BANGKOK — 30 July 2026, Thailand’s Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has opened public consultation on a draft regulation that would extend maternity leave for female employees of state enterprises from 98 to 120 days.
State enterprises are government-owned or government-controlled businesses that provide commercial or public services, such as the State Railway of Thailand, Thai Post, the Government Savings Bank and electricity authorities. Their employees are not civil servants, and their employment conditions are regulated separately from those in ordinary private companies.
The draft would amend the minimum employment standards set by the State Enterprise Labour Relations Committee, which establishes baseline conditions across state enterprises. It would allow eligible employees to take up to 120 days of maternity leave and receive wages at their normal rate throughout the leave, capped at 120 days.
The proposal is intended to bring state-enterprise maternity leave in line with the 120-day entitlement already available to private-sector employees under the Labour Protection Act (No. 9), which took effect in December 2025.
However, the proposed pay provision would go further than the private-sector statutory minimum. Private-sector employees are entitled to up to 120 days’ maternity leave, but employers are required to pay full wages for only the first 60 days. Under the amended Labour Protection Act, private-sector employees may also take up to 15 additional days of leave at 50% pay to care for a newborn with qualifying medical conditions. The law also grants private-sector employees up to 15 days of fully paid leave to assist a spouse after childbirth.
The state-enterprise consultation concerns maternity leave only. It does not alter the separate leave rules for civil servants, nor does it automatically change benefits offered under individual state enterprises’ employment agreements, which may already exceed the minimum standard.
Labour Protection and Welfare Department director-general Capt. Saroj Khomkhai said the measure is intended to improve workers’ quality of life, support families and strengthen national labour protections.
Employers, state-enterprise employees, relevant organisations and members of the public may submit comments through the government’s Law Portal until 24 August 2026.
