On December 13, 2021, at 10.30 hours, Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong presided over opening the Social Security Office’s Executive Seminar at the Chitada Meeting Room 1-2, 2nd floor, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok. He said that the government’s policies under the administration of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, give great importance to taking care of the workforce, ensuring protection and equal entitlements and rights. The government has established a 20-year national strategy to create opportunities and social equality. He said that he believes the Social Security Office’s executives will jointly drive the various labour policies, including the development of the social security system and benefits to create security and good quality of life for the workforce. It also focuses on expanding the integration of networks for independent workers to access the social security system in promoting, protecting, and developing independent skilled workers to have a career, income, and social security. Furthermore, there is a focus on upgrading the provision of electronic services to people to extend access to government services through various channels that are effectively linked to the basic service missions of the Ministry of Labour and government agencies.
In 2021, the Social Security Office was a key agency playing an important role within the Ministry of Labour. There were measures to support and remedy many people affected by COVID-19, such as the employer and insured persons relief program for Section 33, 39, and 40, the Section 33 We Love Each Other project, reduction on contribution rates for over six times, the Factory Sandbox project, the “Workforce…fighting together” project, supply of Hospitel beds and the 1506 Hotline until it became a success. The measures aided many insured. He asked that everyone have a working principle that considers proactive work and commitment to solving problems quickly, as it is important to keep up with the workforce’s needs. For 2022, the operation of various missions must be accelerated according to the policies of Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin announced on November 24, 2021. It includes amendments to the social security law on benefits in the case of old age, comprising “three requests,” namely the request for selection, for refund, and a loan. The policies also include establishing a bank for insured persons, a medical institute for insured persons, and building inexpensive homes for insured persons to create a good and stable quality of life, creating social security applications with merchants for the benefits of insured persons, and providing medical services to insured persons.
Mr. Surachai added that he supported the idea of driving the Social Security Office to succeed as an organization that is “accepted, trusted, and reliable” in creating life security and stability. All executives of the Social Security Office play an important role in driving and setting the operating direction to be following the Social Security Office’s missions to achieve the Ministry of Labour’s policy. He encouraged executives and staff of the Social Security Office to unite and join forces to develop social security work to be successful in every aspect and to believe that the Social Security Office will be an organization that people trust, creating stability for workers forever.
This seminar was for central and regional management and related people to acknowledge the policies and operating guidelines of the Social Security Office to be aligned in the same direction with the national strategy that focuses on creating opportunities and social equality. It also aligns with the government’s policies, which give importance to the development of social security for the people by creating comprehensive social security, education, health, and employment suitable for all segments of the population. The seminar created readiness to focus and strive to push various labour policies, including giving independent workers access to the social security system to create justice and equality for all worker groups.
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Division of Public Relations
