B4,000 relief likely for salaried employees

B4,000 relief likely for salaried employees

Employees apply for compensation for unemployment at the Social Security Office in May last year. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Employees apply for compensation for unemployment at the Social Security Office in May last year. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Some 9.3 million social security members — salaried employees in the private sector — will likely get 4,000 baht each in Covid-19 relief aid, according to a proposal by the Labour Ministry.

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin gave details of the proposal, called the “Section 33 We Love Each Other” project, on Saturday before it is tabled for cabinet approval on Feb 15.

Eligible members are Thai nationals who are members under Section 33. They must not be welfare cardholders.

The exception is those who had outstanding bank balances of 500,000 baht or more as of the end of December 2019.

Qualified workers will get money transfers to their Paotung app at the rate of 1,000 baht per week for four weeks. 

Registration opens at www.ม33เรารักกัน.com from Feb 21 to March 7. After that, banks will check their eligibility.

Qualified employees can verify their identities through the Paotung app during March 15-21.

The transfers are made on March 22 and 29, and April 5 and 12.  

They can use the funds at shops under the Rao Chana project from March 22 to May 31. 

There are 11 million employees under Section 33 as of January this year, according to the Social Security Fund Office. The ministry estimated 9 million are qualified, totalling around 37.1 billion baht.

Members covered by social security, totalling 16.4 million as of Feb 5, are categorised into three groups.

Those under Section 33 are those aged 15-60 who are still working and have employers. They number 11 million as of January.

The other two groups — Section 39 and 40 — do not have employers.

Members under Section 39 are former Section 33 employees who have made contributions for 12 months or more and then quit and still want to keep the coverage by continuing paying the contributions (432 baht a month). They total 1.8 million as of January.

Members under Section 40 are those aged 15-65 who work independently, freelancers or general vendors. They may choose to pay contribution rates of 70, 100 and 300 baht a month and get varied coverage based on their contribution rates. This group numbers 3.5 million.

Workers under Sections 39 and 40 get 7,000 baht in total (3,500 baht for two months) in February and March.

They get more aid than Section 33 employees because the cabinet views the latter group was already compensated for unemployment.


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