🇹🇭 Hire in Thailand: cost, rules and best EOR options
A growing tech and creative talent pool in Bangkok at lower cost than Singapore, with strong customer-support and operations experience. Time zone is convenient for Asia-Pacific teams but is a stretch for the Americas.
- Employer on-costs: 2–6% of gross salary (on a $60,000 salary, about $61,200–$63,600 total)
- EOR onboarding: Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days', no verified specific figure); own entity: Months (Payoneer: 'takes months'; specific duration unverified)
- Probation: No statutory maximum, typically up to 119 days because severance eligibility starts at 120 days of service.
- Currency: Thai baht (THB)
- Data confidence: medium, verified 2026-10-05
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What it costs to employ someone in Thailand
Employer on-costs run roughly 2–6% on top of gross salary. Statutory employer payroll charges are low: Social Security Fund 5% of wages capped at THB 17,500/month (max THB 875/month per party from 1 Jan 2026), plus Workmen's Compensation (rate depends on risk class, sample THB 40/month on a 50,000 salary per Payoneer, ~0.1%-ish for office work). The percentage falls as salary rises (about 1.75% at THB 50,000; 5% at or below THB 17,500). Excludes the customary 13th-month bonus, provident fund, health insurance and the severance liability, which can add a lot.
| Contribution | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security Fund (SSF) | 5% of wages up to THB 17,500/month (max THB 875) | Wage ceiling rose from THB 15,000 to THB 17,500 on 1 Jan 2026; further legislated increases to THB 20,000 (2029) and THB 23,000 (2032). |
| Workmen's Compensation Fund | Varies by risk class (sample THB 40/month on THB 50,000 salary) | Annual contribution based on payroll and class rate. |
Employee pays 5% SSF (same THB 875 monthly cap) and progressive personal income tax (0%-35%), withheld monthly by the employer.
Mandatory benefits
- Annual paid leave of 6 working days after one year
- 13 public holidays (employer must give at least 13)
- Sick leave up to 30 days paid per year
- Maternity leave 98 days
- Severance pay on dismissal without cause
- Overtime and rest-day pay
Employment rules at a glance
| Payroll | monthly (some pay twice a month) |
|---|---|
| Probation | No statutory maximum, typically up to 119 days because severance eligibility starts at 120 days of service. |
| Notice & severance | Termination without cause requires notice of at least one pay period (up to 3 months) or pay in lieu, and statutory severance based on tenure: 120 days to <1 year = 30 days' wages; 1 to <3 years = 90 days; 3 to <6 years = 180 days; 6 to <10 years = 240 days; 10 to <20 years = 300 days; 20+ years = 400 days. |
| Working time | Up to 8 hours/day and 48 hours/week (40 in hazardous work). Overtime at 1.5x on working days and up to 3x on holidays. |
| Paid leave | Minimum 6 working days after 1 year of service (many employers give 10-15). 13 public holidays minimum. |
| Minimum wage | Varies by province, roughly THB 337-400 per day in 2025; 2026 rates not confirmed. Check the Ministry of Labour notification. |
Termination
Dismissal with unfair cause can lead to the Labour Court ordering reinstatement or compensation. Dismissal for serious misconduct (specified list in the Labour Protection Act) removes severance but must be properly documented. Fixed-term contracts do not protect against back-claims if renewals are repeated.
Employee or contractor in Thailand?
Contractors are common in Thailand's tech and creative scenes, and the Labour Protection Act looks at the substance of the relationship (control, fixed hours, integration). Misclassified workers may claim employee entitlements such as severance and overtime. Contractor risk is considered moderate.
Compare contractor vs employee cost →
Hiring through an EOR in Thailand
Foreign companies without a Thai entity cannot employ staff directly. EOR avoids setting up a Thai company (which takes months). Work permits are required for foreign nationals, but hiring Thai nationals needs none.
Typical onboarding: EOR Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days', no verified specific figure); own entity Months (Payoneer: 'takes months'; specific duration unverified). ICT (UTC+7) all year, no DST; 11-12 hours ahead of US Eastern.
Providers worth shortlisting
| Provider | Best for | EOR pricing | Coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deel | Companies that want one platform for contractors, EOR and a US PEO, with transparent per-seat list prices. | $599 per EOR employee per month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05) | 150+ countries (vendor claim, per Deel's own and third-party descriptions) | Visit Deel |
| Remote | Teams that want a published price for each product (EOR, global payroll, contractors, contractor of record, US PEO) and an affiliate program with 12-month revenue share. | $699 per employee/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05) | 90+ countries for EOR (vendor pricing page claim) | Visit Remote |
| Rippling | Companies already running (or willing to adopt) a unified HR, IT and finance platform who want global hiring as an add-on module. | — | Visit Rippling | |
| Oyster | Distributed teams that want published EOR and contractor prices and a long-running affiliate program with tiered revenue share. | $699 per employee/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05); annual discounts available; refundable deposit required | 120+ countries EOR; contractors in 180+ countries (vendor claim) | Visit Oyster |
| Papaya Global | Mid-size and larger companies that need multi-country payroll orchestration and workforce payments, and will go through a sales process. | 160+ countries (vendor claim as repeated on FlexOffers listing and third-party pages) | Visit Papaya Global | |
| Multiplier | Cost-conscious teams that want EOR priced below $500 per employee with an annual discount. | Third-party summary of Multiplier's pricing: EOR from $459/employee/month on annual contracts and $499 on monthly contracts (not confirmed; multiplier pricing page returned 403 to our fetch) | — | Visit Multiplier |
| Remofirst | Small teams that want the lowest published EOR starting price and a free contractor tier. | Starting at $199 per person/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05); 'no hidden fees, setup fees, or minimum contract terms' per vendor page | 185+ countries for EOR (vendor claim) | Visit Remofirst |
| Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) | Companies that want an EOR with a tiered reseller/partner program and are comfortable with a recently rebranded vendor. | Third-party reports a flat $399 per employee/month (not confirmed on vendor page; hellopebl.com/pricing returned 404) | 185+ countries (third-party report) | Visit Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) |
Paying and covering your team in Thailand
Related
- Hire in Thailand vs Vietnam
- EOR Termination and Offboarding: Costs and Checks
- EOR vs PEO vs own entity
- Contractor vs employee calculator
FAQ
What are the employer social security costs in Thailand?
5% of wages up to THB 17,500, so at most THB 875 a month per party in 2026, plus a small Workmen's Compensation contribution.
How is severance calculated?
By length of service: 30 days' pay after 120 days, 90 days after 1 year, 180 after 3, 240 after 6, 300 after 10, 400 after 20 years.
How many days annual leave?
The statutory minimum is 6 working days after one year, plus 13 public holidays.
How long can probation be?
There is no statutory maximum; 119 days is typical since severance applies from 120 days.