People’s Party urges insured workers to vote down draft SSO board rule

Campaign on BTS and in Silom

The People’s Party on Thursday launched a campaign against a draft Social Security Office (SSO) regulation that would reduce elected worker representatives on the Social Security Board from seven seats to just one.

The campaign took place on an electric railway ride from Bang Wa station to Sala Daeng station, led by People’s Party candidate Rukchanok Srinok, who has been pushing for greater transparency in the SSO and raising concerns about alleged irregularities in its projects.

After arriving at Sala Daeng, the group continued campaigning along Soi Lalai Sap, a busy shopping alley in Silom.

Rukchanok was joined by members of the Progressive Social Security team, backed by the People’s Party, as well as Parames Witthayaraksan, the party’s candidate for Bangkok’s Constituency 1.

Call to reject draft regulation

Rukchanok and her team urged insured persons and members of the Social Security Fund to vote against the draft regulation during the SSO’s public hearing process.

She said defeating the proposed rules was crucial, arguing that in substance it amounted to a “coup against the Social Security Board” carried out through a new regulatory mechanism.

What would change on the 21-member board

Under the current system, the Social Security Board has 21 members: seven government representatives, seven employer representatives, and seven worker representatives elected by insured persons.

Rukchanok said the draft regulation would sharply reduce worker representation—from one-third of the board to just one out of 21 seats—while reallocating the remaining seats to specific groups such as professional associations, state enterprises, or government-appointed “experts”.

She voiced concern the changes could enable former board members who lost the previous election to regain positions and join with politically appointed members to approve projects that face questions over transparency and value for money.

Warning over repeat projects

Rukchanok said that if the draft regulation is passed, the board would likely be filled with the same familiar faces again, and within two years the public could see a repeat of controversial projects, including new building construction and the production of Social Security calendars, alongside other initiatives whose cost-effectiveness has been questioned.

Push for transparency, minutes disclosure

Responding to concerns raised by former board members about the disclosure of names, Rukchanok said those who genuinely worked for the benefit of insured persons and employers should not be ashamed.

She called for meeting minutes to be released to show who supported or opposed projects, saying all decisions were recorded and could be checked.

“Social security has never been separate from politics”

Rukchanok also challenged calls to keep politics out of social security, arguing that labour ministers have always come from political parties and can influence up to one-third of board votes, while also appointing multiple advisers.

“The problems we’ve seen, such as the SkyNine building project or the Social Security calendar, are the result of bad politics. The solution is not to reject politics, but to make politics transparent, accountable and fair to insured persons,” she said.

People’s Party stance

Rukchanok said the People’s Party is pushing for continued scrutiny and disclosure of SSO information. She stressed the party does not seek to abolish the social security system, describing it as a worthwhile safety net and a last line of support for workers.

She said the priority is ensuring insured persons’ contributions are protected from corruption and can be genuinely used in the future.