Working Time Rules: Thailand
Thailand: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
Statutory working time
Under the Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998, s.23), working hours for general work may not exceed 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. For hazardous work, the limits are 7 hours per day and 42 hours per week.
Overtime
Overtime on a working day is paid at no less than one and a half times the hourly wage rate. Work on a holiday within normal hours adds one times the wage, and holiday work beyond normal hours is paid at three times the hourly rate.
Rest periods
At least one hour of rest during the working day, falling within the first five hours of work. It may instead be split into intervals of at least twenty minutes that together total an hour. Weekly holidays are at least one day a week, with no more than six days between them.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.