BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s Social Security Office announced a major expansion of dental benefits for insured workers under Sections 33 and 39, starting 1 May 2026.
More benefits for SSO members from May 2026
Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat said on 17 April that the ministry had instructed the Social Security Office (SSO) to expand entitlements to dental services. The move was intended to improve quality of life, reduce healthcare expenses and make access to medical services more comprehensive and efficient.
The extended benefits applied to insured persons under Sections 33 and 39 of Thailand’s social security system. According to the ministry, the start date for the new package was 1 May 2026.
Treatment in public contracted facilities: scope and costs
In public facilities with contracts with the SSO, fillings, scaling, tooth extractions and wisdom tooth operations were covered in all cases. Additional services such as root planing and bone corrections to prepare the mouth for a denture were also provided as medically necessary without a fixed upper limit.
Insured persons generally did not have to pay anything as long as treatment took place in the regular service area. However, when treated in a “special clinic”, patients had to pay the doctor’s fee themselves, based on fee rates for Thais published by the Ministry of Public Health in its 2025 notification.
Higher denture subsidies in public facilities
For dentures, the reimbursement framework was raised and would range from 1,500 to 6,000 baht, depending on the type of prosthesis. For denture repairs, 900 baht per procedure was set.
The SSO said this responded to the often high out-of-pocket payments for dentures that had burdened many insured persons. The specific amounts were explicitly listed in the new benefit package.
Implant option for toothless jaws: new benefit added
A new entitlement was introduced for implant-based solutions to stabilise a full denture for people who had lost all their teeth and could not wear a removable prosthesis. The package provided 17,500 baht for the surgical procedure and 3,300 baht for the implant set.
According to the SSO, the benefit also included continuous follow-up care after treatment. This rule applied in both public and private contracted networks.
Private contracted facilities: annual limits and extra surgery rates
In private facilities with SSO contracts, fillings, scaling and tooth extractions were covered up to an annual limit of 900 baht. If actual costs exceeded this 900-baht ceiling, insured persons had to pay the difference themselves.
For wisdom tooth operations in private contracted facilities, additional rates of 1,500 to 2,500 baht per tooth were specified, without any extra payment required from patients beyond these amounts. Denture subsidies in private clinics were also raised to 1,500 to 6,000 baht, with repairs covered at 900 baht per case.
Eligibility: contribution months and post-insurance coverage
SSO Secretary-General Kanchana Poolkaew said entitlement to dental benefits arose when insured persons had paid at least three contribution months within the 15 months prior to the treatment date. This requirement was decisive for granting benefits.
There was also a post-insurance period: services could still be claimed for up to six months after insurance coverage ended. This was intended to reduce gaps in care during transitions out of the system.
Treatment without SSO contract: upfront payment and reimbursement
Anyone using a facility without an SSO contract, whether public or private, had to pay all costs upfront. A reimbursement could then be requested according to the applicable criteria.
Applications could be submitted via the “e-Self Service” system or directly at SSO offices nationwide. Information was available from SSO offices in Bangkok and the provinces, as well as via the 24-hour hotline 1506.
Contract network in progress: clinic list to go online
The Social Security Office stated that it was in the process of signing agreements with hospitals and clinics willing to provide dental services to insured persons. The goal was to build a sufficiently dense network of service points.
The names of contracted facilities were to be published on an ongoing basis on the SSO website www.sso.go.th. Insured persons would thus be officially informed about available treatment locations.