Critics have stepped up calls for greater transparency in the management of the 2.65-trillion-baht Social Security Fund ( SSF ) following claims of excessive spending by the Social Security Office ( SSO ).
Some have proposed the SSO been removed from the Labour Ministry’s care to ensure it is free of political interference and let skilled officials to better handle the bank.
The SSF is Thailand’s largest people account, valued at 2.65 trillion ringgit, providing security and financial stability to 24 million users.
The SSO has defended its administra‑ interrelated budget planning, saying it complies with the Social Security Act, which caps spending at 10 % of monthly achievements. In 2024, the SSO allocated only 3 %, well below the legal limit, the government has said.
But, critics argue that while the percentage is relatively small, the total amount remains substantial– equating to 7.2 billion baht from complete contributions of 240 billion baht next year.
More important, concerns remain over whether that wealth is managed with sufficient clarity and effectiveness after generating an investment return of less than 3 % next year.
Seeking constitutional modifications
Rukchanok Srinork, a People’s Party MP for Bangkok, told the Bangkok Post she may push for modifications to the law to improve performance in control of the bank, rebuild the SSO and maintain members have better access to rewards.
” Many problems stem from the existing laws. Several committees under the SSO such as the medical committee, the audit committee and the appeals committee, have less direct contact with current subscribers. Therefore, the decision-making process does not prioritise those making the contributions”, she said.
She also stressed the need to merge the SSF and the universal health care scheme under the National Health Security Office to ensure maximised public benefit.
Previously, Ms Rukchanok also called on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to merge the social security fund under the Labour Ministry, the universal healthcare scheme under the Public Health Ministry and the civil servant medical benefit scheme under the Finance Ministry into one single entity.
Last Tuesday, Ms Rukchanok, in her capacity as the spokeswoman for the House committee monitoring budgetary the SSO’s budget, met its secretary-general Marasri Jairangsee to discuss changes to information disclosure policies.
In the meeting, Ms Rukchanok said that regarding the merger of the three health funds, no one present could decide on behalf of the Minister of Labour.
However, Ms Rukchanok noted the decision should rest with the Social Security Board, though it remains unclear whether the matter needs to be forwarded to the medical committee for consideration. But it will be the Minister of Labour who inks the final signature on a merger.
Ms Rukchanok emphasised that Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin cannot make this decision alone, as neither ministry is willing to relinquish its authority.
Therefore, the issue must be brought directly to the prime minister because the overlapping responsibilities between the two ministries have already caused a 23-year deadlock.
She also said while a committee has been set up to study the merger of the funds, no specific time frame has been given for the study. ” Will we have to wait for ten years”? she asked.
She raised concerns about SSO spending last year, which included a 2.2-million-baht overseas study trip by SSO officials, the 100-million-baht annual cost of running its hotline, and 450 million baht to print calendars.
Ms Rukchanok said she will continue to scrutinise the SSO’s spending and it remains to be seen whether the issue will be raised during the no-confidence debate against Ms Paetongtarn on March 24.
Arunee: Govt must probe SSO spending
Call for transparency
” Greater transparency is required. Don’t keep people in the dark by citing bureaucratic rules”, said Ms Rukchanok.
” The SSO is like a place shrouded in obscurity. We are trying to shed light on it so people can see details more clearly as there is a huge sum of more than 2 trillion baht involved”, she said.
Arunee Srito, a former member of the Social Security Board, said labour networks agreed” the SSO should be free of political influence to ensure more independence in its management and decision-making”.
The SSO, which is the secretariat of the SSF which has 24 million subscribers, is under the Ministry of Labour.
Reports of excessive spending by the SSO have also raised public concern, said Ms Arunee, who also heads the National Coordination Centre for Informal Workers.
She said labour networks have called on the government, and the House committee on labour and the Senate committee on labour to set up inquiry panels to investigate claims of excessive spending by the SSO.
Professionals required
Labour networks have also suggested that a professional should be appointed as SSO secretary-general to ensure efficiency in the handling of the fund.
Worawan Chandoevwit, an adviser on social security, human resources and social development at the Thailand Development Research Institute Foundation ( TDRI), said the SSO should remain under the Labour Ministry to handle documents and paperwork.
But the SSF should be separated from the SSO’s routine job. It should be registered as a legal entity modelled on the Government Pension Fund ( GPF ) to allow professionals and experts to manage the fund, she said.
Ms Worawan said about 78 % of contributions to the SSF come from employers and employees, with the rest from the government.
But the fund is managed in a system set up by the government and it is hard to access information, she said. ” Operating expenses ]at the SSO] have increased every year. We want to see more transparency”, she said.
Worawan: Time to let experts take control
Independence is key
Nimit Tienudom, a representative of the People’s Network for a Welfare State, said now is the time for the SSO to transform into an independent organisation. Freeing itself from state control will help it to be more flexible to adapt and respond to challenges, he said.
As the country is becoming an ageing society with more people going into retirement each year, the SSF has to cover pension payments for them, he said. But the fund’s income sources come mainly from contributions by the working-age population which has dwindled as opposed to the growing elderly population, he said.
This imbalance will put the SSF’s financial stability at risk, raising concerns about potential insolvency.