The Cabinet approved a new Social Security Act draft, the first major revision in 36 years, supporting the "3 Requests" rights: pension loans allowed and age limit extended to 65 years old.
On 4 Nov 2026 GMT+7, reporters reported progress in advancing laborers' benefits after the Cabinet approved the new Social Security Act draft as proposed by the Minister of Labor. This marks the first major structural reform of social security law in 36 years.
Manat Kosol, Chairman of the Labor Development Union Council of Thailand and Chair of the Social Security Network of Workers, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Labor and the Cabinet on behalf of workers nationwide. He said the draft bill fulfills long-awaited expectations, especially by unlocking the "3 Requests" rights (choose, borrow, reclaim), easing hardship during economic crises.
"Many insured persons have accumulated old-age pension funds exceeding 200,000 baht, but previously could not use them in family emergencies. This new law addresses that issue. Also, insured persons under Section 33 who resign and switch to Section 39/1 maintain their original healthcare rights without needing to use the 30-baht universal coverage scheme," Mr. Manat said.
The key points of this social security law amendment focus on expanding coverage and increasing flexibility of benefits as follows.
Key changes | Main points and new benefits |
Extension of working age limit | Raises the maximum age for insured persons under Section 33 from 60 to no more than 65 years to accommodate an aging society. |
Unlocking old-age funds (the "3 Requests") | Those who have contributed for at least 180 months can choose to receive either a pension or a lump sum at age 55. Those who contributed at least 60 months can withdraw part of the old-age funds before 55 in case of disaster or use them as loan collateral with financial institutions (up to 30% of the pension and no more than twice the wage base). |
Expanded disability rights | Increased compensation for income loss due to non-work-related disability from 50% to a maximum of 70% of wages. |
Continued protection after retirement | Old-age pensioners who have left work can re-enroll as insured persons with the state co-paying one portion of contributions (covering sickness, disability, and death benefits). |
Expanded maternity and child benefits | Increased maternity leave compensation to align with labor protection laws. Extended child welfare benefits for six months after employment ends. |
Employer penalties revised | Changed penalties for employers failing to submit required forms on time from criminal to administrative fines under the new law for fairness. |
Next steps: The new Social Security Act draft will proceed to the House of Representatives for consideration to become law and be officially promulgated.
