Bangkok: The Cabinet has given its approval to a draft ministerial regulation aimed at providing unemployment benefits to individuals affected by the ongoing fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border. Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat announced that the regulation would extend social security coverage to insured persons who are unable to work due to the conflict or whose employers are unable to operate normally. The Ministry of Labor and the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) have been tasked with implementing these regulations.

According to Thai News Agency, the regulation will grant eligible individuals benefits similar to those provided for force majeure events. Specifically, affected workers will receive 50 percent of their daily wages during their period of unemployment, employer denial of work, or cessation of business operations, with a maximum duration of 180 days. The benefits are set to be applied retroactively from July 24, 2025.

Estimates suggest that approximately 2,435 people will claim these benefits, amounting to around 23.4 million baht in unemployment payouts due to force majeure situations stemming from the border conflict. This payout is considered manageable when compared to the unemployment fund’s accumulated investments of 188,797 million baht, indicating that the Social Security Fund for unemployment will not face a significant financial strain.