Imagine the buzz and anticipation that filled the air as over 800,000 savvy members of the Social Security Fund geared up for a historic rendezvous on a sunny Sunday morning. The occasion? To flex their democratic muscles in the first-ever election of Social Security Board members. It was a landmark moment and the talk of the town, as noted by the Social Security Office’s esteemed secretary-general Boonsong Thapchaiyuth. Hoards of members, out of an impressive ensemble of 12 million, had inked their intent to vote. I bet you, the number was startling but just a drop in the ocean of the SSF’s vast membership.
Let’s talk money, honey. A cool 207 million baht was plunked down for this electoral extravaganza. The board, akin to an all-star cast, features luminaries from the crème de la crème of Thai ministries such as labour, finance, interior, and public health, not to forget the Budget Bureau hotshots, alongside the brains of employers and employees. The mission? To cherry-pick seven titans each from team employer and team employee, to steer the colossal 2.4 trillion baht fund.
Boonsong shared that they pulled out the big guns with a “one man, one vote” voting style, mirroring the grandeur of general elections. Ten teams with a battalion of 288 eager prospects lined up to become the voice of the employees. You can just picture voters—where each had the power to pick their magnificent seven from any team.
Speaking of teams, the employer’s side wasn’t any less impressive with a lineup of 66 eager candidates, poised for the limelight. Across the nation, *934* polling stations unfurled their welcome mats to the collective of eligible voters.
Let’s zoom in on Prof Worawet Suwanrada, an academic maestro from Chulalongkorn University and a knight in shining armor for the employee camp. Prof Worawet, a passionate advocate for pension schemes and a financial whiz, pledged to harness his expertise to bolster the fund to dizzying heights of prosperity. Peering into the crystal ball, he foresaw the SSF grappling with the emerging trend of a new generation embracing the gig economy. His clarion call was for the fund to stretch its umbrella to cover these self-employed mavericks and freelancing maestros.
Moreover, Prof Worawet’s vision was for the Social Security Office brethren to relish the same perks as their counterparts under the Public Health Ministry’s universal health care regime. Now, isn’t that something?
Not to be outdone, Asst Prof Sustarum Thammaboosadee of Thammasat University fame and a proud nominee of the Progressive Social Security team—backed by the vigorous Move Forward Party—used his platform to make a battle cry for votes. He threw the spotlight on his diverse coalition, encompassing the feisty spirits from disabled rights groups and the labor union stalwarts.
However, the path to electoral glory wasn’t sans pitfalls. A voter, who may as well have been any man on the street, voiced his qualms about the odyssey to the polling station. With a shrug of resignation, he spoke for many as he contemplated skipping the ballot dance. Why? All because the trek to the nearest station was a bridge too far from his humble abode.
And so, as the story goes, this mix of enthusiasm, hope, and a dash of skepticism unfolded. It was not just another day in the annals of Thai democracy. It was a day where every registered member could make their mark—quite literally—on the future of social security in Thailand. Ah, what a time to be alive!
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