Grab today awarded scholarship grants totalling THB 1,000,000 to 200 of its driver-partners’ children to support their education needs. In a joint ceremony held together with the Social Security Office under the Ministry of Labour, Grab also announced it is contributing three months of social security payments to 200 of its driver-partners. At the event, representatives from the Social Security Office also shared useful information on social security coverage to help driver-partners better understand their rights and privileges.

“We know that nothing is more important to our driver-partners than their families. They work really hard so that they can provide a better future for their children. Hence beyond taking care of the welfare of our driver-partners, we want to help them care for their families too. As part of that, we hope to help lighten the load of their responsibilities by supporting their kids’ education. At the same time, we want to remind our driver-partners not to neglect their own well-being. That’s why we would like to encourage them to participate in the government’s social security program – to give their loved one’s peace of mind,” Tarin Thaniyavarn, Country Head of Grab Thailand said.

Tarin Thaniyavarn, Country Head of Grab Thailand welcomes driver-partners and their children.

This is Grab’s second ‘Grab the Future’ initiative. The first round of scholarships was awarded in May this year, to 100 children of Grab’s driver-partners. For the second ‘Grab the Future’ program, beyond the scholarships, Grab has also partnered with the Social Security Office under the Ministry of Labour to encourage more of Grab’s driver-partners to apply for social security under Section 40 of Thai law, under which they will receive compensation for medical expenses, accidents, and other welfare benefits. Grab is contributing three months’ worth of social security to 200 driver-partners, with the driver-partners themselves choosing the plans they can afford in the long run.

Aumpun Thuvavit, Deputy Secretary-General of the Social Security Office explained: “We are truly glad that Grab Thailand is piloting this initiative by encouraging its driver-partners to apply for social security under Section 40 and supporting the drivers’ social security contributions. We also appreciate Grab’s invitation for our Social Security specialist to give a lecture today to encourage independent contractors to be in the social security system under Section 40. The insured will receive welfare benefits including compensation for medical expenses, accidents leading to disabilities, and more social security coverage. Our focus is to give Thai people better life assurance and reducing inequality without leaving anyone behind.”

Grab’s executives welcome executives and staff from the Social Security Office.

Recipients of the social security contributions were selected based on the criteria that the driver-partner would need to have been with Grab for at least two years or shown exceptional performance over a period of six months, as well as have high passenger ratings. Recipients for the scholarships were chosen under similar criteria, with the additional requirement that the driver-partner have children studying in K-12 level in 2018 or pursuing an undergraduate degree in 2019.

Two of the families who received the scholarships shared their sentiments after receiving this award.

Kongsin’s family

The first family is Mek Kongsin’s family which has 1 daughter. He shared that, “Children’s education expenses are a concern for our family, so we are thankful for Grab’s generosity in this area. I’ve been with Grab for quite some time now. It’s a good way to earn additional income, but more than that I am grateful that they look after our well-being.”

Piryapohn Kongsin, his daughter said, “I see my dad as my hero. He works so many hours into the night to pay for my studies, so I’m really proud of him.”

Asawanarongdech’s family

The next family is that of Suthas Asawanarongdech who is a GrabBike(Win) driver with 1 son. He joined Grab to pay for his son’s tuition. “Social security is not something I thought about applying for by myself before. But now I see that it’s important, because it’s not only about taking care of myself, it is so that my family do not have to worry when I go out to work. And having Grab support me on this makes me feel really grateful that they try to understand our concerns and help us to plan ahead,” Suthas said.