On May 20, reporters noted a Facebook post by the page “Progressive Social Security” revealing a controversial proposal by the bureaucratic arm of the Social Security Office (SSO). The proposed new meeting regulations reportedly aim to restrict public access to information.
The post criticized the SSO for proposing rules that emphasize concealing information rather than increasing transparency, especially amid growing public scrutiny of social security fund management. The SSO's actions were labeled as counterproductive, arguing that social security funds are public money and that secrecy erodes public trust and impairs policy implementation that requires citizen cooperation.
In contrast, representatives of insured persons had previously advocated for greater openness, including a live broadcast of the first board meeting of 2024 held on March 8, and proposed gradual information disclosure — such as publishing official meeting reports.
These proposals align with the principles of Thailand’s Official Information Act and the PDPA, both of which promote the maximum possible public disclosure of administrative information. The board emphasized that confidentiality should be the exception, not the norm.
The post stressed that the Social Security Office is a public welfare organization, not a military or intelligence agency, and should maintain the highest level of public access to its operations. Despite these calls, six out of 21 board members advocating transparency have yet to receive support from other parties.
Furthermore, the proposed regulations — specifically Clauses 11 and 27 — were cited as attempts to curtail the power of board members representing the public by transferring information disclosure authority solely to the office and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, who chairs the board. The public is now being urged to closely monitor and scrutinize the SSO's decisions.