Three Employment Checks for October in Thailand: Employee Welfare Fund Contributions May Be Delayed Six Months
On 1 October 2026, Thailand's Minister of Labour told Parliament that Employee Welfare Fund contributions, originally due to start nationwide on 1 October, may be postponed by about six months. On the same day, answers to parliamentary questions disclosed data from a special inspection of outsourced and dispatched labour in fiscal year 2569: of more than 1,400 workplaces inspected, problems were found at 569. The minimum wage remains unchanged under Notification No. 14. Together these make up the October employment checklist for Chinese companies in Thailand.
1. Employee Welfare Fund Contributions May Be Postponed by About Six Months
Contributions to the Employee Welfare Fund (กองทุนสงเคราะห์ลูกจ้าง) were originally due to start nationwide on 1 October 2026. On 1 October 2026, Minister of Labour Chulaphan Amornvivat told Parliament that they may be postponed by about six months, to ease the burden on employers affected by the floods.
On the contribution rate, The Standard reported 0.25% of wages each for employer and employee; another source gives 0.25% to 0.50% each. The two sources differ, and the formal documents of the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare prevail. The fund applies to workplaces with 10 or more employees that do not have a provident fund.
No new start date has been officially set. A full six months would point to around 1 April 2027, but this is an estimate, not an official date. As of 2 October 2026, nothing in the Royal Gazette had changed the original 1 October start date.
At present this rests only on the minister's statement; there is no formal notification or Royal Gazette publication. Companies should not stop preparing for contributions until a formal document is issued.
2. Outsourced Labour Inspections: Problems at 569 of 1,400+ Workplaces
Answers to parliamentary questions on 1 October 2026 (raised by a People's Party MP) disclosed inspection data for fiscal year 2569:
More than 1,400 workplaces inspected, with problems found at 569; more than 160 settled by fines.
Of the 1,400 inspected, 895 were compliant and more than 500 had wage violations.
Focus provinces were Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Rayong, Ayutthaya and Chachoengsao.
1,841 workplaces had submitted outsourcing reports on form Kor Ror 11 (ก.ร. 11) through the e-service system, covering more than 180,000 workers.
Outsourcing contracts are mostly renewed every six or three months.
A draft ministerial regulation on government contract workers is under public hearing.
Complaints can be made via hotline 1506 and the Traffy Fondue platform.
The list of focus provinces deserves attention: Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Rayong and Chachoengsao are where Chinese manufacturers in Thailand are most concentrated, overlapping heavily with the EEC.
3. Minimum Wage: Unchanged, but the Review Has Begun
The current minimum wage is still set by Wage Committee Notification No. 14, effective 1 July 2025, with 17 tiers from THB 337 to 400 a day (about RMB 74 to 88). As of this check, the Ministry of Labour's minimum wage page showed no new documents from September or October 2026, and the Royal Gazette had no new minimum wage notification in October 2026.
Conclusion: as of 9 October 2026, Thailand's minimum wage remains under Notification No. 14, with no new adjustment.
The review process has, however, begun. According to Matichon, the 22nd Wage Committee was scheduled to meet on 29 September 2026 to set the national minimum wage for B.E. 2570 (2027), and its technical subcommittee had compiled provincial proposals on 15 September. The Ministry of Labour's Thai news page also carries an item on "the 22nd Wage Committee meeting to consider the 2570 minimum wage". At the time of writing, no public report of the 29 September meeting's outcome was available, and the Royal Gazette had no new notification; Ministry of Labour announcements prevail.
4. Also Confirmed: Special Holidays
There have been two rounds of flood-related special holidays. The first was 28 and 29 September 2026 for Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan, decided by the cabinet, with private and state enterprises deciding for themselves whether to close. The second, as reported, is Friday 16 October 2026, Bangkok only, designated a "special holiday for government agencies" by the cabinet meeting of 6 October; reports did not say whether it applies to private companies and banks, so official announcements prevail.
Key Takeaways
Employee Welfare Fund contributions may be delayed about six months: only an oral statement by the minister in Parliament, with no formal notification; the Royal Gazette has not changed the original 1 October start date.
Rates differ between sources: 0.25% each for employer and employee in one, 0.25% to 0.50% each in another; official documents prevail. Applies to workplaces with 10+ employees and no provident fund.
FY2569 outsourcing inspections: problems at 569 of 1,400+ workplaces, 160+ settled by fines; focus provinces include Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
Minimum wage remains under Notification No. 14 (effective 1 July 2025, 17 tiers, THB 337 to 400 a day), with no new adjustment; the review for 2570 has begun, and the 29 September meeting outcome has not been published.
Special holidays: 28 and 29 September (Bangkok and three provinces, private companies decide); 16 October (Bangkok only, government agencies).
Z&X Tip
Each of the three items calls for a different response. Employee Welfare Fund: keep preparing for contributions, but do not stop or prepay on your own before a formal notification; build both rate figures into the budget range. Outsourcing: the focus provinces cover the areas where Chinese manufacturers are most concentrated, so check contract terms, pay structures and whether Kor Ror 11 reports have been filed. Minimum wage: current tiers are unchanged, but the 2027 adjustment is under review, so model labour costs on current tiers plus a range. Z&X Accounting & Tax Outsourcing includes payroll and personal income tax management and can review pay structures and filing treatment. Application of the rules must be assessed case by case and is subject to the determination of the competent authority.
Sources
อัตราค่าจ้างขั้นต่ำ (minimum wage page, Notification No. 14, effective 2025-07-01) | Ministry of Labour, Thailand | page updated 2026-07-22 | https://www.mol.go.th/อัตราค่าจ้างขั้นต่ำ
Labour Minister's statement in Parliament on delaying Employee Welfare Fund contributions | The Standard | 2026-10-01 | https://thestandard.co/labor-minister-delay-employee-fund-flood/
FY2569 outsourced labour inspection data (parliamentary answers, 2026-10-01) | Prachatai labour weekly (citing Thairath 2026-10-03 and Parliament TV 2026-10-01) | 2026-10 | https://prachatai.com/journal/2026/10/118988
Special holidays declared in Bangkok + 3 provinces amid flooding | PR Thai Government | 2026-09-27 | https://thailand.go.th/useful-information-detail/special-holidays-declared-in-bangkok--3-provinces-amid-flooding
22nd Wage Committee to consider the 2570 minimum wage on 29 September | Matichon | 2026-09-10 | https://www.matichon.co.th/local/quality-life/news_5880672
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