The People's Party and insured workers marched on Labor Day to submit a social security reform bill, calling on the public to join in pressuring the Prime Minister and political parties to pass the law and reclaim social security as a right for everyone. "Ice" urged everyone to help raise awareness about its importance in society.
On 1 May 2026, the People's Party, together with its labor user network, allied labor groups from all sectors, the public, and insured persons, marched to submit an amendment bill to the Social Security Act to the House of Representatives. They demanded reforms in four areas: transparency, administrative efficiency, connection with insured persons, and fund sustainability. The march proceeded from Bang Pho Intersection in Bang Sue district, Bangkok, to the Parliament building, where the bill was submitted and a speech forum was held at the public plaza.
MP Xia Champathong, a party-list MP for the People's Party, said that today is International Workers’ Day, a day not only for workers to rest and discuss issues but also to remember the historical struggles of previous labor generations. Their fight led to improved welfare, wages, and fairer employment systems. It was a long battle over 30-40 years culminating in the social security scheme in 1990. Although social security now exists, it is still not fully satisfactory and can be improved. The People's Party has identified problems and proposed reforms in four areas: transparency, professional management, linkage with insured persons, and fund sustainability. Everyone here has expressed a clear will to reform and improve social security. As MPs, they are working hard, but 120 members in Parliament are not enough; they need the support of insured persons, workers, and the public. With enough public power, ordinary lives can be improved. Everyone is urged to follow social security legislation and related bills. Only public power can transform the flawed current social structure. Believe in your power and join the fight to improve social security together.
MP Thanaporn Wijan, a party-list MP for the People's Party, stated that insured persons have allowed fund managers to control the fund for too long, during which corruption occurred and investments caused losses. However, she urged everyone not to lose hope, affirming that the fund can be reclaimed and developed by the people.
The People's Party thus proposed legislation to reform social security from within the bureaucratic system. They recognize the long-standing accumulated problems in the fund but refuse to allow corrupt management to continue. All political parties in the House, regardless of camp or color, claim to care for workers and their rights. This time, when voting on the law, they must pass it—not just say they love the people but fail to approve the social security reform law.
Everyone is urged to monitor and call on other political parties to join in reforming social security. A message to the Minister of Labor: many pending issues demand answers, including the pension formula, the social security board elections which are three months overdue, and the need for a board elected by insured persons to manage the fund. The minister must be serious about eradicating corruption thoroughly.
MP Sahasawat Khumkong, People's Party MP for Chonburi District 7, said that today they officially submitted the bill to reclaim social security to Parliament. This fund was not created by any powerful individual’s idea but was the result of workers’ demands. Yet, ironically, the ultimate decision-makers are civil servants, with political interference buying certain shares, purchasing a building for 7 billion baht that was worth 3 billion, ordering suits, donating cars to temples—everything is chaotic. The problems of social security are mainly fourfold:
1. Transparency: No one knows how the social security money contributed monthly is used. Suddenly, insured persons find themselves owning buildings, massive shares in Bangchak Corporation, luxury hotels in Phuket, and the fund spends 5 to 6 billion baht yearly on office management. Since 1990, there has been a social security board, but no one knows who they are or what they discuss daily. Despite it being our money, we know nothing. Requests for documents or information have never been clearly answered.
2. Professionalism: The principle of social security is to invest money collected monthly from insured persons to generate returns for benefits. But in the past ten years, the fund's average annual profit was only 3%, due to civil servants lacking investment and management expertise, or some being transferred from other ministries to manage our fund.
3. Connection with insured persons: Social security has existed over 30 years, but insured persons have elected the social security board only once. Even the elected board appears to have limited actual power. There are other boards, such as the medical board responsible for insured persons’ medical care and the audit board overseeing budget use, all appointed by the minister. It's no surprise no corruption has been uncovered. Subcommittees on IT, off-market asset investment, and others are controlled by civil servants with no link to insured persons, despite this being our money.
4. Sustainability: Experts warn the fund may collapse in 25-30 years due to the above three problems, rendering the fund unstable. This is why reform is necessary to prevent collapse in the coming decades.
MP Rakchanok Srinok, a party-list MP for the People's Party, noted that in recent years many may feel their medical and other benefits from social security are inferior to those from the universal coverage scheme, or that the lack of transparency has caused distrust in the fund.
"We must start today. I am glad that now it seems all political parties speak the same language as the People's Party on social security reform. The Minister of Labor from the Pheu Thai Party has acknowledged they may submit their own reform bill. This time, the People's Party cannot form a government or oversee the Ministry of Labor, but the fruits of our years of work remain and have influenced all parties to focus on this issue."
"But if after submitting the bill everyone just goes home and loses interest, it won’t pass this Parliament. This is a long-term project. We've succeeded in raising public awareness, but pressure must continue to ensure the bill is considered in Parliament. If it isn’t introduced or the government rejects it, all our efforts will be meaningless. Therefore, I urge everyone to help make society see the importance of this issue," Rakchanok said.
Photos: Thanat Chayaphattrathee / Prit Santijitrungruang