What Happened at the Ministry of Labour?
On April 24, 2025, Thailand's Ministry of Labour was alive with the energy of workers' rights advocates. Three major labour organisations — the Solidarity of Thai Labour (SSOT/สสรท.), the State Enterprise Workers' Relations Confederation (SRST/สรส.), and the Social Democratic Party of Thailand (สปท.) — jointly submitted a letter to the Minister of Labour demanding urgent action on workers' welfare.
Among the demonstrators, a critical exchange took place that would change the course of Thailand's social security pension battle. Dr. Boon Arayapon, founder of the "Khor Khuen Mai Dai Khor Than" (Demanding Return, Not Begging) movement, met with Sawit Kaewwan, Secretary-General of SRST, for a pointed discussion on legal strategy.
The Critical Distinction: Two Courts, Two Outcomes
Following Supreme Court Judgment 3307/2567 — confirming that the SSO's Section 39 pension calculation was unlawful — the movement faced a critical strategic question: how could this precedent benefit all affected workers, not just those who filed individual lawsuits?
Filing at the Administrative Court to annul or amend a ministerial regulation creates an order that applies to all insured workers in the system, automatically — not just the plaintiffs. This is fundamentally different from a Labour Court ruling, which only binds the individual who filed.
| Dimension | Labour Court | Administrative Court (Goal) |
|---|---|---|
| Binding Effect | Only the individual plaintiff | All insured workers in the system |
| Objective | Recover one person's rights | Revoke / amend ministerial regulation |
| Long-term Impact | Does not change the system | Changes the pension formula for everyone |
| Efficiency | Must fight case by case | Win once — everyone benefits |
From Supreme Court 3307 to Class Action
Sawit Kaewwan's guidance crystallised the path forward: consolidate thousands of affected workers and file a Class Action lawsuit at the Administrative Court — not just to win for individuals, but to force a revision of the ministerial regulation that permanently unlocks better pensions for every insured person in Thailand.
"The ultimate goal of filing at the Administrative Court is not to recover rights for one or two individuals. It is to force a change to the ministerial regulation, dismantle an unjust system, and unlock fair old-age pensions for every insured worker — so they can retire with dignity."
— Dr. Boon Arayapon · following the discussion with Sawit Kaewwan
7 Urgent Demands Submitted to Government
Beyond the pension fight, the coalition submitted seven urgent demands to the Labour Minister covering workers' welfare across all dimensions:
Reform the Social Security System
Return overdue government contributions of over ฿48 billion and equalise the three-party contribution rate (5% employer / 5% worker / 5% government).
Reject the CARE Pension Formula — #StopCARE
Abolish the new formula that cuts Section 33 pensions; ensure Section 39 pensions are not below the poverty line (฿3,078/month).
Equalise the Minimum Wage
Raise to ฿492 and ฿712 uniformly nationwide — the cost of living is the same everywhere.
End Short-Term Contract Employment
Abolish temporary contracts, subcontracting, and outsourcing arrangements that strip workers of job security.
Protect Informal Workers
Fast-track legislation covering gig workers, platform riders, and domestic workers, granting full labour rights.
Simplify Migrant Worker Permits
Abolish the complex and inaccessible E-work Permit system for migrant workers.
Ratify ILO Conventions 87 and 98
Guarantee rights to organise and collectively bargain — elevating labour standards and strengthening Thailand's FTA position with Europe.
Next Steps: Class Action for All Insured Workers
The convergence of the Khor Khuen movement and SSOT signals that the fight is escalating. The movement is now preparing to file a Class Action lawsuit against the Social Security Office at the Administrative Court — with 904+ members already enrolled and the Lawyers Council of Thailand considering taking the case as a public interest case under direct oversight.
A win at the Administrative Court would not just compensate individual plaintiffs — it would force the SSO to revise its pension calculation regulation permanently, benefiting every Section 39 insured worker in Thailand.
⚖️ Join the Class Action — 904+ Members and Growing
The more members we have, the stronger the case that this is a public interest issue. Every name matters.