Work rules in Thailand 2025: legal requirements, filing timelines, penalties, and HR templates

gentlelawlawfirm
Sep 18
4 min read

Introduction

If your Thai entity has 10 or more employees, the Labour Protection Act requires written work rules in Thailand 2025 that meet statutory content, language, disclosure, and filing standards. This guide explains what must appear in the rules, when to announce and submit them, how long to retain related records, and what fines apply if you miss a step. Sources include the Labour Protection Act Sections 108 to 115 and the Ministry of Labour’s official guidance.

What counts as “work rules” and who needs them

An employer that employs 10 or more persons must provide written work rules in Thai. The rules must be available to employees, announced within a specific timeframe, and filed with the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare.

Work rules in Thailand 2025: minimum content you must include

Section 108 lists the mandatory subjects. Your rules must at least cover:

Working days, normal working time, and rest periods
Holidays and rules for taking holidays
Overtime and work on holidays
Date and place of payment of wages, overtime pay, holiday pay, and holiday overtime pay
Leave and rules for taking leave
Discipline and disciplinary measures
Lodging of grievances
Termination of employment, severance pay, and special severance pay

All of the above must be written in Thai.

Filing timeline and where to submit

Announce the rules within 15 days from the date your headcount reaches 10 employees. Keep a copy at the place of business or your office.
Submit a copy to the Director-General of the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, or a person entrusted, within 7 days from the announcement date.
Post and distribute the rules in a prominent position for employees to read and keep the rules accessible on site.
Amendments must be announced within 7 days from the date the amended rules take effect, and the same filing and posting obligations apply.

Practical note: many employers file by hand or post. Legal commentary confirms that authorities accept filings within the 7-day window after announcement. Check your local DLPW office for any available e-channels.

Record keeping and payroll evidence linked to your rules

If you employ 10 or more persons you must also:

Maintain an employee record in Thai at the business location or office, available for inspection during working time, and create it within 15 days of each hire. The record must contain the particulars listed by law such as name, nationality, start date, position, wage rate, and termination date.
Prepare and retain documents of wage and overtime payments with prescribed details, and obtain employee signatures as evidence of payment or retain bank transfer records. Keep the employee record and wage documents for at least two years, or longer if there is a complaint, dispute, or case pending.

Penalties for non-compliance

Failure to comply with Section 108 and related record obligations is punishable by a fine up to THB 20,000. Certain related failures trigger additional fines. Directors or responsible officers may be liable where applicable.

Practical HR templates that align with the statute

Use this outline to produce compliant work rules:

General provisions: scope, definitions, applicability to all departments and sites
Working time and rest: standard hours per your business, rest breaks, scheduling mechanics
Holidays and leave: statutory holidays, annual leave accrual and approval flow, sick leave certification, other leaves consistent with the Act
Overtime and holiday work: pre-approval process, rates reference to law, limits for hazardous work if applicable
Pay: pay date, pay location or bank transfer, payslip issuance, error correction procedure
Discipline: list of offenses, corrective steps, investigation process, proportional measures
Grievances: complaint scope, steps, investigation, timeline, protection for complainants as required by Section 109 particulars
Termination: notice, grounds, final pay, return of property, calculation references for severance and special severance

Write the official version in Thai for filing and posting. If you provide an English translation for foreign managers, state clearly that the Thai version controls.

Governance tips for foreign SMEs

Create a version control register with the announcement date, filing date, and Labour Inspector acknowledgement. This helps prove 15-day and 7-day compliance.
Build a simple staff acknowledgment step in onboarding that references the posted rules.
Align the discipline and grievance sections with your internal investigation SOP and data retention, so you can evidence fair process in disputes.
Train HR on amendment protocol. Announce amended rules within 7 days and re-file promptly.

How GENTLE LAW IBL helps

GENTLE LAW IBL drafts bilingual work rules that meet Section 108 content, prepares grievance procedures that satisfy Section 109 particulars, handles filing with DLPW within the statutory windows, and sets up record-keeping under Sections 112 to 115 so inspection readiness is continuous.

Conclusion and call to action

Once you know the statutory content, the 15-day announcement, the 7-day filing, and the posting duty, work rules in Thailand 2025 are straightforward. For a template that is compliant and tailored to your sector, speak with GENTLE LAW IBL.

📩 Book a consultation: https://gentlelawibl.com