Social security after leaving job

[Inbetween]

I understand that here in Thailand we can get a refund of some of the money we paid into the social security program over the years. I've heard that there's an office in the Laem Chabang area north of Pattaya. Can anybody give more information about getting there and what to do to get the money?

Also, can we continue to pay into the plan, and is it worth while? I don't think I ever used the services offered by the SS plan when I was working.

[ToddinChonburi]

Social security from the United States is for after you retire. The off ice I believe is in the Philippines.

[GiantFan]

Not sure if you get a refund on thai social, but you can keep your medical if you have paid in for enough time. I kept mine and pay around 450/month. I don't live in Thailand at the moment, but who knows in the future.

[Inbetween]

Not sure if you get a refund on thai social, but you can keep your medical if you have paid in for enough time. I kept mine and pay around 450/month. I don't live in Thailand at the moment, but who knows in the future.

I know people who have collected refunds but they don't live here anymore, and I don't have contact info for them.

I heard we can stay in the system. How do you pay? Is there an automatic payment system?

[johnh869]

Yes...you can get a lump sum payment. Then you can be under the program for up to six months free. Around the fifth month you should start paying into the system. The cost is 432 Baht per month and you can have the payment taken out of your bank account. The fee is 5-10 Baht each time the Thai SS makes a withdrawal from your account. The Thai SS is on the 2nd floor of the Talay Tong Tower building.http://www.talaythongtower.com/index.php

Edited January 12, 2015 by johnh869

[bangkapi]

Do you mean, "provident fund"?

[bubba]

I could be wrong, but I believe there is a minimum age before you can receive a lump sum payout...maybe 50?

[meyori]

With my knowledge and experience by some one who did recently, you can continue on and SS draws payment off your bank account every month which is 460 Baht currently. I think by now every body received a SS card for 2015 and you can keep this one when you need to go to hospital etc. (You can only do this, if you worked (paid SS) longer than 12 months and apply this within six months after you finish working.)

Old age lump sum is paid according to how many months you have worked and only paid once you reached to 55 years old.

Additionally, you can apply for unemployment benefit.

[Inbetween]

Yes...you can get a lump sum payment. Then you can be under the program for up to six months free. Around the fifth month you should start paying into the system. The cost is 432 Baht per month and you can have the payment taken out of your bank account. The fee is 5-10 Baht each time the Thai SS makes a withdrawal from your account. The Thai SS is on the 2nd floor of the Talay Tong Tower building.http://www.talaythongtower.com/index.phpTalay Tong Tower Map.jpg

Thanks. That's great help.

I was paying into it for over 13 years and have reached the age to qualify for collecting a lump sum, so I guess I'll take a trip there soon. Do I need to take anything else beside my SS card and passport?

[Inbetween]

With my knowledge and experience by some one who did recently, you can continue on and SS draws payment off your bank account every month which is 460 Baht currently. I think by now every body received a SS card for 2015 and you can keep this one when you need to go to hospital etc. (You can only do this, if you worked (paid SS) longer than 12 months and apply this within six months after you finish working.)

Old age lump sum is paid according to how many months you have worked and only paid once you reached to 55 years old.

Additionally, you can apply for unemployment benefit.

Thanks a lot for the info.

I've heard it's best to take someone who speaks Thai if one's Thai isn't very good. From your experience, is that true, or do they have some decent English speakers there?

Are you saying that a foreigner can apply for unemployment benefits?

[johnh869]

Yes...you can get a lump sum payment. Then you can be under the program for up to six months free. Around the fifth month you should start paying into the system. The cost is 432 Baht per month and you can have the payment taken out of your bank account. The fee is 5-10 Baht each time the Thai SS makes a withdrawal from your account. The Thai SS is on the 2nd floor of the Talay Tong Tower building.http://www.talaythongtower.com/index.phpTalay Tong Tower Map.jpg

Thanks. That's great help.

I was paying into it for over 13 years and have reached the age to qualify for collecting a lump sum, so I guess I'll take a trip there soon. Do I need to take anything else beside my SS card and passport?

There is a form (yellow in color) that your prior employer has to fill out. The form is at the Thai SS public relations desk. She can also give you your lump sum figure from her computer terminal immediately. If you paid the max into the Thai SS for 13 years then you should get over 100K Baht which should be paid to you straight away. If you don't speak Thai well enough then bring a Thai with you. The monthly payment has varied over the years and the current rate is probably 460 baht. They will mail you a receipt every month for the prior month's payment showing all the details. Good luck!

Edited January 13, 2015 by johnh869

[Inbetween]

Yes...you can get a lump sum payment. Then you can be under the program for up to six months free. Around the fifth month you should start paying into the system. The cost is 432 Baht per month and you can have the payment taken out of your bank account. The fee is 5-10 Baht each time the Thai SS makes a withdrawal from your account. The Thai SS is on the 2nd floor of the Talay Tong Tower building.http://www.talaythongtower.com/index.phpTalay Tong Tower Map.jpg

Thanks. That's great help.

I was paying into it for over 13 years and have reached the age to qualify for collecting a lump sum, so I guess I'll take a trip there soon. Do I need to take anything else beside my SS card and passport?

There is a form (yellow in color) that your prior employer has to fill out. The form is at the Thai SS public relations desk. She can also give you your lump sum figure from her computer terminal immediately. If you paid the max into the Thai SS for 13 years then you should get over 100K Baht which should be paid to you straight away. If you don't speak Thai well enough then bring a Thai with you. The monthly payment has varied over the years and the current rate is probably 460 baht. They will mail you a receipt every month for the prior month's payment showing all the details. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply.

Knowing about the yellow form I need is helpful. I'll contact the HR people at my old workplace and see if they have any there before going to the SS office.

[TerryLH]

"The monthly payment has varied over the years and the current rate is probably 460 baht."

The current fee is still 432 Baht.

It was lower during some of the past several years because the government was subsidizing the fee to try and help the economy.

I think if you take a lump sum payment you might not be able to continue getting health coverage, which in my opinion is pretty good.

[Inbetween]

Yes...you can get a lump sum payment. Then you can be under the program for up to six months free. Around the fifth month you should start paying into the system. The cost is 432 Baht per month and you can have the payment taken out of your bank account. The fee is 5-10 Baht each time the Thai SS makes a withdrawal from your account. The Thai SS is on the 2nd floor of the Talay Tong Tower building.http://www.talaythongtower.com/index.phpTalay Tong Tower Map.jpg

Thanks for your and other's help. I went to Thai SS office today and got my lump sum payment. It was well worth it -- 6 figures, as somebody in this thread predicted. Also confirmed that I am covered for the next 6 months free and given an application to complete and return to have the 432 baht taken out of my bank account each month starting the middle of the year to continue my coverage.

[johnh869]

Yes...you can get a lump sum payment. Then you can be under the program for up to six months free. Around the fifth month you should start paying into the system. The cost is 432 Baht per month and you can have the payment taken out of your bank account. The fee is 5-10 Baht each time the Thai SS makes a withdrawal from your account. The Thai SS is on the 2nd floor of the Talay Tong Tower building.http://www.talaythongtower.com/index.phpTalay Tong Tower Map.jpg

Thanks. That's great help.

I was paying into it for over 13 years and have reached the age to qualify for collecting a lump sum, so I guess I'll take a trip there soon. Do I need to take anything else beside my SS card and passport?

There is a form (yellow in color) that your prior employer has to fill out. The form is at the Thai SS public relations desk. She can also give you your lump sum figure from her computer terminal immediately. If you paid the max into the Thai SS for 13 years then you should get over 100K Baht which should be paid to you straight away. If you don't speak Thai well enough then bring a Thai with you. The monthly payment has varied over the years and the current rate is probably 460 baht. They will mail you a receipt every month for the prior month's payment showing all the details. Good luck!

P.S. I still only pay 432 Baht plus 5 Baht Krung Thai bank fee per month.

[Manassas]

Social security from the United States is for after you retire. The off ice I believe is in the Philippines.

I have emailed questions to the Social Security rep in the Philippines and they responded fairly promptly. I found the "contact us" link somewhere on the website.

[guyfromtheweb2]

I have a similar question.  I would have posted here but that thread is locked. 

 

Let's say that a person has been working as a teacher here for several years, with a consistent work permit and Non-B visa-extension stamp each year, paying Thai social security (SS) tax each month, but is not yet retirement age (< 55 years old).  Now this person plans to leave Thailand for good and return to his or her home country.  The person does not plan to ever work in Thailand again.

 

Can he or she still get a full lump payment of all the SS paid over the years?  Or should the person just suck up that SS money as loss that he or she will never get back?

 

What if the person leaves Thailand but returns some many many years later as a tourist when they have reached age 55; could they collect the SS payment then?

Edited January 27 by guyfromtheweb2