Security guards celebrate a new law starting 24 April that grants overtime pay for work beyond 8 hours a day, improving workers' quality of life and ensuring fair compensation for property guarding duties.
On 16 April 2026, Ms. Lalida Pertviwattana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, announced that from 24 April 2026, the ministerial regulation on overtime pay and compensation for work exceeding 8 hours a day in property or site guarding duties, which are regular employee tasks, will take effect to improve workers' quality of life and fairness, especially for security guards and property caretakers.
This ministerial regulation is a significant labor rights improvement, repealing the previous exemption under the 2009 ministerial regulation that excluded such work from overtime pay, thus granting these workers the same overtime rights as other employees.
The key provision requires employers to pay no less than 1.25 times the hourly wage for work beyond 8 hours on regular workdays, and no less than 2.5 times for overtime work on holidays.
Furthermore, if working hours exceeding 8 per day are agreed upon, such as shift work, but total no more than 48 hours per week, employers must still pay the stated overtime rates for hours beyond 8 per day to ensure genuine fairness for workers.
“This law reflects the government's commitment to raising Thai labor standards to align with real working conditions, especially for those working long continuous hours, ensuring appropriate compensation and tangible improvements in quality of life,” she said.