On March 19, 2023, Thailand's new work-from-home (WFH)
legislation amending the Labour Protection Act (No. 8) B.E. 2566
(2023) was published in the Government Gazette. It will
come into effect on April 18, 2023.
The amendment aims to enhance employee protections to accord
with current global standards, provide alternative working
arrangements for employers and employees, increase workforce
efficiency, and strengthen employees' job security and a better
quality of life.
As we detailed previously, the new WFH legislation
allows employers and employees to reach agreements that permit
employees to work remotely. Since there are no accompanying
criminal punishments relating to this new provision, and the
legislation incorporates the term "may agree," it appears
that this WFH provision is not mandatory but is primarily intended
to facilitate and encourage remote working agreements between
employers and employees.