Financing Social Protection through General Tax Revenues, Social Security Contributions and Formalisation in Thailand

This report provides a comprehensive assessment of Thailand's social protection system and examines strategies to enhance benefit levels and expand coverage in areas beyond healthcare. The report explores potential tax policy reforms to social security contributions, the value added tax, corporate and personal income taxes, and health and environmentally-related taxes, to mobilise additional tax revenue. The report also assesses measures to expand social insurance, including through the introduction of a presumptive tax regime. In the medium to long term, domestic revenue mobilisation and formalisation efforts will become increasingly crucial as social protection financing needs are expected to rise significantly due to rapid population ageing and the impacts of climate change.