On May 23, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Satsadaram Thammabutsadee, a member of the Social Security Board, posted on his Facebook page “Sustarum Thammaboosadee” expressing concern over an unexpected emergency meeting of the Social Security main board scheduled for tomorrow at 2:00 PM at the Social Security Office.
Dr. Satsadaram criticized the Social Security Office’s insistence on producing annual calendars despite public opposition and noted the sudden call for a board meeting following a mere comment from a high-ranking official. In contrast, other pressing issues such as member benefits, unresolved inquiries like the Skyy9 case, and pending committee-level matters, have seen no progress or board action.
He further raised concerns over the government’s plan to use 10 billion baht from previously withheld social security funds (part of the 157-billion-baht economic stimulus budget approved by the Cabinet) to finance economic activities. He questioned the logic, asking:
“How can the government use the money it owes to stimulate the economy? What kind of debtor acts like this?”
Despite the government recently reporting a 3% GDP growth, Dr. Satsadaram argued it was inappropriate for the government to tap into social security reserves owed to the fund’s members, calling the move unfair and lacking transparency.
He urged the public and concerned parties to closely follow tomorrow’s board meeting, hinting at possible implications for the future of the social security fund and its governance.