BANGKOK - The number of Thai establishments reporting temporary shutdowns under Section 75 of the Labour Protection Act has continued to rise, the country’s central bank said.
The increase was particularly evident among businesses facing intense competition, according to the Bank of Thailand’s Aug. 31 assessment of July economic conditions.
The bank described the labour market as fragile despite broadly stable employment. The seasonally adjusted number of workers insured under Section 33 increased by 0.1% from June.
Net new business registrations also fell as dissolutions increased, a trend the bank said could affect employment in the months ahead. The report, however, did not provide national totals for the establishments or employees affected by Section 75 shutdowns.
Under Section 75, as amended in 2019, an employer may temporarily suspend all or part of its operations when an important cause prevents the business from operating normally and the cause is not force majeure.
Employers using the provision must notify affected employees and labour inspectors in writing at least three working days before the shutdown begins.
They must also pay affected employees at least 75% of the working-day wages they received before the shutdown throughout the period in which no work is provided, according to Labour Ministry guidance.
The ministry lists its online petition portal and the 1506 hotline, option 5, as channels for labour complaints. “Every complaint will be attended to and appropriately resolved,” ministerial adviser Bunyakorn Damrongrat said.
