At 08.00 hours on December 21, 2021, at the purple reception room, Thai Khu Fa Building, Government Houses, representatives of artists, singers, entertainers, independent professionals, and night workers were led by Khun Katawut Thongthai, President of the Thailand Nightlight and Entertainment Business Association, Khun Suda Chuenban, Vice President of the Music Association of Thailand Under Royal Patronage, Khun Boriphan Chaiyaphum, President of the Thailand Association of Country Musicians, Mr. Cho Aon Na Bangchang, Advisor to the Thailand Nightlight and Entertainment Business Association, Khun Foithong Chernyim, representative of the Comedians Association (Thailand), Khun Worapoj Nimwichit, representative of concert organizers and Mr. Weerawat Rattana, Secretary of the Thailand Nightlight and Entertainment Business Association. The representatives filed a letter and gave a flower basket to show appreciation and encouragement to the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha, and the Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin, for seeing the hardships and being concerned for independent professionals, singers, actors, and people working in entertainment businesses and venues, clubs, pubs, and bars, who have been affected by temporary closures, due to compliance with government regulations and measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The efforts aim to ensure all occupations are remedied. The Labour Minister’s Advisor, Mrs. Thiwalrat Angkinan, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, and the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, also joined the occasion.
Mr. Suchart revealed that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has foreseen the hardships and is concerned for the self-employed workers. He reminded the Ministry of Labour to urgently take care and expedite remedies to alleviate troubles. They met to discuss with representatives of entertainers from various professions that have been affected. Today (December 21, 2021), the Ministry of Labour brought about social security remedies for self-employed night workers to the Cabinet’s meeting, which approved the remedies for people working in entertainment. At the same time, the Ministry of Labour’s Social Security Office has set up a program to heal insured persons in the entertainment business and self-employed persons working in entertainment venues that have been affected by government measures, including insured persons under Sections 33, 39, and 40. Insured persons in such businesses will be compensated with 5,000 Baht per person for one month. Persons who are eligible for the remedies must have Thai nationality, work in an entertainment venue business, clubs, pubs, bars, or karaoke, and have been certified by the Music Association of Thailand Under Royal Patronage or the Thailand Nightlight and Entertainment Business Association registered with the Ministry of Interior or the Department of Business Development. The funds’ transfer will be to the insured persons’ bank accounts linked to PromptPay. The first-round transfers will begin on December 29, 2021. In the first round, approximately 30,000 people are already listed in the database of insured persons in the social security system from about 120,000 people working in entertainment venues.
Mr. Suchart emphasized that those who have not applied as an insured person section 40 must do so quickly and pay contributions within January 14, 2022. Furthermore, the above association must only provide certification by January 28, 2022. For more information, they can check on the Outdoor Artist Association page. The measure will ensure entertainment workers insured under Sections 33, 39 and 40, will benefit from remedies for a total of 120,000 people, valued at over 600 million Baht. The remedies will be a New Year’s gift to the insured workers in entertainment venues.
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Division of Public Relations
21 December 2021
