Countries/Thailand/In-country employment
Southeast Asia · In-country employment
In-country employment in Thailand
Thailand is an automotive, Eastern Economic Corridor, and commercial market. Bangkok and EEC provinces sit at the top of the wage grid; other provinces sit lower.
Employer social security is capped, so the statutory add-on on a senior salary is small. Severance under the Labour Protection Act is not small.
Plan an in-country hire- ✓
Thai labour contract — The person is employed under the Labour Protection Act in the province of work.
- ✓
You still manage — Your managers set the work. We run the contract, social security, and payroll.
- ✓
No company first — Start the hire before you incorporate. Convert later if you open your own Thai entity.
Statutory stack
What sits on top of wages
Social security is 5% each, on a wage ceiling. These are statutory figures, not market salaries.
| Item | 2026 rule |
|---|---|
| Social security (employer) | 5% of wages, ceiling THB 17,500 from 1 January 2026 (max THB 875 / month) |
| Social security (employee) | 5%, same ceiling |
| Employee Welfare Fund | Scheduled from 1 October 2026 at 0.25% each, subject to commencement |
| Daily minimum wage | THB 337–400 by province; Bangkok and listed EEC / tourist provinces at THB 400 |
| 13th month | Not statutory; contractual if you write it in |
Role salary ranges are not on this page. Open the 2026 salary guide when those figures are published.
Choose a path
In-country employment vs incorporating
In-country employment is the usual path for a first Thailand hire or a plant office. A Thai company is the path when you want your own legal person.
| In-country employment | Your own entity | |
|---|---|---|
| When to use it | A first country hire, an EEC plant office, or a commercial seat that must start before the company exists. | When you want your own Thai company as the employer. |
| Who employs | A licensed local employer holds the contract. Your managers direct the work. | Your Thai company employs and registers social security in its own name. |
| Work permits | The local employer sponsors the work permit and visa that match the role. | Your company sponsors once it is eligible. |
Onboarding
From briefing to first payday
Social-security registration within 30 days of the hire, and a work permit if the person is a foreign national.
01
Briefing
Province of work, role, nationality, and start date.
02
Contract
Labour Protection Act contract, probation, and working-time system.
03
Social security and permit
SSO registration, and work-permit / visa steps for foreign hires.
04
First payday
Monthly pay, SSO, and PND.1 withholding.
05
Convert or close
Move onto your Thai entity, or pay statutory severance if you terminate.
Compliance
Five points that change the hire
01
Minimum wage is daily and provincial
There is no national monthly floor. Bangkok, Phuket, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, and Koh Samui sit at THB 400 a day under the Wage Committee announcement in force through 2026.
02
Social-security ceiling rose in 2026
From 1 January 2026 the wage ceiling is THB 17,500, so the maximum monthly contribution is THB 875 each. Payroll still using THB 15,000 is wrong.
03
Working time
Ordinary hours are generally 8 a day and 48 a week under the Labour Protection Act. Overtime is paid at statutory multiples.
04
Severance is tenure-based
Statutory severance scales with years of service and can reach 400 days' wages for long tenure. Budget it before you hire, not when you exit.
05
Work permit for foreigners
A foreign hire needs a work permit that matches the job and the location. A business visa is not permission to work.
Questions
FAQ
- Can we hire in Thailand without a Thai company?
- Yes. In-country employment puts the person on a local labour contract with social-security registration, while your managers direct the work.
- What is the Thailand minimum wage in 2026?
- A daily provincial rate between THB 337 and THB 400, from Wage Committee Announcement No. 14 (in force since 1 July 2025 and current through 2026). Bangkok and listed industrial / tourist provinces are THB 400 a day.
- How much is employer social security in Thailand?
- 5% of wages, capped at THB 875 a month from 1 January 2026 (ceiling THB 17,500). The employee pays the same.
- Is a 13th month required in Thailand?
- No. A bonus is contractual if you write it in, or if a consistent practice creates an entitlement.
Labour-law detail for Thailand sits on the hiring guide.
Other markets
Other in-country employment pages
Reviewed 11 September 2026
This is a hiring briefing for multinational employers, not legal advice. Statutory rates move by city, province, and sector. Confirm the place of work before you issue an offer.
Sources
- Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541
- Wage Committee Announcement No. 14 (provincial daily minimum wages)
- Ministerial regulation on social-security wage ceiling from 1 January 2026
Plan an in-country hire in Thailand
Tell us the city, the role, and when they need to start.