Thai government seeks public input on early retirement scheme for civil servants

The Thai government opened a 15‑day public consultation, running from 22 July to 5 August 2024, on proposals to allow early retirement for ordinary civil servants. The consultation is hosted on the central legal system portal (law.go.th) by the Digital Government Development Agency (DGA) and the Office of the Council of State.

Two target groups are proposed: Group 1 – civil servants aged 50 or older, or with at least 25 years of service (excluding double‑counted periods) and at least two years remaining before the normal retirement age; Group 2 – civil servants aged 40‑49 with at least 10 years of service. Within the first three days, nearly 8,000 comments were submitted.

The measure is part of a broader civil‑service reform agenda announced to the parliament on 9 April 2024, aimed at streamlining the bureaucracy, promoting digital transformation, enabling work‑from‑anywhere arrangements, and reducing non‑essential expenditures.