You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

October 7, 2022

Thailand Lifts Prohibition on Lockouts and Strikes

Subscribe to Updates

On October 3, 2022, Thailand’s Ministry of Labour issued an announcement canceling the prohibition on lockouts and strikes, which had been in place since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While this cancellation does not apply to ongoing labor disputes already being considered under the interim arrangements, it will apply to all other labor disputes from October 5, 2022, when it was published in the Government Gazette.

Lockouts and strikes are basic rights of employers and employees under the Labour Relations Act B.E. 2518 (1975). However, these rights can be suspended—as they have been since May 8, 2020, when the Ministry of Labour announced that all labor disputes that could not be resolved through negotiation must be presented to the Labour Relations Committee in lieu of organizing strikes or lockouts. The announcement referred to the necessity of such special administration during the COVID-19 situation in order to prevent possible negative impacts on both employers and employees.

On September 30, 2022, Thailand ended its COVID-19 emergency decree and dissolved the country’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration. In light of this, the Ministry of Labour decided to end the requirement that unresolved labor disputes be sent to the Labour Relations Committee.

The ministry’s cancellation of the prohibition will once again allow employers and employees to organize lockouts and strikes under the Labour Relations Act, starting October 5, 2022.

For more details on this development, or for assistance with employment-related questions or disputes in Thailand, please contact Tilleke & Gibbins at [email protected] or +66 2056 5555.

Related Professionals

Practices

Employment

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

June 1, 2012
Many employers are unaware that terminations of employees, if not carefully considered and conducted, could not only lead to claims of civil liability for unfair termination but also potentially impose criminal liability on the company and its directors as an unfair act. It is extremely important to clearly understand what constitutes unfair termination and an unfair act, and their differences.
Read More
February 14, 2012
The ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) was signed in 1995, and among its goals was “to liberalize trade in services by expanding the scope and depth of liberalization beyond those undertaken by Member States under the GATS with the aim to realize a free trade area in services” (Article 1(c)). As a general matter, AFAS adopts the same four modes of supply as used in GATS, including (1) cross-border supply, (2) consumption abroad, (3) commercial presence, and (4) presence of natural persons.
Read More
December 29, 2011
As companies start to rebuild and recover from the recent devastating floods, many managers are taking a good hard look at their bottom line, searching for ways to survive and minimize loss. This assessment is happening in accounting departments nationwide, but is particularly prevalent in Thailand’s once-flooded industrial parks, where managers must contend with damaged machinery and a workforce on standby.
Read More
December 23, 2011
This chapter provides an overview of the legal system and key laws for foreign companies doing business in Thailand. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the chapter examines the rules governing foreign investment, business vehicles, employment, tax, competition, intellectual property, marketing agreements, e-commerce, data protection, and product liability.
Read More