Thailand draft labour law could give foreign workers menstrual and family leave
A proposed labour law would expand leave and anti-discrimination protections for workers in Thailand, including foreigners legally employed on work permits.
Thailand’s Labour Ministry is preparing a draft labour law that could give workers menstrual-pain leave, family-care leave and more annual leave, while extending anti-discrimination protections to foreign employees legally working in the country, including Phuket.
The draft is not yet law. Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat outlined the proposals in a social media post on 8 November 2026, ahead of a second round of public hearings.
The proposed discrimination ban would cover origin, race, sex, age, physical condition, religious belief and political opinion. Employers would also have to provide a suitable place for breastfeeding, with new mothers entitled to at least two daily breaks of at least 30 minutes each to feed or express milk.
The ministry has not stated how many days of annual, menstrual or family-care leave would be available under the draft. Under the current Labour Protection Act, employees receive at least six working days of paid annual leave after completing one year of continuous service.
Julapun said workers should be treated as people with families rather than simply as factors of production, and that they deserved protection with dignity.
The draft follows calls from opposition MP Sia Jampathong and the Thai Textile, Garment and Leather Industry Labour Federation for the Cabinet to revive two stalled People’s Party labour bills. The ministry held its first consultation from 14 September to 14 October and plans to gather feedback from a second round before submitting the draft to the Cabinet.
The proposal is separate from the Labour Protection Act (No. 9), which took effect in December 2025. That law increased maternity leave from 98 to 120 days and granted spouses up to 15 days of paid parental leave.
