From monitoring the situation on payments of requested unemployment benefits in the event of force majeure with the Social Security Office, the key issues identified were the insufficient number of staff. Labour Minister M.R. Chatu Mongol Sonakul instructed the Social Security Office’s Secretariat Mr. Todsaphon Kritwongwiman to assess the problem and therefore issued the Ministry of Labour’s urgent order 219/2020, dated April 27, 2020, to “appoint officers under the Social Security Act B.E. 2020”. The order aims to appoint civil servants from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare both in the central region, provincial areas, and Bangkok, as officials to have authority and duties concerning data verification if an employer temporarily suspends parts or the whole business. The officials will certify the inspection results and report back to the Social Security Office to facilitate the employer and insured persons. It is speculated that from issuing this order, there will be an increase in the number of diagnostic staff by more than 1,200 people, which enable quicker payments to those who are eligible.
The Social Security Office’s Secretariat Mr. Todsaphon Kritwongwiman revealed that the Labour Minister’s instructions would help improve operations significantly, as the unemployment benefit payment process requires examination of legal procedures that do not use computer systems. Therefore, the Labour Minister’s orders for cooperation among relevant agencies will make operations faster.
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Division of Public Relations
28 April 2020
