On August 7, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin revealed that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and the Ministry of Labour under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, sees the hardships and is concerned for the workers and entrepreneurs affected by the COVID-19 situation. Therefore, the government as measures to remedy those affected by the “lockdown” in the 13 dark red provinces, namely Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. The measures cover nine types of business, namely construction, accommodation and food services, art activities, entertainment and recreation, and other service activities, to nine branches, with the addition of transportation and storage, wholesale and retail, automotive repair, administrative, and support activities, professional activities in science and academia, and information and communication activities.
Mr. Suchart spoke about the progress of remedies paid to Section 33 employers for 3,000 Baht per employee, capped at 200 people. Currently, employers are gradually applying for severance pay via the e-service system. In the 13 provinces, there are about 180,000 employers in total.
The Labour Minister instructed the Social Security Office to expedite public relations to encourage employers who have not yet applied for compensation to do so via the Social Security Office’s e-service system. Employers can print and fill out the form and send it back to the Social Security Office. If the employer is a juristic person, the bank account number must also be attached at the back. However, if it is an individual employer, the employer must link their PromptPay account with their ID card number for social security purposes so that the money can be transferred to them as soon as possible.
“The government, the Ministry of Labour, and related agencies are concerned and see the importance of employers, employees, and businesses in every red province. We understand that the COVID-19 situation has impacted everyone, every group, and many businesses, to suffer. Therefore, I encourage employers to hurry to apply for compensation. At least it will help mitigate the impact and help businesses to move forward, following the government’s intention to restore the economy, without leaving anyone behind,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
++++++++++++++++
Division of Public Relations
7 August 2021
