Thailand's Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) is stepping up action to extend labour rights to domestic workers, the majority of whom are women, with support from the ILO's European Union-funded PROTECT project. New initiatives are helping workers understand their rights and strengthening the capacity of labour inspectors to ensure that protections are applied nationwide.
"Without enforcement the laws are only words on paper. If we understand the content of the law and the law is enforced effectively, it would be most beneficial for all of us." - Jantana Ekeurmanee, Project Manager of Foundation of Labour and Employment Promotion, an NGO which supports migrant domestic workers in Thailand.
As part of this effort, the DLPW organized a training in Bangkok on 24 August where domestic workers learned about their entitlements under Thai labour law, including minimum wages, working hours, maternity leave and protection against dismissal due to pregnancy. In parallel, 30 labour inspectors from 10 provinces were trained on how to address the specific challenges faced by domestic workers, using a new inspection manual developed with ILO support. A further 30 inspectors will be trained in September.
These efforts build on progress made in April 2024, when Ministerial Regulation No. 15 concerning protection of domestic workers was amended to extend key provisions of Labour Protection Act to domestic workers, both nationals and migrants. These protections included the right to an eight-hour workday with a daily rest period, the minimum wage, leave for necessary personal business, and 98 days of maternity leave per pregnancy, with 45 days paid. The amendment also prohibits dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy, addressing a longstanding vulnerability for women workers in the sector. According to Thailand's Informal Economy Survey, in 2018 there were nearly 290,000 domestic workers were employed in the country, seven out of ten were women. The survey showed that the sector continues to provide employment opportunities for women and is increasingly for men too particularly in roles such as driving.
"I am so glad to learn that we have the same rights with Thai workers. This really makes me feel at ease and feel protected in Thailand." - Myanmar domestic worker who participated in the training.
While there are still some gaps in ensuring that domestic workers have the same labour rights as other workers, including access to overtime and severance pay under the Labour Protection Act, the new Ministerial regulation provides significant protections to this vulnerable category of workers. It also marks a decisive step towards bringing Thai law in line with the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189).
