This submission by Women Workers for Justice Group (WJG), Thai Metal Products YMP Labour Union (YMP Labour Union), Migrant Workers Federation (MWF), HomeNet, Fair Action International Rights (FAIR), Rights and Development for Migrant Workers Network, Migrant Working Group (MWG), Manushya Foundation, Thai Business & Human Rights Network, and the Thai CSOs Coalition for the UPR examines the systemic failure of Thailand’s labour regime to ensure equal protection of labour rights, in light of recommendations accepted during the 3rd UPR cycle, as well as the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (2025). The submission highlights how labour protections in Thailand are structurally unequal, leaving informal workers and migrant workers, particularly women, excluded from effective labour protection, social security, and access to remedies.

 

According to the 2025 OECD Economic Surveys, Thailand’s labour force comprises approximately 40.1 million workers, of whom only 47.7% are in formal employment, while the majority, over 52.3%, are engaged in informal work without full access to labour protections and social security systems. At the same time, Thailand relies heavily on migrant labour: as of 2024-2025, there are over 3.1 million registered migrant workers, with total non-Thai residents estimated at over 5.3 million, primarily from Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, working predominantly in low-paid and low-skilled sectors.

 

During the 3rd UPR cycle, Thailand received at least twenty recommendations related to labour and migrant workers’ rights. While seventeen were supported, key recommendations, such as ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW), were noted and remain unimplemented.

 

This submission highlights that Thailand’s labour regime operates through a structurally unequal system, where protections are stratified across:

• Formal workers (legally protected but facing weak enforcement),

• Informal workers (systematically excluded), and

• Migrant workers (subjected to structural and administrative discrimination).

 

Despite the existence of legal frameworks, workers across these categories face persistent barriers to labour protections, social security, and effective remedies. The submission is structured as follows: 

• Section 2 examines International and Domestic Legal Framework on Labour Rights,

• Section 3 discusses the Weak Enforcement and Lack of Effective Remedies for Formal Workers,

• Section 4 addresses the Structural Exclusion from Labour Rights and Social Protection for Informal Workers,

• Section 5 examines the Legal, Administrative, and Structural Barriers for Migrant Workers,

• Section 6 analyses the Cross-Cutting Structural Issues Affecting Labour Rights,

• Section 7 provides recommendations.

File Size: 20.5 MB

Upload Date: 16 April 2026