Thailand’s social security fund prepares for inaugural board election

The Social Security Fund (SSF) in Thailand is preparing for its inaugural board member election, with over 800,000 members expected to participate in the vote tomorrow, December 24.

This was disclosed by Boonsong Thapchaiyuth, the secretary-general of the Social Security Office (SSO), who also noted that the turnout figure is rather modest compared to the total SSF membership of 12 million across the country.

The SSO has allocated a budget of 207 million baht for the election. The board is mandated by law to be made up of representatives from various related ministries including labour, finance, interior, and public health, as well as the Budget Bureau, and employers and employees.

This election will allow SSF members to choose seven representatives, while employers will also select seven representatives to manage a fund valued at 2.4 trillion baht. The voting system to be employed is the “one man, one vote” method, similar to that used in general elections.

Ten teams comprising 288 individuals have submitted their candidacy to represent employees. Voters are allowed to choose up to seven candidates from any team according to Thapchaiyuth. On the employers’ side, there are 66 candidates, with 934 polling stations prepared by the SSO for eligible voters across the nation.

One of the candidates, Professor Worawet Suwanrada, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, expressed his commitment to driving the pension scheme for the elderly and using his expertise to stabilise the fund and increase its benefits. He also highlighted the need for the SSF to cater to the evolving workforce structure, particularly among the younger generation opting for self-employment or freelance jobs.

Professor Worawet further advocated for SSO members to enjoy the same benefits as those covered by the Public Health Ministry’s universal health care scheme.

Assistant Professor Sustarum Thammaboosadee from Thammasat University, who is vying for a position under the Progressive Social Security team backed by the Move Forward Party, encouraged the public to vote and consider all candidates from his diverse team, which includes activists from disabled groups and labour unions, reported Bangkok Post.

However, not all members are enthusiastic about the upcoming election. One member voiced his concern over the distance to the nearest voting station and stated his intentions to forgo the election due to the travel costs involved.