Hiring guide · APAC
How to hire in Thailand
To hire in Thailand you need a registered entity contributing to the Social Security Fund, or an Employer of Record that holds one. Employer social security is around 5% of wages up to a monthly cap, but statutory severance rises to ten months of pay with long service.
- Currency
- THB
- Payroll cycle
- Monthly
- Employer cost
- ~5% capped + severance
- Notice
- One pay period
The talent market in Thailand
Thailand combines a large domestic market with growing regional shared-service, e-commerce and digital operations activity around Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Costs sit below Singapore and Malaysia for equivalent roles, and English fluency is concentrated in international-facing functions.
The headline social security contribution is low, but statutory severance is the real cost driver: it scales with service and is payable on termination without cause, so long-tenured teams carry a substantial accrued liability.
Salary benchmarks in Thailand
Indicative annual gross base salary in THB for common roles. Treat these as planning ranges — actual offers move with city, seniority, sector and equity mix, and we model a live benchmark before you go to offer.
| Role | Annual gross base |
|---|---|
| Software engineer (mid) | THB 700,000 – 1,200,000 |
| Senior software engineer | THB 1,200,000 – 2,000,000 |
| Account executive (SaaS) | THB 800,000 – 1,600,000 incl. variable |
| Customer support specialist | THB 300,000 – 500,000 |
Employment rules and payroll in Thailand
The statutory framework any offer has to sit inside — hours, leave, notice and the contributions that turn salary into fully loaded cost.
Working week
48 hours maximum, commonly 40 over five days
Probation
Up to 119 days, before severance entitlement begins
Notice period
At least one pay period, or payment in lieu
Paid leave
6 days annual leave statutory after one year; 10–15 is market
Public holidays
At least 13 days
Payroll cycle
Monthly
Employer contributions
Social Security Fund around 5% of wages up to a monthly ceiling, plus workmen's compensation
Contractor, EOR employee or your own entity?
Three ways to engage someone in Thailand. The right one depends on how permanent the role is, how much direction you give, and how much local risk you want to carry.
Contractor
Fastest to start and simplest to end. Suitable for genuinely independent, project-scoped work where the person controls how and when they deliver, invoices you, and works for other clients. No statutory benefits, no notice period, no severance.
Employee via EOR
The right structure for a full-time role with fixed hours, managerial direction and exclusivity. A licensed in-country partner is the legal employer, so the person gets a compliant contract, statutory benefits and local payroll — without you opening an entity.
Your own entity
Worth it once headcount, permanence and local revenue justify the incorporation, tax registration, statutory filings and local directorship. Most companies reach that point somewhere between 15 and 30 employees in a single country.
Misclassification risk in Thailand
Thai labour courts look at supervision, working hours and integration rather than the contract title. Reclassification brings back social security contributions and, more materially, statutory severance calculated from the original start date — up to ten months of wages for service beyond twenty years.
Work permits and right to work
Every foreign national needs a work permit plus a Non-Immigrant B visa, and the sponsoring entity must meet registered-capital and Thai-to-foreign employee ratio requirements. The Smart Visa and Long-Term Resident visa offer alternatives for qualifying technology roles and reduce the ratio burden.
Hire in Thailand without an entity
TalentStores orchestrates Employer of Record employment in Thailand through licensed in-country partners, with cost modelled before you extend an offer.
Explore Employer of Record- Fully loaded cost modelled before offer
- Licensed partner matched, not assumed
- One contract, one consolidated bill
Hiring in Thailand: frequently asked questions
Can we hire in Thailand without a Thai company?
Yes. A Thai Employer of Record employs the person under its own registration, contributes to the Social Security Fund, and can sponsor a work permit and Non-Immigrant B visa for eligible foreign hires — which a foreign company cannot do directly.
How does severance pay work in Thailand?
Termination without cause triggers statutory severance scaling with service: from 30 days' wages after 120 days of employment up to 400 days' wages after twenty years. Provision for it monthly rather than absorbing it at exit.
What does a Thai employee cost above salary?
Social Security Fund contributions are around 5% of wages capped at a modest monthly ceiling, plus workmen's compensation, so the ongoing add-on is small. The real cost sits in accrued severance and any provident fund offered to stay competitive.
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Get the Thailand Hiring Cost Guide
A country brief covering fully loaded employment cost in THB, salary benchmarks by role, statutory contributions, leave and notice rules, and a sample offer breakdown for Thailand.