Call for Investigation into 850 Million Baht Social Security App After Prolonged Malfunctions
A popular page has raised questions to the Social Security Office after the 850 million baht SSO Plus app announced system maintenance starting 21 Jan 2026, citing technical malfunctions, followed by three consecutive postponements of the system reopening, calling for an urgent investigation.
On 27 Jan 2026, reporters reported that following the controversy over the SSO Plus app of the Social Security Office, the app temporarily closed for maintenance from 21 Jan 2026, with the reopening postponed three times due to reported technical service issues. The Social Security Office said it would expedite investigations and fixes to restore service as soon as possible, aiming to reopen at 9:00 a.m. on 1 Feb 2026.
Regarding this matter, the Facebook page "Progressive Social Security" posted a message questioning, “As the Social Security Office encounters IT system problems directly affecting unemployment benefit claims and access to services via the e-Self Service system and the SSO Plus application, the office has explained the causes and initial corrective measures.”
Current issues and solutions from the Social Security Office.
- Unemployment benefit payment issues: Backlog from system closure during the New Year period remains; the Social Security Office expects data processing to complete by 7 Feb 2026.
- e-Self Service and SSO Plus system malfunctions: Caused by high user load exceeding system capacity; preliminary fixes are expected by 30 Jan 2026.
- Controversial backup plans: If unresolved within a week, the Social Security Office proposes either (1) purchasing additional Oracle Database licenses or (2) rolling back to the old system (SAPIENS), both reflecting failure in transitioning to the new 850 million baht system.
Reasons insured persons oppose these backup plans stem from concerning observations: Reviewing past lessons and current situations reveals troubling points:
- In 2006, a 2.8 billion baht computer leasing project ended with contract renewal issues, system lockouts, and legal disputes lasting over 17 years. To this day, the old SAPIENS system remains in use.
- From 2022 to present, the IT reform project (SSO Core) to shift to a Web App started with high expectations but has faced delays and questionable penalty reductions—from estimated 186–383 million baht down to about 78 million baht—excluding opportunity costs and 265 million baht annual maintenance fees for the old system.
- insured persons have inquired about the project's progress since 2024 during IT subcommittee meetings but received only vague responses regarding timelines and acceptance procedures. Moreover, the awarded project budget was just 0.11% below the planned budget, with competing bids differing by only a few hundred thousand baht on an 850 million baht project.
Our team therefore raises key questions to those involved:
- System readiness after acceptance: Why could the system, after passing acceptance tests, not support real use from day one, forcing considerations of additional equipment purchases or reverting to the old system?
- Cost-effectiveness and accountability: If the new system was “completed” per contract, should costs for added databases or risk management fall on the contractor? Why should insured persons’ contributions fix newly accepted system errors?
- Procurement irregularities: The bid price was only 0.11% below the median price, and competing bids differed by only a few hundred thousand baht on a project worth hundreds of millions—is this coincidence or indicative of collusion or bid rigging?
- Obstruction of oversight: When independent external experts were proposed to observe the War Room for transparent problem-solving, access to critical data was significantly restricted.
- Penalties were reduced from an estimated 186–383 million baht to about 78 million baht, while 265 million baht per year is still paid for old system maintenance. Who bears the cost of delays and unpreparedness?
Claims and stance of insured persons.
“Every baht of contributions is the sweat of the insured.” We demand an urgent investigation into the acceptance process of the 850 million baht SSO Core project, emphasizing that technology management must be based on accountability, not endless problem-solving through repeated payments.
