Social Security Board Member Questions 38M Office Construction Plan
Social Security Office board member Sathit Thammathat has questioned a 38 million baht plan to build a new office in Samut Songkhram, arguing the cost is not justified by the low staff and visitor numbers. He recommended renting instead and urged the incoming board to review the project. He also warned against writing off employer debts without stronger systems to prevent future arrears.
Sathit Thammathat, acting board member of the Social Security Office on the employer side, has challenged the agency's plan to build a new 38 million baht office in Mae Klong district, Samut Songkhram. At the board's 13th meeting on October 19, members discussed the project and raised concerns about its value for money. Sathit noted that spreading the 38 million baht cost over 20 years equals about 150,000 baht monthly, while the office would serve roughly 30 employees and only 100 visitors per day. The new site is also 6-7 kilometres from the current office, potentially inconveniencing the public. He proposed alternatives such as renting office space or adapting existing premises to reduce long-term costs, aligning with the Labour Ministry's directive to limit new government building projects. He urged the incoming board to review the project thoroughly.
On the separate issue of writing off bad debts, Sathit acknowledged accounting rules allow it but stressed that preventing arrears is more important. He called for systematic medium- and long-term plans to stop employers from defaulting on contributions, citing cases where companies linked to large listed firms or their directors had repeatedly fallen behind. Writing off debts does not erase them, he said, but it often ends active collection efforts. He insisted the caretaker board should not finalize write-offs and that the new board must establish clear frameworks and serious tracking systems to prevent recurring arrears. Sathit abstained from the write-off vote and asked that his objections be recorded for the next board's consideration.
