Julaphan unveils plan to clear government arrears in social security fund by 2027, allocating an extra 7 billion baht, expecting a sharp decline in outstanding debts within five years.
On 29 June 2026 at the Parliament, Mr. Julaphan Amornwiwat, Minister of Labor, was assigned by the Prime Minister to respond in writing to a question from Senator Chinschote Saengsang regarding the mechanisms and plans for the government’s payment of arrears in social security fund contributions.
Mr. Julaphan explained that the government’s arrears in social security fund contributions have been outstanding for about 20 years. Looking back roughly 10 years, the government’s outstanding amount was about 100 billion baht. In 2018, the Financial Discipline Act was enforced, establishing fiscal discipline that requires the government to settle outstanding debts with mechanisms and plans to repay within an appropriate timeframe.
Over the past several years, there has been a consistent repayment mechanism. From 2019 to 2025, arrears have been gradually paid down. By the end of 2025, the outstanding contributions stood at 48 billion baht. For the 2026 fiscal year, the government used budget mechanisms to continue payments, reducing the outstanding balance to approximately 42.6 billion baht by the end of that year.
For the 2027 fiscal year, the government has budgeted 58.68 billion baht for regular social security contributions and an additional 7.217 billion baht to pay down arrears. By the end of 2027, the outstanding debt is expected to be around 35 billion baht. The government has discussed with the Budget Bureau and the Social Security Office a plan to fully repay the remaining arrears by 2031, making annual repayments of about 7 to 8 billion baht.
"To be frank, Senator Chinschote and I have both been involved in this field, and I have been in Parliament for about 20 years. The promise to repay by a certain year has been heard multiple times. I believe this is not the first time someone has told you there is a plan to repay by 2031. About 5 to 6 years ago, I recall a plan to repay by 2028 or 2029 even."
However, I have had opportunities to discuss this matter with the Prime Minister, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, and Minister Pradorn Prissanananthakorn, who is responsible for the budget. They are also aware of these funds.
As the Minister overseeing the Ministry of Labor, I want to assure you, through the Speaker, to Senator Chinschote that this government is truly committed to fulfilling its promise to you. I will work to reduce this debt as much as possible by 2031. Due to government budgetary processes, the debt may not be completely eliminated by then, as budget timing can overlap. However, the outstanding debt will be significantly reduced and will not rise back to the current levels of 30 to 40 billion baht." :
Mr. Julaphan added that the government is sincerely committed to repaying these arrears. Nevertheless, budgetary expenditures must be managed. It is well known that many ministries face budget cuts in the 2027 fiscal year, which limits overall budget flexibility. However, despite reductions in other agencies’ budgets, the Ministry of Labor’s budget has increased this year, specifically to cover repayments to the Social Security Fund.
"Because the government prioritizes this issue. Even though the overall budget ceiling does not grow, and operating expenses increase, we will not neglect the obligation to return funds to insured persons as required." : Mr. Julaphan stated.