On October 1, 2024, at 14.00 hours, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyut, announced the Ministry of Labour’s policy and operational guidelines for the 2025 fiscal year to the media at the press conference room on the fifth floor of the Ministry of Labour. He stated that the Ministry of Labour has responded to the 2025 policy under the leadership of the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, which focuses on the policy of “outstanding social security, a focus on modern skills, Thai people having jobs, creating a culture of safety, a stable Thai economy and workforce.” It aims to drive important missions to improve the quality of life and work of the workforce.
Mr. Boonsong continued that following the royal decree appointing him to the position of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour on September 24, 2024, he is committed to driving important missions to improve the quality of life and work of working people nationwide. The Ministry of Labour’s policy for 2025 will be designed to meet current workforce challenges and promote the creation of a stable, efficient, and modern labour system. He stated that he would use the Ministry of Labour’s policy for 2025, “outstanding social security, a focus on modern skills, Thai people having jobs, creating a culture of safety, a stable Thai economy and workforce” under the supervision of the Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, as a compass to drive the Ministry of Labour to become a “labour family” that is “accepted, trusted and relied on, “building confidence among workers in all sectors, whether formal or informal sectors, entrepreneurs or stakeholders. He said that he would implement the main policy to ensure that all sectors are protected and have fair benefits.
Mr. Boonsong also spoke about measures to support employers and insured persons affected by the floods as announced by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The Ministry of Labour, through the Social Security Committee, Social Security Office, has resolved to approve urgent relief measures as follows:
1) Reduction of contribution rates for six months from October 2024 to March 2025, whereby the contribution rates for insured persons under Section 33 and employers will be reduced from 5% to 3%, and the contribution rates for insured persons under Section 39 will be reduced from 9% to 5.9% (resulting in 283 Baht per month to be paid), which can reduce the burden on employers and insured persons. The total amount is over 7 billion Baht, divided into employer contributions of approximately 3.4 Baht baht and insured persons under Sections 33 and 39 of approximately 3.7 billion Baht. Employers and insured persons under Section 33 who previously paid contributions of 750 Baht per month (calculated from a salary of 15,000 Baht) will have their contribution rate reduced by 300 Baht per month, leaving them with a contribution of 450 Baht per month for a total of 6 months, with a contribution reduction of 1,800 Baht per person. For insured persons under Section 39 who previously paid a contribution of 432 Baht per month will have their contribution rate reduced by 149 Baht per month for a total of 6 months, with a contribution reduction of 894 Baht.
2) Extension of the contribution remittance period, whereby the Social Security Office will extend the deadline for submitting the contribution remittance form and the remittance of employers and insured persons under Sections 33 and 39 for the September to December 2024 installments, allowing employers to remit contributions within four months from the installment that must be remitted, according to the measure. For example, the September 2024 installment can be remitted within January 2025.
3) The housing loan project for insured persons in 2024 will support insured persons in having access to purchasing or building housing more efficiently, reducing the financial burden of housing payments and promoting housing security for insured persons. The loan amount in the project is 10 billion Baht, covering 72 provinces, with the loan amount distributed in proportion to the eligible insured persons in each province, not exceeding 2 million Baht per person.
Mr. Boonsong continued that the Ministry of Labour, through the Social Security Office, gives importance to strengthening security guarantees for insured persons to be in line with the current economic situation and to improve the quality of life, including benefits. On August 27, 2024, the Social Security Committee Meeting (14th Group) No. 11/2024 resolved to increase the child welfare allowance for insured persons under Sections 33 and 39 who have children from birth to six years old, increasing the allowance from the original 800 Baht to 1,000 Baht per month. Currently, the draft amendment of the Ministerial Regulation on the Payment of Compensation in the Case of Child Welfare (No. ..) B.E. … is under consideration for submission to the Minister of Labour for signing, effective January 1, 2025. The lump sum child welfare payment rate shall be adjusted to 1,000 Baht per month per child for children under six years old, and no more than three children are entitled to the allowance at a time.
“The Ministry of Labour has implemented a project to solve occupational hardships for people who have been affected by the flooding in five provinces: Chiang Rai, Phrae, Phayao, Sukhothai, and Nan. The project aims to help people who have faced trouble, supporting them with income to support themselves and their families during the time they have no income by hiring them to do public service work that benefits the community and receive a daily wage of 300 Baht. As the Permanent Secretary of Labour, I am determined to push forward the policy to ensure that our fellow workers receive fair protection and support. I ask that all sectors cooperate to create a strong and sustainable labor society,” said Mr. Boonsong.
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