Thailand: Draft bill to extend maternity leave and introduce paid paternity leave

Employer Action Code: Monitor

The House of Representatives has passed legislation to extend the length of maternity leave by 22 days, as well as to introduce a 15-day paternity/spousal leave and a 15-day carer leave. The government aims to facilitate and increase the involvement of both parents in caring for a newborn. The broader context of the proposals is shaped by Thailand’s low fertility rate of around 1.2 births per woman as of 2025, one of the lowest rates in Southeast Asia and significantly below the replacement level of 2.1 (World Health Organization data). 

Key details

The bill — passed virtually unanimously by the House on July 16, 2025 — includes the following measures:

• Maternity leave would increase from 98 to 120 calendar days. The increase in paid leave, currently divided between the employer and social security at 45 days each (plus eight days of unpaid leave), would fall solely on employers who would be required to pay full salary during the first 60 days of leave. Social security would continue to provide pay replacement benefits of 50% of the employee’s average daily wage for the next 45 days. The last 15 days would be unpaid
• The mother’s partner would be entitled to 15 workdays of leave at full pay, payable by the employer, to be taken within 90 days of birth. The entitlement would be gender neutral
• The mother would also be entitled to 15 workdays of carer leave, payable by the employer at 50% of pay, in the event that the child has health issues. Leave would need to be taken as one continuous period

Employer implications

The bill must next be passed by the Senate and published in the Official Gazette before it can become law; however, there is no clear legislative timeline. Employers should monitor the progress of the legislation and prepare for the possible implementation of its enhanced family leave entitlements. Only a small minority of companies surveyed by WTW provide maternity leave benefits in excess of statutory requirements. Over a third of companies provide paternity/spousal leave, but the median provision is only five working days.