Thailand's cabinet has approved a draft law that would let employees stay in the social security system until 65 rather than 60. The bill, proposed by the Ministry of Labour and endorsed at the cabinet's mobile meeting on 3 November 2026, also reworks old-age payouts, raises disability support and lets pensioners who have stopped working keep paying for medical cover. It is not law yet: the draft still has to go through the House of Representatives, and no start date has been set.
Who this affects
The change targets Section 33 of the Social Security Act of 1990, the part that covers people in regular employment. The government's own public information service says foreigners who are legally employed in Thailand, with a work permit or a SMART visa, are registered with the Social Security Office too. None of the official summaries of the bill mentions separate rules for foreign employees, so the proposed age limit would apply to the Section 33 scheme as a whole.
What the draft would change
The headline change raises the upper age for Section 33 insured employees from 60 to 65, which the government says is meant to keep older workers covered as the population ages. Other proposals in the same bill: child allowance would continue for six months after someone leaves a job; maternity leave pay would be brought into line with the Labour Protection Act; and income replacement for disability that is not caused by work would rise from 50% of wages to a maximum of 70%.
On old-age benefits, people who have paid in for at least 180 months would be able to choose between a monthly pension and a one-off lump sum once they reach 55 or their insured status ends. Those with at least 60 months of contributions could draw part of their old-age savings before 55 after a severe disaster, or pledge part of it as collateral for a loan from a bank that has an agreement with the Social Security Office. Either option would be capped at 30% of the old-age savings and at no more than twice the maximum wage base used for contributions.
Cover after you stop working
For anyone worried about losing medical cover in retirement, one proposal stands out. Old-age pensioners who have left work could apply to stay insured for illness, disability and death, with the state paying one share of the contribution for every two shares paid by the insured person. The official summaries do not yet say what the contribution would be.
What happens next
According to the government spokesperson's statement, the bill now goes to the House of Representatives' coordination committee and then to the House itself. The cabinet also noted 18 pieces of secondary legislation that must be issued within 60 days of the amended law taking effect, so the practical detail is still to come. Employers would also see some penalties, such as for filing returns late, switched from criminal punishment to administrative fines. Until the bill passes, the current rules stay in place; the Social Security Office hotline is 1506 for questions about an individual's cover.