The Thai Senate has approved a draft of the labour protection bill, granting female employees 120 days of maternity leave. The bill is expected to become law soon.

The Senate unanimously voted on Monday (15 September) to approve the updated draft of the labour protection bill aimed at granting female employees 120 days of maternity leave. It will come into effect 30 days after being published in the Royal Gazette. 

The new bill will increase maternity leave from 98 to up to 120 days. Employers will be required to pay for 60 days of parental leave, while the remainder will be paid by the Social Security Fund, a government-administered fund designed to provide social protection and benefits to Thai nationals who are self-employed or working in the private sector.

Female employees are also entitled to an additional 15 days if newborns demonstrate any complicated medical conditions or disabilities. In such cases, they will be paid 50% of their daily salary.

Meanwhile, employees whose partners have given birth are also entitled to  take up to 15 days of fully paid parental leave.

According to The Reporters, Senator Wirat Rakpan, chair of the committee, explained that the bill was updated because some of its provisions did not align with a changing society and prevailing economic conditions. The new bill not only covers maternity leave but also addresses other labour rights regulations, including requirements for certain day-offs for employees across all governmental sectors.

Previously, the bill was approved by the House of Representatives on 16 July. However, some members of the drafting committee and several relevant parties argued that paid leave should be raised to 180 days, arguing that it would benefit both mother and child and help address problems arising from Thailand’s ageing society.