Labor & Employment Law
The dispute is usually decided by what was documented long before anyone reached a courtroom
The dispute is usually decided by what was documented long before anyone reached a courtroom
Employment cases in Thailand rarely turn on what either side believes happened. They turn on the employment contract, the work rules, the warning letters, and what the payroll records show — which means most of the outcome is fixed before the dispute begins. We act for employers defending claims and reviewing their practices before an inspection, and for employees who have been dismissed, had wages withheld, or been pressured into resigning. In both directions the first step is the same: read the documents that already exist and establish what they actually support, rather than what either party recalls.
Service Scope
For employees: do not sign before you know what you are owed
The most expensive moment in an employment dispute is usually the first one — signing a resignation letter or a settlement before knowing what the alternative was worth. A voluntary resignation and a dismissal have very different consequences, and pressure to characterise one as the other is common. Severance, payment in lieu of notice and unused leave are separate entitlements calculated differently, and a claim for unfair dismissal sits on top of them. Establishing the figure first costs little and changes the negotiation entirely.
For employers: the file decides the case
By the time a claim is filed, the evidence is whatever was created at the time — contracts, work rules, warnings, performance records, and payroll. Defending a dismissal that was substantively justified but poorly documented is far harder than defending one where the process was followed and recorded. Most of the value we add for employers is therefore before a dispute exists: reviewing the documents that will be produced, and fixing the gaps while there is still time to fix them.
Labour inspector or Labour Court
An employee with a claim has two routes: a complaint to the labour inspector, who can order payment, or proceedings in the Labour Court, which charges no filing fee and emphasises speed and mediation. They suit different situations, and the choice affects timing, what can be claimed, and how much room there is to negotiate. It is worth deciding deliberately rather than defaulting to whichever came to mind first.
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Frequently asked questions about Labor & Employment Law
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Further reading
Suddenly terminated? Learn what severance pay, payment in lieu of notice, and unfair-dismissal compensation you may be entitled to under Thai labour law — and how to claim through the Labour Court. By a Khon Kaen law firm with 40 years of experience.
11 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 CasesSalary not paid, unpaid wages, employer not paying overtime — an employee's guide on what evidence to collect, how to file with a labor inspector, how many years of prescription remain, and what to do when the company closes
7 min readLabor LawA guide for employees who must go to the Labor Court for the first time — Can you really file a claim orally? What is the mediation session like? The 30-day and 15-day deadlines you cannot miss, and when you should have a lawyer.
6 min readEmployment Law GuideWhat a foreign-owned employer in Thailand should do in the first days after a labour complaint lands: which forum you are actually in, what you will be asked to produce, how conciliation works, who must appear, and what head office has to delegate before the first hearing.
12 min readLabour DisputesWhen an employer does not pay wages or severance pay, should you file a complaint with a labour inspector or sue the Labour Court? Compare what each route can order, the 30-day deadline you must not miss, and the Employee Welfare Fund.
7 min readEmployment Law GuideA guide for HR directors and country managers of foreign-owned Thai entities: what a Thai labour claim actually turns on, where liability accumulates silently, and how to review your employment practices before a dispute rather than during one.
11 min read