Employment Contracts, Salary Structures & Employee Handbooks in Thailand
HR documents that still work when something goes wrong
HR documents that still work when something goes wrong
Most HR documents are copied from somewhere else and read properly for the first time in a dispute. We draft contracts that match what each role actually does, design the salary structure with our accounting team with an eye on which payments count as wages, prepare work rules as the law requires, and write a handbook employees understand and that does not contradict the rules.
What we cover
Contracts that match the job
One contract for every role rarely covers what matters: confidentiality for sales staff, a non-compete for executives, or transfers between workplaces. A restraint that is too wide or too long may be enforced only as far as a court finds fair, so it has to fit the role.
A salary structure is also a legal question
Beyond grades and competitive ranges, the question is which payments count as wages, because that drives overtime, severance and social security. Men and women doing work of equal value must be paid equally. We design it with the accounting team that runs payroll and tax.
Work rules
Work rules must be in Thai, announced and posted at the workplace, and should set out discipline, penalties and the grievance procedure clearly — they are the basis for warnings, and for dismissal without severance in the cases the law allows.
A handbook that agrees with the rules
The handbook explains benefits, policies and ways of working in plain language, but where it differs from the rules or the contract, courts tend to read it in the employee's favour. We write both to match, including employee personal data and anti-harassment policies.
Foreign staff and existing documents
Foreign employees should have bilingual contracts stating which language prevails, consistent with their work permit conditions. For companies that already have documents, we review and update them to match the law and actual practice, watching for changes that need existing employees' consent.
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Frequently asked questions about Employment Contracts, Salary Structures & Employee Handbooks
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Further reading
Foreign managers are often hired on contracts written for another country. Thai labour law still applies to their work in Thailand, including severance. The terms an expatriate contract should contain, why a fixed term rarely avoids severance, the director-versus-employee trap, and what must happen to the work permit at the end.
10 min readLabor CasesJust been dismissed or pressured to write a resignation letter? An employee's guide on what not to sign, what evidence to keep, which payments you are entitled to, and deadlines you must not miss.
7 min readLabor LawThai labour law prohibits employers and supervisors from sexually harassing employees, and customers increasingly audit how companies handle complaints. What the law covers, what a workable policy contains, how to investigate fairly, and when the outcome can be dismissal without severance.
10 min readOther business services
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