The Labour Ministry has made a reassuring announcement that the 400-baht minimum wage will be implemented nationwide by the end of the year, according to Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. However, some necessary procedural steps need to be taken first, including waiting for the official appointment of two replacement members from the tripartite wage committee. These positions are the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and the Director-General of the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW), whose previous incumbents retired at the end of September.
Just yesterday, Mr. Boonsong Thapchaiyuth was named the new Permanent Secretary, while the nomination for the new Director-General of the DLPW is set to be submitted to the cabinet for approval next week, Minister Phiphat disclosed.
As for the representative from the Bank of Thailand (BoT), the ministry still awaits a decision on whether this member, who retired from the BoT last year but remains eligible to serve on the wage committee until March of the following year, will be replaced. Minister Phiphat mentioned that the new Permanent Secretary would seek clarification on this matter with the BoT.
“I assure you that we will proceed with raising the minimum wage to 400 baht by the year’s end. Once the committee is fully assembled, we can move forward,” he reiterated with confidence.
In parallel, the ministry has also announced plans to amend certain regulations in the next two months to guarantee that monthly employees are entitled to overtime (OT) rights. The recent discussion between the Minister and Panat Thailuan, president of the National Congress of Thai Labour (NCTL), along with representatives from seven labor councils, prompted this initiative. They had submitted petitions calling for changes to Ministerial Regulations No. 7 and No. 13 under the Labour Protection Act BE 2541 (1998).
Presently, these ministerial regulations preclude monthly-paid employees from receiving overtime pay on the same terms as daily wage workers. Minister Phiphat has thus instructed a tripartite panel—including seven representatives each from groups of employers, employees, and the government—to study the potential impacts of these regulatory revisions.
The panel will contemplate allowing monthly workers to receive overtime compensation at 1.5 times their hourly rate for regular workdays and at a triple rate for work completed on their days off.
Additionally, Minister Phiphat has directed the DLPW to convene meetings on this issue and to report the findings from their study on the law amendments within the next two months.
Raising the minimum wage to 400 baht is great, but will it actually help the economy in the long run?
Of course it will! It puts more money in the hands of the workers.
But what about businesses struggling with even higher costs? They might end up hiring fewer employees.
That’s a valid point. It seems like there are pros and cons either way.
Implementing OT rights for monthly employees is long overdue! Daily workers have been getting an unfair advantage for years.
I don’t see the problem with that. Monthly workers already have their job security.
Job security doesn’t pay the bills when I’m working extra hours though!
Totally agree with Samantha. More OT = Fair compensation for actual hours worked.
Will the revised labour regulations chase foreign investors away? This worries me.
Why should we care about foreign investors over the well-being of our own workers?
Because without investment, there might not be any jobs to begin with.
Gotta say, Larry has a point. Economics is a balancing act.
I’m seeing no mention of how this will affect the cost of living. Prices might skyrocket!
Higher wages often lead to inflation. Cost of living is indeed a huge concern.
But wouldn’t a more equitable wage balance out the inflated prices?
It might, but if costs rise faster than wages, we might be in the same boat.
Will someone please explain to me how 400 baht can suffice in today’s economy? Seems too little to me.
Great to see regulatory changes finally coming through. OT rights should have been standard ages ago.
Don’t celebrate too soon. These things take time and might end up getting watered down.
True, but pushing for it is better than not trying at all.
How will the wage increase and OT benefits affect the different sectors like tourism or agriculture?
Tourism probably won’t feel it as much, but agriculture could see some stress due to seasonal labor demands.
Makes sense, though tourism fluctuates with the season too.
I just hope they don’t delay this wage hike again. Workers have been waiting for too long.
Given the procedural steps mentioned, it could definitely be delayed.
Bringing in equality for monthly employees and daily wage workers is a massive step forward.
I fear small businesses will go under with these new wage requirements.
Then maybe it’s time the government supports small businesses more?
Government support is often too little, too late. We need sustainable business models.
What happens if the tripartite committee can’t agree? Will this all be for nothing?
There are procedures in place to mediate and push things forward even if consensus isn’t reached immediately.
Hope so. We can’t afford more delays.
A wage of 400 baht might seem like progress, but it’s still just scratching the surface of real economic issues.
Completely agree. This doesn’t address inequality at its core.
Interesting how they haven’t talked about the necessary training or upskilling for workers to keep pace with such changes.
Because nobody wants to talk about what’s difficult! Training and upskilling are tough to implement.
When will we see a similar focus on healthcare benefits for workers? That’s equally important.
Think about it, OT rights for monthly employees could lead to a better work-life balance!
Has anyone calculated the real cost of implementing these changes? It sounds expensive.