Yotchanan revealed that the Ministry of Labor is submitting four draft laws to the Cabinet to protect workers on ships and those who do home-based work, while granting equal rights to spouses of state enterprise employees, effective retroactively from the enactment of the marriage equality law.
At 09:10 on 18 August 2026, Mr. Yotchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, stated that today the Ministry of Labor will present four draft laws to the Cabinet meeting, including:
1. Draft Maritime Labor Act This act provides that crew members receive protection from social security, compensation funds, and other benefits equivalent to land-based workers.
2. Draft Home-Based Worker Protection Act In line with international standards, this draft stipulates that employers who default on payment must be responsible for both interest and additional charges.
3. Draft announcement of the State Enterprise Labor Relations Committee This amendment aligns with the marriage equality law by changing the term "husband and wife" to "spouse," ensuring that spouses of state enterprise employees receive equal compensation for medical or funeral expenses, regardless of whether they are opposite-sex or same-sex couples.
4. All draft laws will ensure that workers including home-based workers, maritime workers, and state enterprise employees, receive fair and comprehensive protection.
Pol. Lt. Col. Wannapong Kocharak, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, added that regarding the maritime labor law, the additional benefits allowing crew members to enter the social security system and receive legal rights apply only to transport vessels, not fishing boats, which is highly beneficial to crew members.
Regarding home-based work, there are three main points covering international standards: setting the minimum age at 15 years, prohibiting work hazardous to health, and ensuring fair compensation from employers. Legal safeguards will prevent exploitation of home-based workers. Finally, the amendment to the State Enterprise Labor Relations Committee announcement updates the term "spouse" to reflect current marriage equality laws, with retroactive effect to the law’s enactment date, ensuring benefits align with each state enterprise’s criteria.
