Understanding Thailand’s business culture is crucial for ensuring sustainable and compliant operations. However, identifying skilled employees capable of fostering company growth, while simultaneously adhering to Thailand’s employment compliance laws, is the true key to effective hiring ventures.

Recruiting in Thailand

If you’re in charge of recruiting in Thailand, it’s best to have some understanding of the Thai language. While most people in Thailand speak a decent level of English, it’s important to know basic-level Thai to navigate the bureaucracy and show sensitivity to the culture.

In Thailand, you’ll find many different options for recruiting. A good place to advertise positions is JobsDB.com, one of the largest online job databases as well as a useful website to find bilingual candidates. Jobthai.com and jobtopgun.com are other notable websites for recruiting in Thailand. Many local professionals are also on LinkedIn, which allows companies to directly reach out to certain types of workers, including independent contractors.

According to the country’s laws, an ordinary Thai company generally must have 4 Thai employees for every international employee. Exceptions may apply for promoted companies, representative offices, treaty or BOI privileges, specialized roles, or other regulated categories. In 2016, the Government of Thailand published the Government Gazette the Royal Decree on Recruitment of Foreigners B.E. 2559 (A.D. 2016) (Royal Decree), which protects the interests of international workers in the country. The law includes certain restrictions against recruiting international employees, including the following:

  • Companies may need permission from the Director-General of the Department of Employment before recruiting foreign workers, depending on the worker type, role, and work permit route.
  • Any international recruiter must be licensed by the DG.
  • Companies must place a guarantee with the DG against the expenses and damages that could come from hiring international employees.
  • Employers could face civil and criminal penalties for failing to comply with the Royal Decree. Serious recruitment violations can carry a maximum prison term of 10 years.

Thailand employment laws

One of the best ways to stay compliant when hiring is to draft a strong employment contract. This contract can generally be oral or written, but a written contract is strongly recommended to document key employment terms and reduce disputes. However, we recommended a written contract that clearly states the employee’s compensation, benefits, and termination conditions before the new hire’s first day. Make sure to specify currency amounts in Thai baht (THB) instead of another currency.

Working hours cannot generally exceed 48 hours a week, or 8 hours a day. Hazardous work is usually capped at 42 hours a week. Overtime, holiday work, and holiday overtime are generally limited to 36 hours a week combined. Thailand employment laws also stipulate that employees get a minimum of 1 rest day per week, and the interval between those rest days cannot exceed 6 days. Some types of work may allow weekly holidays to be accumulated or postponed by agreement.

Onboarding in Thailand

Every company onboards employees differently, so you’ll need to determine the best way to introduce new employees to your company’s processes while keeping the following best practices in mind:

  • Go over the employment contract with all new employees to ensure they agree with the terms.
  • Schedule any necessary training for the employee’s first day or week.
  • Have the employee sign a code of conduct.
  • Develop a buddy program.

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