would like to get ahead of this now, for the near future.

On 5/11/2026 at 4:18 PM, hughrection said:

Many thanks. Yes, I believe that I can get the reduced pension payment (monthly) & the health cover, BUT local office says 'No.' It's one or the other. I have time, as I am still employed, but I would like to get ahead of this now, for the near future.

Next April, I will also be in the same position as you. I will then have my 15 years of payments. I remember hearing that you should be entitled to both collecting sso pension and also continue paying for health insurance at the same time. If SSO refuses to honor both then I will choose to continue with paying for the health insurance.

13 hours ago, mike123ca said:

Next April, I will also be in the same position as you. I will then have my 15 years of payments. I remember hearing that you should be entitled to both collecting sso pension and also continue paying for health insurance at the same time. If SSO refuses to honor both then I will choose to continue with paying for the health insurance.

I will eventually do the same, but it seems unfair that I could have gotten it all back in a lump sum before the 15 years, and stayed in the health scheme. We will both be punished because we hit the 15 years or more. Hopefully, it will be clearer as to your real options, closer to April next year. Good luck.

I seem to recall a similar thread on here a while back and it was recommended to contact the SSO head office as what you are being told by your local office is not correct.

Does reaching 60 years old have any bearing in this?

After 60 you don't have to pay into the social fund, but I understand you can continue to do so on a voluntary basis.

I was involved in a similar situation I first worked for my first company here 7 years. I retired went to social security office in sriracha to apply for social security medical benefits to continue with my paying the 432 baht per month. No issue after applying they sent me over to another desk. At this desk they told me they were processing my lump sum payment of my social security which I was completely dumbfounded by didn't know I was even eligible I was happy just to get the medical. I gave them my bank details passport and My Thai social security number they knew of course they told me within five working days they would deposit into my account my lump sum which ended up being in the neighborhood of 70,000 baht.

Fast forward a year later I got a job offer that I couldn't turn down again got a new work permit through the new company and I was put into the social scheme once again. I got a telephone call from social security asking me if I was in fact working and when I said I was they stopped deducting the 432 from my bank account monthly.

Work for this new company about 9 years and was retiring for good this time so I went through the same procedure I went to sai racha to file for my medical continuation and to be paid out for my contributions on the second job for the last 8 years. The lady that handled me told me I was not covered any longer unless I was married to a thai or had a yellow book and a pink card here in Thailand. I knew that wasn't correct cuz I did some research. So I contacted a social security office in Bangkok they told me to try a different office to apply. I made my way up to rayong and applied there it wasn't even 20 minutes from the time I went in the door until the time they processed my new medical coverage took my bank details told me within a week same as before they would process my lump sum which was about the same 70000 and they would start deducting for my medical on the 15th of that month and would continue doing so monthly to continue my medical coverage.

This was a couple years ago so it's not something I could swear to today but I went from being told it was impossible to getting it done simply by going to another office. Seems it's the same similar to immigration one office will tell you we need this or we need that from you while another office will process you without those things. Anyway this is my experience.

4 hours ago, hereforgood said:

I was involved in a similar situation I first worked for my first company here 7 years. I retired went to social security office in sriracha to apply for social security medical benefits to continue with my paying the 432 baht per month. No issue after applying they sent me over to another desk. At this desk they told me they were processing my lump sum payment of my social security which I was completely dumbfounded by didn't know I was even eligible I was happy just to get the medical. I gave them my bank details passport and My Thai social security number they knew of course they told me within five working days they would deposit into my account my lump sum which ended up being in the neighborhood of 70,000 baht.

Fast forward a year later I got a job offer that I couldn't turn down again got a new work permit through the new company and I was put into the social scheme once again. I got a telephone call from social security asking me if I was in fact working and when I said I was they stopped deducting the 432 from my bank account monthly.

Work for this new company about 9 years and was retiring for good this time so I went through the same procedure I went to sai racha to file for my medical continuation and to be paid out for my contributions on the second job for the last 8 years. The lady that handled me told me I was not covered any longer unless I was married to a thai or had a yellow book and a pink card here in Thailand. I knew that wasn't correct cuz I did some research. So I contacted a social security office in Bangkok they told me to try a different office to apply. I made my way up to rayong and applied there it wasn't even 20 minutes from the time I went in the door until the time they processed my new medical coverage took my bank details told me within a week same as before they would process my lump sum which was about the same 70000 and they would start deducting for my medical on the 15th of that month and would continue doing so monthly to continue my medical coverage.

This was a couple years ago so it's not something I could swear to today but I went from being told it was impossible to getting it done simply by going to another office. Seems it's the same similar to immigration one office will tell you we need this or we need that from you while another office will process you without those things. Anyway this is my experience.

Once you took the first lump sum payment, it was reset. Hence, you got the 2nd lump sum as you had paid into the fund for 8 years by that point. I have pain in for 16 years straight, so it goes from lump sum to monthly pension amount.

My issue is that they won't give me the monthly pension payment AND give me the health cover. It is frustrating!

The guys insists I need to pick one or the other.

On 5/16/2026 at 2:40 PM, blackcab said:

Does reaching 60 years old have any bearing in this?

After 60 you don't have to pay into the social fund, but I understand you can continue to do so on a voluntary basis.

Yes, but they are telling me that I must pick the monthly pension OR the health cover. Not both. I am not 60 yet.

IF you have a chance to get health care on par with Thai citizens, I would jump at the opportunity!

My M.I.L. just had angioplasty, with stents put in, multiple other visits to Gov't hospitals with GREAT treatment, equal to, sometimes even better than private, and the total bill for ALL of this was only a couple hundred baht over a couple months.

I know for a fact that a foreigner going through the above treatments would be facing a bill well over 2 million baht, even at a Gov't hospital, so I would not give it a second thought!

1 hour ago, hughrection said:

Once you took the first lump sum payment, it was reset. Hence, you got the 2nd lump sum as you had paid into the fund for 8 years by that point. I have pain in for 16 years straight, so it goes from lump sum to monthly pension amount.

My issue is that they won't give me the monthly pension payment AND give me the health cover. It is frustrating!

The guys insists I need to pick one or the other.

When I went to the Prakanong Social Security Office upon retirement about 2 years ago, they straight out asked me whether I wanted to pay voluntary contributions for healthcare (I didn't ask them). My understanding was that if I did that, my pension would be put on hold. As such, I said "no" as it isn't necessary in my case. I just went with getting my Baht 5,250 monthly pension payments (I had been in the pension aspect of the system since it was introduced).

3 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

IF you have a chance to get health care on par with Thai citizens, I would jump at the opportunity!

My M.I.L. just had angioplasty, with stents put in, multiple other visits to Gov't hospitals with GREAT treatment, equal to, sometimes even better than private, and the total bill for ALL of this was only a couple hundred baht over a couple months.

I know for a fact that a foreigner going through the above treatments would be facing a bill well over 2 million baht, even at a Gov't hospital, so I would not give it a second thought!

Yes, I will certainly take the health cover, if push comes to shove. I am trying to figure out why a person cannot have both the pension payments and the health care. After all, I can have health now while working. If I was shrewd enough, I would have taken the lump sum on my 14th year, and then just got re-hired. As the rules stand, you get punished for not claiming your money in a lump sum. It makes no sense. (Yes, I know where I am :) )

They take around 750 from my salary each month for pension & health care, but now say 'you've paid into the system for both, now chose ONE.' !!!!!

It makes no sense at all. :)

Edited May 20May 20 by hughrection

2 hours ago, GarryP said:

When I went to the Prakanong Social Security Office upon retirement about 2 years ago, they straight out asked me whether I wanted to pay voluntary contributions for healthcare (I didn't ask them). My understanding was that if I did that, my pension would be put on hold. As such, I said "no" as it isn't necessary in my case. I just went with getting my Baht 5,250 monthly pension payments (I had been in the pension aspect of the system since it was introduced).

Yes, 'put on hold' for forever, because the moment you give up your right to health care and take the pension payments, you're out of the health-care system.

Why take the pension amount in the first place, if you can never have them both. It is silly.