Last updated on September 23, 2025.
Paid Time Off (PTO) in Thailand
Vacation (Annual Leave) Quota
6 days
Employees in Thailand may take 6 days of statutory paid vacation. This is a legal minimum; an employer may provide their employees with longer vacation leave. An employee may enjoy full vacation entitlement after one year of employment. Any full-time employee whose employment is shorter than a full year receives pro-rated vacation entitlement, according to the number of months of actual service in the company.
Leave for Monkhood or Hajj
Employees eligible for vacation are permitted up to 120 days of leave for monkhood (confinement and devotion to spiritual work for Buddhists) or Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims).
Carryover
A company carryover policy is arranged in advance between both parties: an employee and an employer.
Substitute Holiday (Time Off In Lieu Holiday)
If a day in which a public holiday occurs is on a Saturday, employees receive an extra day instantly after it, which is then added to their vacation days. This substitute day (time off in lieu) must be used within the year in which it was given and may not be rolled over (carried over) to the next year.
PTO payout at the Termination
Employees may be dismissed a number of different bases (even without explicit reason). However, all owed payments—such as severance pay, overtime, but also untaken vacation days, and all compensations outlined in the employment contract—must be settled in 3 days after ending the service of an employee.
Sick Leave in Thailand
30 paid days per year.
Regular employees in Thailand are permitted unlimited (unpaid) sick leave.
However, the number of paid sick days is limited to 30 workdays per year.
For sick leave lasting 3 days or more, the employer may request a formal medical certificate from an official medical professional.
Payout
An employee is eligible to obtain a regular salary from the employer during their absence, covered by paid sick days.
Maternity and Paternity Leave
Maternity Leave in Thailand
98 days
A female employee working in Thailand who becomes pregnant is entitled to 98 days of paid maternity leave (90 working days and 8 days of weekends).
Payout
Maternity leave is paid in the following manner:
- The first 45 days are paid by the employer.
=> An employee receives full wages (100%). - The last 45 days are paid by Thailand’s Social Security Office (SSO).
=> An employee receives half of the wages (100%).
To receive money for social security, an employee had to make contributions to the fund for 5 months within the last 15.
Paternity Leave in Thailand
For employees working in the private sector, no statutory paternity leave is required by law. However, employers are encouraged to offer paid time off for paternity leave.
Employees working in the public sector may take 15 days of paid paternity leave.
Bereavement Leave in Thailand
Bereavement leave is not specified by Thailand leave laws, and is therefore determined by mutual agreement between an employee and the employer and is subject to the company’s leave policy.
Jury Duty Leave in Thailand
Jury duty leave is not specified by law.
Military Leave in Thailand
60 days
Employers must pay regular salaries to employees on leave for military service, up to a maximum of 60 days per year.
Voting Leave in Thailand
Voting leave is not specified by law.
Public Holidays in Thailand
Date | Holiday |
---|---|
January 1 | New Year’s Day |
Movable - January/February | Chinese New Year (*) |
Movable - February | Makha Bucha Day |
Movable - 1 Shawwal | Eid al-Fitr (The end of Ramadan) (**) |
April 6 | Chakri Day |
April 13 to April 15 | Songkran Festival |
May 1 | Labour Day |
May 4 | Coronation of King Vajiralongkorn |
May 6 | Coronation of King Vajiralongkorn Holiday |
May, arbitrary date | Royal Ploughing Ceremony |
Movable - May | Visakha Bucha Day |
June 3 | Queen Suthida’s Birthday |
July 28 | King Vajiralongkorn’s Birthday |
Movable - July | Asahna Bucha Day |
Movable - July | Khao Phansa Day |
August 12 | Her Majesty the Queen Mother’s Birthday |
October 13 | Passing of His Majesty the Late King |
October 23 | Chulalongkorn Memorial Day |
December 5 | His Majesty the Late King’s Birthday |
December 10 | Constitution Day |
December 25 | Christmas (***) |
December 31 | New Year’s Eve |
(*) - Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun and Songkhla Provinces.
(**) - Dates are movable every year according to the Islamic lunar calendar. Observed as a public holiday in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun and Songkhla Provinces.
(***) - A Christian religious holiday, also widely observed in a commercial context.
Exceptions
Celebrated only in the provinces of Satun, Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat:
- Chinese New Year (also called Spring Festival);
- Christmas;
- The end of Ramadan.
The government sector:
- Does not observe Labour Day (all other sectors observe it).
- Exclusively observes the Royal Ploughing Ceremony and Khao Phansa Day (no other sector observes it).
Sources
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Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/thailand
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Payroll and Benefits Guide Thailand, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/thailand/
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Definitive Guide to Hiring in Thailand, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/Thailand
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Financial institutions and specialized financial institutions’ holidays and additional special holiday for B.E. 2569 (2026), https://www.bot.or.th/content/dam/bot/fipcs/documents/FPG/2568/EngPDF/25680162.pdf
Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.
This material is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For current and accurate guidance, please consult legal counsel in your jurisdiction.