It is important for foreigners setting up a business in Thailand , managing one or working for one to familiarise themselves with the Kingdom’s basic business laws.
Here are some of the key points to bear in mind. It would also be wise to keep a comprehensive copy of employment laws at hand in the event a situation or dispute arises.
Working hours:
In general, the working day should not exceed 8 hours per day and should not exceed 48 hours per week.
The exception to this is for those employees working in an environment that is prescribed by Ministerial Regulations as being potentially harmful to their health or safety. These employees should not exceed 7 hours work per day or more than 42 hours per week.
Holidays:
An employee is entitled to at least one day off per week. The interval between weekly holidays shall be no longer than 6 days
The specific day for weekly holiday can be agreed in advance between the employee and employer.
There are exceptions to this rule for those working in the hotel, transport, and forestry sectors as well as those working in remote areas or other work prescribed in Ministerial Regulations. In these instances, with an agreement between employer and employee, weekly holidays can be accumulated and taken at a later time, but over no longer a period than 4 consecutive weeks.
National holidays:
An employee is entitled to not less than 13 days national holiday per annum and when a national holiday falls on a weekend the following working day shall be granted as a holiday. Basic pay shall be given for these holidays
Annual vacation:
Any employee who has worked continuously for 1 full year is entitled to an annual vacation of not less than six working days. They are also entitled to full basic pay during this vacation.
Any employer can grant an annual vacation on a pro-rata basis for any employee who has worked for less than one year.
Sick Leave:
An employee is allowed 30 working days per annum sick leave with full pay.
Laws should be adhered to:
It is important that both employer and employees understand the basic employment laws and abide by them. But, to use an analogy: A happy ship is an efficient ship.
Keep your employees happy, make it clear to everyone who is boss and treat colleagues as you would expect to be treated. By achieving this balance, it will surely produce a more productive working environment and encourage everyone to go that extra mile for the good of the company.