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Thailand Social Security Pension Calculator
The monthly old-age pension from Thai social security, from months contributed and average wage, compared against the lump sum paid under 180 months.
Pension by how long you contributed
| Contributions | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | 20.0% | 3,000 | 36,000 |
| 18 years | 24.5% | 3,675 | 44,100 |
| 20 years | 27.5% | 4,125 | 49,500 |
| 25 years | 35.0% | 5,250 | 63,000 |
| 30 years | 42.5% | 6,375 | 76,500 |
| 35 years | 50.0% | 7,500 | 90,000 |
| 40 years | 57.5% | 8,625 | 103,500 |
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The AI assistant answers only questions about the calculator on this page.
The old-age benefit is something insured people accumulate across an entire working life, yet very few ever calculate what it will actually amount to until retirement is close and the figure turns out smaller than expected.
One threshold matters more than anything else here: 180 months. Below it you receive a single lump sum. At or above it you receive a monthly pension for the rest of your life. Over a retirement of twenty years or more, the difference between those two outcomes is enormous.
If you are a foreign employee in Thailand, this applies to you on the same terms — but with an extra consideration covered in the questions below about what happens if you leave the country.
How it works
Conditions for a pension. Three must all be met: at least 180 months of contributions, age 55 or above, and insured status having ended. The 180 months do not need to be consecutive — every period you contributed counts towards the total.
The pension formula. It starts at 20% of the average wage over the last 60 months, for someone with exactly 180 months. Every additional 12 months of contributions adds a further 1.5 percentage points.
So 240 months, or 20 years, gives 20% plus five years at 1.5% each, which is 27.5% of the average wage. 360 months, or 30 years, gives 42.5%.
The point that surprises people most. The average wage used is not your actual salary. It is the wage your contributions were calculated on, which is capped at the contribution ceiling. Someone earning 30,000 baht a month and someone earning 80,000 receive the same pension, because both were assessed at the same ceiling.
That ceiling rose from 15,000 to 17,500 baht at the start of 2026, and is scheduled to rise again to 20,000 and then 23,000. People with many working years ahead will benefit from the higher ceilings, while anyone close to retirement will have most of their last 60 months still sitting at the old ceiling.
Below 180 months a single lump sum is paid instead. Under 12 months of contributions returns only the employee’s own contributions. From 12 months up to 179, it returns both the employee’s and the employer’s contributions along with investment returns as declared by the Social Security Office. The employer share applies to Section 33 only — a Section 39 member has no employer, so the lump sum covers their own contributions and the investment return alone.
Section 39 produces a much smaller pension, because it calculates on a fixed wage base of 4,800 baht regardless of actual income. Anyone who has left employment and moved to Section 39 to preserve their entitlement should understand that the Section 39 period also drags down the 60-month average — a significant trade-off.
If a pensioner dies, heirs still receive something. Death within the first 60 months of drawing the pension entitles heirs to the remaining months, and where fewer than 10 months remain, to 10 times the monthly pension.
Frequently asked questions
How many years must I contribute to get a pension?
At least 180 months, which is 15 years, and they need not be consecutive — all contribution periods add together. You must also be 55 or older and have ended your insured status. Below 180 months you receive a lump sum instead.
I am a foreigner. What happens to this if I leave Thailand?
Your contributions and entitlement do not disappear when you leave. With 180 months or more you can claim the pension from age 55 once insured status has ended, and with less you can claim the lump sum. The practical difficulty is administrative rather than legal — claiming from abroad, keeping a Thai bank account open, and providing documents. Speak to the Social Security Office before you leave, and keep your contribution records. Note also that Thailand has social security agreements with only a small number of countries, so contributions here generally cannot be combined with those in your home country.
Does a higher salary mean a higher pension?
Only up to a point. The wage used is capped at the contribution ceiling, currently 17,500 baht. Someone on 30,000 baht a month and someone on 80,000 receive the same pension, because both are assessed at the same ceiling. This is exactly why higher earners should not rely on this pension alone for retirement.
Is it worth contributing beyond 180 months?
Yes. Every additional 12 months adds 1.5 percentage points to the rate, permanently, for the rest of your life. Fifteen years of contributions gives 20%; thirty years gives 42.5% — more than double.
If I die after starting the pension, is the money lost?
Not entirely. If death occurs within the first 60 months of drawing the pension, heirs receive the remaining months. Where fewer than 10 months remain, they receive 10 times the monthly pension instead.
Sources
Rates last verified 2 Sep 2026