Thai Social Security worth getting?

New007 · June 18, 2015

I have to make a decision between signing up again for BUPA or getting Social Security. Does anyone have good/bad experience with Thai social security. What are the pros and cons? Thanks for any input.

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

I have Thai SS as I am working here. I had my hips replaced on the SS medical that is provided and they did an outstanding job.

Cost me not one baht. I left work after a while and was told that I was eligible to keep my medical coverage 100% even though I left work and at a total cost to me of 356 baht a month auto deducted from my Thai account.

Beats the hell out of BUPA

Minnehaha · June 18, 2015

If the OP is working here, he already has SS and when he leaves his job he can participate by paying monthly, as you pointed out - 356 B in your case.

I agree with your comments about Thai SS in general. It is a no-brainer at the price.

The care one gets depends largely on the hospital one goes to. When registering in SS one has to select (or is assigned) a hospital. And you need to go to that one, unless it is an emergency. And even then if you go to a private hospital and wind up in ICU or something, you won't get the money back. There are great hospitals - teaching hospitals, such as Chulalongkorn, which are part of the SS network.

Camilian in Thonglor used to be in the Thai SS. But this year they made an announcement they are leaving it. So, the moral of the story is, one needs to manage this stuff and stay informed and choose hospitals. This is true with any healthcare coverage, but more so with SS.

The best scenario if one can afford it is to have Thai SS AND an international coverage for the catastrophic situation. Thai SS does not cover kidney transplants or dialysis, and a few other things, so, again one should read up and be informed. But overall, Thai SS is quite good.

Lastly, with the current political situation in flux, so to speak, there has been a raising of the issue of the 3 systems - The Civil Servant system, 30 Baht system, and Thai SS. Each has different levels of coverage, and I believe the Thai civil servant system is the best.

So marry a Thai civil servant, and buy an international policy, and start the policy when you are 39. After that premiums escalate considerably. It is around 45 when it starts to get really expensive and pre-existing conditions become issues.

Nuddy · June 18, 2015

Is it possible to get my Thai Wife on this SS thing as when I pass on to whoever I would love to put some baht there for the future?

Her son has a Government job and he reckons she is covered but I have my doubts

My Thai wife does not have an outside job, has been in business for herelf but not for 10 years. Her job is to look after me!

Regards

sfokevin · June 18, 2015

Yes I would like to know if my Thai spouse aged 40 who does not work join this system? If so how and how much is the cost?

Also does this cover medical hospital expenses?... I don't really see that in the following link:

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2010-2011/asia/thailand.html

konying · June 18, 2015

Firstly ss after leaving job is only valid for 90 days not for life.

Secondly it can not possibly be 365 baht as someone stated as it is 5% from employee and 5% from employer from salary.

So it can not possibly be 356 unless salary is like 9000-10000.

Public hospitals are public hospitals , if one unlucky to be registered at banglamung, it takes 8 hours just to see the doctor.

Sheryl · June 18, 2015

Ideal would be to have both, with the BUPA coverage limited to inpatient (outpatient premiums tend to be not worth it).

Each have their own pros and cons.

The main advantage of private insurance, and it is an important one, is full choice of doctor and hospital. Under SS you have to register at a specific hospital (from a finite list) and are limited to receiving care there except in cases where the hospital documents that you need something they cannot provide and refers you elsewhere. In practice such referrals are rare and can be hard to effect. You do, however. have a choice of doctors at the hospital where you are registered. A lot of thought should thus be given to hospital selection. It might be worth getting the list of hospitals from your Employer's HR department so that you can factor that into your thinking.

The main advantages of SS, aside from the low cost, are:

- includes both in and outpatient, including medication.

- lifetime cover if you keep up the payments (BUPA offers this as well, but premiums rise sharply as you age, and they can and will also up the premiums based on prior claims, i.e. if you develop a chronic illness. They can even chose to drop you despite your keeping up premiums if they think you have become too high risk (assuming you mean BUPA Thailand -- not allowed in most western countries and hence not an issue with internationally based policies. The Thai regulatory framework for health insurance is looser).

-No cap, either per year or per illness. This is very important. In my experience people tend to under-insure with private policies, thinking that X amount is surely enough and basing this on the cost of an average procedure, not thinking about possible prolonged ICU stays, multiple surgeries etc. One really bad accident and the insurance can max out in a week or less. If you do go with private insurance alone, make sure the coverage level is at least 2 million baht per episode, preferrably more.

Personally, given how inexpensive SS is, I would certainly get it but also take out a private policy (inpatient only) so has to have full flexibility in selection of doctor and hospital.

Nuddy: The Thai Civil Service SS (different from the regular SS) does cover sopuse and children but I doubt it would cover a parent especially if not dependent. She can call the SS office to find out for sure, call center number is 1506. If she is not covered by SS, your wife automatically comes under the Thai Universal Care scheme and likewise can get medical care for free at government hospitals.

sfokevin · June 18, 2015

Could our non-working Thai spouses be considered "self employed" and pay the flat annual fee of 3,360 baht to join the system?

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2010-2011/asia/thailand.html

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

I was on it for 18 months and was told it would continue as long as I was no longer working. So not sure where you got the 90 days. I still have the bank letters I got monthly and it was in fact 356 baht.

MaeJoMTB · June 18, 2015

You are completely wrong on almost everything.

After you leave employment, you can keep paying the contributions yourself, for life.

Contributions range from 300bht to 600bht, depending on the age you joined the scheme (younger = cheaper)

There are three tiers of hospital coverage in Thailand, Private, SS, Government hospital. Some hospitals will take two or three types of patients.

On the SS scheme you get to choose your participating hospital.

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

Thank you that is correct

konying · June 18, 2015

Bank letter? did you work for a bank?

90 days is what is advised by Social security office and often available in its monthly newsletter news/updates section

konying · June 18, 2015

1 Learn to read, i clearly commented on validity of SS after leaving employment. Self payments have nothing to do with contributions by company or employee.

2. Finding it rather hard to believe a foreigner can join and pay as little as 356 baht based on age.

3. 3 Tiers?, there are government hospitals, private. SS is never assigned to a private hospital.

In Pattaya everyone gets assigned to Banglamung for the past 4 years. Now Pattaya City is also available, and it is also a government hospital just as Banglamung,

Previous years, everyone was assigned to Siracha Hospital and yet again a government hospital.

Regulations may vary by region, this i do not know. I do however know that all my staff who used Banglamung were changed over to Pattaya City at my choosing, because every time they had to go to Banglamung, it would take all day and without a fail they return with wrong medication.

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

No the letter I speak of is really a form that I was sent monthly stating the withdrawal amount and reason for the withdrawal from my account. As you I really found it hard to believe and was very surprised but I went to the SS department in lam chabang and they went over everything and it is indeed as I posted.

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

I am in Pattaya and registered at Sriracha but that was grandfathered in I believe as that was the hospital that did my hip replacements. I do know you have to enter the SS before 60 years old or you are not accepted for the medical.

On another note the medical cards they are now issuing are for 2 years instead of the one year they used to issue

Not trying to incite a pissing contest just stating my experience

TheKnave · June 18, 2015

"SS is never assigned to a private hospital"

Quite incorrect.

I was assigned to Paolo Hospital in Saphan Kwai, and had excellent service, including a stent in their cardiac catheterization lab.

I wish I had known about the ability to keep SS by paying 365 baht/mo at the time (2007).

konying · June 18, 2015

Are you Thai or a foreigner?

konying · June 18, 2015

welcome to 2015, many things have changed

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

American

konying · June 18, 2015

In this case i do not get it at all.

At one stage 2 years ago, something similar was introduced for foreigners, for foreign workers to be precise and some managed to enroll, but then it was quickly cancelled and made available only to Burmese and Cambodian i believe.

So i really do not understand how and why you would be able to keep your SS security being a Non Thai and not working.

Also how it would be taken out from your bank account.

If this was the case, i am certain most foreigners would enroll to pay 356 baht per month to have FREE medical, as Sheryl said, for outpatient is just dirt cheap

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

Don't know what to tell you but I can assure you it is just as I have stated here. No one was surprised more than I

hereforgood · June 18, 2015

Regarding the bank deduction SS gave me a letter to give K bank that started the deductions as I say I still have the receipts sent to me by the bank

GOLDBUGGY · June 18, 2015

As already mentioned by many others, you have it wrong mate!

The 90 days is the time allotted for you to join this insurance after the expiration of your employment. If you do not join within this time period you will not be able to later.

Logically speaking, which other insurance company do you know who will only insure you for 90 days besides Travel Insurance? It wouldn't be worth the expense and paper work to do this for only 90 days..

Satcommlee · June 18, 2015

I'm on this SS scheme too, but I also have international health insurance.. So where I go is a no-brainer - straight to the best international hospital.

But for the very low premium it is worth keeping up the SS payments as an insurance of last resort.

Crossy · June 19, 2015

Yup, same position here, decent international medical insurance but the SS cover as well. Obviously I intend keeping the SS going when (if) I can ever afford to retire.

WitawatWatawit · June 19, 2015

FYI, I have been in the social security system for nigh on 20 years. When it was launched, it was made available to companies which employed more than 20 people (fact check), and many firms jumped on it because their own med insurance for their staff was prohibitive. Later, it was expanded to pretty much every registered company (min employees 4 I think). It included every employee, including foreigners. Nothing to do with visitors, retirees etc. I was paying just over 700 baht a month into it, taken automatically from my salary.

When I retired, I was given 6 months (not 90 days) continued coverage. During that time I could either let my coverage go, or arrange to continue to pay it privately as I had been a member for more than the statutory 3 years. So I went to the SS main office in Nonthaburi to make the arrangements (little plug for the staff: first class people; they couldn't do enough to help) and select my nearest hospital.

So the arangement was that I could continue to pay into the system for the rest of my life and enjoy full coverage. The monthly fee was 460-odd baht (later reduced to about 400) and it was deducted automatically from my bank account (you could select one of 3 banks). Each month the bank sends me a statement to confirm the money has been paid.

That's how it occurred for me.

Cheers,

Wit.

Edit: I notice the OP has not been back to comment or clarify his position. Never mind. Doesn't hurt to get a discussion going on the topic and to get information (regurgitated, refreshed, updated ) out there again.

TerryLH · June 19, 2015

"Is it possible to get my Thai Wife on this SS thing as when I pass on to whoever I would love to put some baht there for the future?"

She can only get SS through her own employment. It is for the employee only, not any of their family members.

"Her son has a Government job and he reckons she is covered but I have my doubts"

If her son is covered through the Civil Service coverage, then yes, she will also be eligible. It covers the empolyee, spouse, children and parents.

Not all of the government employees are in the Civil Service system.

To get into the SS system you must be employed in a job that is eligible. The cost while employed is shared by the employee and by the employer. 5% of the salary for each of them, up to a maximum of B1500 a month. That being B750 max for the employee. It's good for employees, Thai and foreigners.

Once you have payed into the system for 12 months, and you lose eligibility through employment, for whatever reason, you can continue to pay on your own. You can continue to do that for your lifetime.

There is a simple form to fill out to continue on your own. You must do that within 90 days from the last month you contributed.

If you don't want to continue, you can still use the health coverage for a total of 6 months from when you became ineligible.

If you do decide to continue and pay on your own ,you can do that by automatic transfer from your bank, or go to the SS office and pay it.

In some areas, there are private hospitals as well as government hospitals in the SS system.

There is normally a period of time each year that you are able to change hospitals in your area. In some places there may be several available, in other places just one. Your SS Office can tell you when you can change, and which hospitals are currently accepting new SS patients.

"At one stage 2 years ago, something similar was introduced for foreigners, for foreign workers to be precise and some managed to enroll, but then it was quickly cancelled and made available only to Burmese and Cambodian i believe."

That was always intended for migrant workers from the region, not for all foreigners. The mistake of enrolling many ineligible foreigners was corrected.

"So i really do not understand how and why you would be able to keep your SS security being a Non Thai and not working."

As already stated, in SS , employees are all treated the same, no differences because of nationality.

"Also how it would be taken out from your bank account."

When you register to pay on your own they offer the choice to pay by automatic deduction from your bank account. You fill out the info and give it to your bank..

"If this was the case, i am certain most foreigners would enroll to pay 356 baht per month to have FREE medical, as Sheryl said, for outpatient is just dirt cheap"

You can only get into the SS system through employment. Also, you have to get in before becoming 60 years old.

Terry

hereforgood · June 19, 2015

Thanks Terry

BlackJack · June 21, 2015

I have a work permit and so I pay SS

however when all this was first arranged they listed the hospital in Sattahip and thats a bit of a hike from Jomtien.

when i went to a local hospital they said I cant change until the annual renewal is due - apparently you can keep paying but only nominate the hospital annually - seems a bit strange but there you go.

So when I do get to nominate the hospital does anyone know which one in Pattaya is better?

Sheryl · June 21, 2015

Which hospital in Sattahip was listed? If the Naval Hospital then IMO you are better off staying with it despite the inconvenience. Or if it is an option the govt provincial hosp in Chonburi. I would be more concerned with having a hospital with maximum capacity to manage a serious problem and to provide specialist care than with convenience since these are where insurance really pays off. For minor problems you can always just pay out of pocket to go somewhere close by.

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