Thailand's Cabinet Approves the CARE Formula! — What Happens Next, and What Insured Workers Should Do
Today, 14 July 2026, Thailand's Cabinet approved "in principle" a draft ministerial regulation restructuring the old-age pension calculation formula — commonly known as the "CARE formula" — as proposed by the Ministry of Labour. This is a major development every Section 33 and Section 39 insured worker needs to understand immediately. But this is not the end of the story — this article summarises the verified facts, what's left in the process, and what you should do now.
What Happened — The Verified Facts
On 14 July 2026, Julapun Amornvivat, Minister of Labour, announced after the Cabinet meeting that the Cabinet had approved "in principle" the draft ministerial regulation on old-age benefit payments — which shifts pension calculation away from the old formula based on the final 60 months' wages, toward averaging wages across an insured worker's entire career, adjusted to present value. This is what's known as the "CARE formula" (Career-Average Revalued Earnings).
This Cabinet resolution affects approximately 600,000-800,000 pensioners.
"Cabinet approved in principle" is not the same as "now in force." Two more essential steps remain: review by the Office of the Council of State, and official publication in the Royal Gazette — which is the trigger for the 90-day window to file a lawsuit at the Administrative Court.
What's Left in the Process — Not Over Yet, Time Remains
Dr. Boon's Response Plan — 2 Immediate Actions
🆕 Update, 15 July — Letter Formally Submitted to the Council of State
Dr. Boon's team, together with the network of Section 33 and Section 39 insured-worker representatives, has formally submitted a letter objecting to and requesting a halt/review of the draft CARE ministerial regulation, addressed to the Secretary-General of the Council of State (Committee No. 8, Labour Law). Kru Betty (Bongkoch Tojan), a network representative, read the full statement.
Summary of the 6 Main Objections in the Letter
- Scope of legal authority — Changing the formula from "final 60 months" to "career-average" affects the essence of a statutory right; should this require parliamentary legislation rather than just a ministerial regulation?
- Public participation under Constitution Section 77 — Questions whether the public hearing process before submission to Cabinet genuinely reached the over 13 million insured workers with a direct stake.
- Equality — Unequal impact between workers whose wages rose late in their careers and those who paid at the contribution ceiling for years.
- Legitimate Expectation — Insured workers planned retirement around the old formula for decades; a sudden change undermines trust in the compulsory savings system.
- Proportionality of transitional relief — The 5-year relief period does not cover those retiring after 2031.
- Alternative proposal — Retain Best 60 Months alongside an adjusted wage ceiling, instead of restructuring the entire system.
Review the draft carefully; allow network representatives to present additional evidence; and if defects contrary to public-law principles are found, send the matter back to the Ministry of Labour for reconsideration before proceeding further.
Some Good News Too — Registration Extended 5 More Days
In the same period, the Social Security Office announced an extension of the voter registration window for the SSO Board election by 5 additional days (16-20 July 2026). Election day was originally set for 27 September 2026, but the election has since been postponed — a Central Administrative Court order (24 July 2026) suspended the mandatory registration rule itself, and no new date has been announced.
Even with the Cabinet's approval of CARE, having an independent board representative accountable to no one remains a critical mechanism for oversight and for pushing toward a fairer formula, such as Best 60 Months. Registering and voting still matters — regardless of where CARE's legal status currently stands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
🚨 Don't Let CARE Pass Without Pushback
Calculate your impact, report it, and prepare early
🧮 Calculate impact at /en/m33/ → 📝 Register before 20 July →