The Social Security Office has approved a 275 million baht budget to hold elections for a new board, while Somyos leads a crowd in a satirical cake-eating protest opposing new rules that reduce insured workers' rights.
On 10 Feb 2026 GMT+7 at the Social Security Office, spokesperson Niyada Seni Manomai announced the final board meeting before the term ends on 13 Feb. They considered enhancing dental benefits: from 1 May, insured persons can have impacted wisdom teeth removed within set rates—simple extraction capped at 1,500 baht, complex at 2,500 baht. There are about 5,000 state and private hospitals and dental clinics participating. Additionally, a 275 million baht budget was approved for the Social Security board election to replace the outgoing members, using the previous election regulations for budget calculation. Voting is expected around July.
Meanwhile, beneath the Social Security Office building, Somyos Pruksakasemsuk and a labor union group staged a satirical event by "devouring a cake worth 2.9 trillion baht" to symbolize the plundering of the Social Security fund's budget. They demanded a 10-year financial audit of all Social Security board members, citing unusual wealth accumulation—some entering politics with large mansions, returning from overseas trips with luxury watches. They opposed the reduction of insured workers' voting rights from one person voting for seven board members to the new regulation allowing only one vote per person.
Somyos stated he wants the labor minister to be a genuine labor representative, for example, from the People's Party. If Suchat Chomklin returns to the position, Somyos expects urgent improvements in wages and welfare beyond the 30-baht healthcare rights, especially for laparoscopic surgery and retirement benefits as promised in campaigns.
