Calls for new mums to get more leave
Kritsada Theerakosonphong, a lecturer at Thammasat University's Faculty of Social Administration, said on Tuesday that maternity leave of 180 days would bring Thailand in line with World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
The WHO advises a minimum period matching the International Labour Organisation's convention on providing maternity leave of no less than 14 weeks and recommends the period should ideally be no less than 18 weeks.
Mr Kritsada, also adviser to the House extraordinary committee on reviewing the amended Labour Protection Bill, said the leave policy and other related childcare policies are particularly relevant in the context of the ageing society and low birth rate facing the country.
"Personally, I believe increasing privileges and welfare would give women more confidence to start a family. Society should focus on welfare to ease the decision to have children," he said.
"In 2012, there were over 300,000 childbirth claims under the Social Security scheme. Last year, the number had dropped to 220,000 or a 26% fall. This declining birth rate will shrink the future workforce," he said.
Thai labour laws currently guarantee 98 days of maternity leave, with the Senate currently reviewing a bill to raise the provision to 120 days.
Mr Kritsada said if the Senate approves the draft, it will become law, "assuming there is no political obstruction to the bill, like a house dissolution". However, he added, 120 days still falls short of the civil sector goal of 180 days.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
5 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thailand looks to expand foreign labour pool
The Ministry of Labour aims to expand the pool of foreign workers to eight nationalities to address labour shortages caused by unrest along the Thai-Cambodian border. Labour Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit said on Wednesday that authorities have proposed allowing additional workers from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Philippines and Indonesia. Thailand currently has memoranda of understanding with four countries — Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam — to supply workers to Thai employers. 'The expansion to eight nationalities will allow us to bring in workers during emergencies, avoiding delays from the MoU process, which can take 2–3 months,' said Mr Pongkawin. Expanding the labour pool would ensure businesses can continue their operations smoothly, even during unexpected disruptions such as the ongoing border conflict that has resulted in a mass exodus of Cambodian workers. The Ministry of Labour says at least 100,000 Cambodian workers, about 30,000 of them holding legal work permits, have returned home via immigration channels recently. Anecdotal evidence from employers and others puts the actual figure at up to 500,000. As a result, many businesses have reported labour shortages. The ministry is collecting requests from employers nationwide and aims to allow around 42,000 new foreign workers, distributing them fairly across all sectors. Mr Pongkawin said he hoped the Cambodian labour shortage could be solved within two months through workforce management. The ministry would ensure fairness for all employers and workers, while maintaining strict adherence to labour regulations, he said.
Bangkok Post
9 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Military funds 'never withheld'
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has addressed public concerns after the Second Army Region posted an appeal for donations of large quantities of concertina wire. The request followed an incident in which a Thai soldier became the fifth to lose a leg to newly planted landmines allegedly laid by Cambodian forces. Speaking to reporters, Mr Phumtham, who is also a deputy prime minister and the interior minister, said no such request for concertina wire had ever been submitted to him and stressed the government has never withheld funding from the military. "Requests for additional equipment can be submitted to the armed forces and the army commander," he said. "What has been requested so far -- whether budget or personnel -- has been fully approved. The government has not obstructed anything related to strengthening our troops in defending the nation's sovereignty." He added that he would call the Second Army Region commander directly to reiterate the government is ready to grant immediate approval if anything is in short supply. The controversy arose after the Second Army Region requested financial support for concertina wire with a 100cm diameter "to help protect Thailand's sovereignty" in a Facebook post on Tuesday. The post quickly drew a flood of comments such as: "No support from the government", "Doesn't the government have to fund this?" and "What is the government doing?" Royal Thai Army spokesman Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree later said both the government and the military have sufficient budgets. However, due to the urgent need for the wire in four border provinces -- Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Buri Ram -- the Second Army Region opted to seek donations instead.
Bangkok Post
9 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Wider net for migrant staff
The Ministry of Labour aims to expand the pool of foreign workers to eight nationalities to address labour shortages caused by unrest along the Thai-Cambodian border. Labour Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit said on Wednesday the ministry had convened the Committee on Foreign Worker Management Policy to allow additional workers from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Previously, the foreign workforce consisted of four nationalities: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. "The expansion to eight nationalities will allow us to bring in workers during emergencies, avoiding delays from the MoU process, which can take 2–3 months," he explained. He added that discussions on adding more nationalities aimed to ensure businesses can continue their operations smoothly, even during unexpected labour disruptions. More than 100,000 Cambodian workers had returned home via immigration channels recently, while roughly 30,000 hold legal work permits. As a result, many businesses have reported labour shortages. The ministry is collecting labour requests from bosses nationwide and aims to allow around 42,000 new foreign workers, distributing them fairly across all sectors. He hoped the Cambodian labour shortage could be solved within two months through workforce management. The ministry would ensure fairness for all employers and workers, while maintaining strict adherence to labour regulations, he said.
