BANGKOK — Thailand’s House of Representatives has approved new labor legislation that significantly expands parental leave benefits. The bill extends maternity leave for female workers from the current 98 days to 120 days, while also establishing paternity leave for fathers and spouses to assist with childcare responsibilities.
Under the new provisions, employers must provide full salary compensation for paternity leave, capped at 15 working days. This marks a major advancement in Thailand’s workplace policies supporting new parents.
The legislation also grants extended rights for female employees to take continuous leave for childcare in cases where the child has health issues, abnormalities, or disabilities. The law further allows employees to take leave to assist their spouse who has given birth and to help with child-rearing responsibilities.
The amendment increases the number of paid days for pregnant female employees taking maternity leave. Employers are required to provide continuous wage payments to female employees, paying wages equivalent to regular working day rates throughout the leave period at 50% of the daily wage rate.
The legislation received strong parliamentary backing during yesterday’s session, with an overwhelming 416 lawmakers voting in favor, no opposition votes, one abstention, and three members absent from the vote.
Having cleared the House of Representatives, the Labor Protection Act amendment will now advance to the Senate for final legislative review before potentially becoming law.
This policy change represents Thailand’s effort to modernize its labor standards and better support working families during the critical early months of parenthood, with special consideration for families facing additional challenges.
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