Data Sources
2
ILO / WB / OECD coverage
Employment-protection data from 2 official sources — composite scores, notice periods, severance, and dismissal rules.
Thailand — the verdict
Thailand's statutory protection against unfair dismissal is light — an ILO EPLex composite of 0.302 on the 0–1 scale, more flexible than 88% of the 95 rated countries.
Sources: ILO EPLex · OECD EPL. Higher = stronger statutory protection.
Thailand ranks among the more protective OECD economies, with an overall EPL strictness score of 2.92/6.0 — substantially above the OECD average of about 2.0. The ILO EPLex composite (2019) stands at 0.302/1.0. Statutory notice rules apply across 7 tenure tiers.
Thailand, located in Asia-Pacific, appears in 2 of the three employment-protection datasets tracked on PlainEmploy (ILO EPLex, World Bank B-READY 2025, and OECD EPL). The most recent ILO EPLex composite score is 0.302 out of 1.0 (2019), summarizing statutory termination rules into a single index. The OECD EPL overall strictness index is 2.92/6.0, where higher values indicate stricter rules on individual and collective dismissal.
Statutory notice periods in Thailand scale with tenure across 7 tiers, reaching 0.5 months at 20 years of service. Severance pay can reach 13.33333 months of salary at 20 years, while redundancy-specific pay is 23.33333 months. The maximum probation period allowed by law is 25 months, defining how long employers can assess workers under reduced protection.
The EPLex redress/reinstatement sub-indicator is 0.625/1.0, reflecting how strong remedies are when a dismissal is ruled unlawful. Historically, Thailand's OECD EPL score moved from 2.92 in 2011 to 2.92 in 2014, showing the direction of reform over time. 6 direct country-vs-country comparisons are available below, letting you see how Thailand stacks up against peers on the same metrics.
These figures draw on three different measurement traditions, so read each one on its own terms before comparing across countries. The ILO EPLex composite condenses statutory termination rules into a single index from zero to one, where higher numbers mean stronger legal protection against dismissal. The World Bank Business Ready 2025 labor score runs from zero to one hundred and blends the quality of regulation with how well public services and dispute processes actually work in practice. The OECD employment protection index uses a zero to six scale and only covers member economies, but it offers the longest historical series, which makes it the better choice for tracking reform over time. A country can score strictly on paper yet still process dismissals quickly, so always weigh the statutory index against the practical estimates. Where a country appears in fewer than all three datasets, treat the missing measures as not yet collected rather than as a sign of weak protection, and revisit this page when new releases are published because indicators can shift year over year.
Data Sources
2
ILO / WB / OECD coverage
Region
Asia-Pacific
Geographic grouping
Latest Year
2019
Most recent indicator update
Where Thailand's ILO EPLex composite sits among all 95 countries with a composite score.
Thailand — ILO EPLex composite
Worker-protection strength against unfair dismissal (0–1 scale)
0.30 Top 88% higher than 12% of 95 rated countries
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source ILO EPLex composite (0–1 scale) · 2019
Out of a 1.0 maximum. Higher = stronger statutory protection against dismissal.
Scale: 0 = no protection · 1 = maximum protection. Source: ILO EPLex 2019.
| Tenure | Notice Period |
|---|---|
| 6 months | 0.5 months |
| 9 months | 0.5 months |
| 2 years | 0.5 months |
| 4 years | 0.5 months |
| 5 years | 0.5 months |
| 10 years | 0.5 months |
| 20 years | 0.5 months |
Source: ILO EPLex ILO EPLex Notice period is the legally mandated advance notice before termination
| Tenure | Severance | Redundancy |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | 1 mo | 1 mo |
| 9 months | 1 mo | 1 mo |
| 2 years | 3 mo | 3 mo |
| 4 years | 6 mo | 6 mo |
| 5 years | 6 mo | 6 mo |
| 10 years | 10 mo | 15 mo |
| 20 years | 13.33333 mo | 23.33333 mo |
Values in salary-months. Source: ILO EPLex. Severance = individual dismissal. Redundancy = collective/economic dismissal.
| Year | Overall Score | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2.92 | |
| 2012 | 2.92 | |
| 2013 | 2.92 | |
| 2014 | 2.92 | |
Scale: 0-6 (higher = more protective). Source: OECD Employment Protection Legislation database.
Thailand has employment protection data from 2 sources. ILO EPLex termination protection composite score: 0.302/1.0 (2019). OECD EPL overall: 2.92/6.0. 7 notice period tiers defined by law. 7 severance/redundancy pay tiers.
Thailand's OECD EPL score is 2.92/6.0 (OECD average is approximately 2.3). This indicates stronger-than-average employment protections.
In Thailand, at 20 years of tenure, employers must give 0.5 months notice. severance pay reaches 13.33333 months of salary at 20 years.
Thailand is covered by 2 sources: the International Labour Organization EPLex database (termination protection indicators and sub-scores); the OECD Employment Protection Legislation index (aggregate strictness scores from 1990 onward). Each source measures different aspects of employment protection, providing a multi-dimensional view of labor regulation.
According to ILO EPLex (2019), Thailand's termination protections are relatively flexible with a composite score of 0.302/1.0. The maximum probation period is 25 months.
The ILO EPLex redress/reinstatement indicator is 0.625/1.0, reflecting the strength of worker remedies after unfair dismissal.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OECD, ILO, and World Bank labor market databases. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.