How to calculate overtime pay in Thailand, with worked examples
Updated
Thai labour law sets three different overtime multipliers, and which one applies depends on the day, the hour, and whether the employee is paid monthly or daily. Get the hourly rate right first and the rest is multiplication. This guide walks through the rules and runs real numbers for both a monthly and a daily employee.
Normal working hours, and what counts as overtime
Under the Labour Protection Act, normal working hours may not exceed 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week (7 and 42 for work designated as hazardous). Work beyond the normal hours you have set is overtime. Work on a weekly holiday, a traditional public holiday, or annual leave is holiday work, and hours beyond normal hours on those days are holiday overtime.
- Overtime needs the employee’s consent each time, except for work that by its nature must be continuous.
- Overtime, holiday work, and holiday overtime together are capped at 36 hours per week.
- If overtime of 2 hours or more follows a normal shift, the employee must get a break of at least 20 minutes before it starts.
The three rates
| When | Monthly-paid employee | Daily or hourly-paid employee |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime on a working day (s. 61) | At least 1.5 × hourly rate | At least 1.5 × hourly rate |
| Work on a holiday, within normal hours (s. 62) | At least 1 × hourly rate, on top of the monthly salary | At least 2 × hourly rate |
| Overtime on a holiday (s. 63) | At least 3 × hourly rate | At least 3 × hourly rate |
The holiday-work row is the one that differs: a monthly-paid employee is already paid for the holiday in their salary, so the law adds 1× on top; a daily-paid employee is not, so they receive 2×.
Overtime is only as right as the hours behind it
Proterate Team records selfie + GPS check-ins and turns them into worked minutes per person, per day. Free for one worksite and up to 20 employees — no app to install.
Start free — 20 employeesGetting the hourly rate
For a monthly-paid employee, the Act fixes the calculation: divide the monthly wage by 30, then by the normal working hours per day. It is 30 whatever the length of the month.
฿18,000 a month, 8 normal hours a day: 18,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = ฿75 an hour.
For a daily-paid employee, divide the daily wage by the normal hours in a day. ฿400 a day over 8 hours is ฿50 an hour.
Worked examples
| Situation | Monthly ฿18,000 (฿75/h) | Daily ฿400 (฿50/h) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hours overtime on a Tuesday | 75 × 1.5 × 3 = ฿337.50 | 50 × 1.5 × 3 = ฿225 |
| 8 hours on a public holiday | 75 × 1 × 8 = ฿600 extra | 50 × 2 × 8 = ฿800 |
| 2 more hours after that holiday shift | 75 × 3 × 2 = ฿450 | 50 × 3 × 2 = ฿300 |
Every one of these starts from hours worked. An overtime figure is only as good as the check-in and check-out times behind it — which is where most month-end disputes actually come from.
Who the rates do not apply to the same way
Section 65 lists roles that are not entitled to overtime pay under sections 61 and 63 — among them employees with authority to hire, fire, reward, or discipline on the employer’s behalf, and some travelling sales and field roles. Some of these still receive holiday-work pay. If a role is borderline, check it rather than assume.
This is general information about the Labour Protection Act, not legal advice. Rates are minimums — your contract or work rules can pay more. For a specific case, ask the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare or a labour lawyer.
Where the hours come from
Proterate Team does not run payroll or calculate overtime pay. What it does is the part the calculation depends on: staff clock in and out from their phone with a selfie and their location, out-of-zone check-ins go to a manager for approval instead of being lost, and check-ins roll up into worked minutes per person, per day. Those timesheets are what you — or your payroll provider — multiply.
Frequently asked
Is overtime 1.5× or 2× in Thailand?
Overtime on a working day is at least 1.5× the hourly rate. 2× applies to a daily-paid employee working on a holiday within normal hours. Overtime on a holiday is at least 3×.
Why divide by 30 and not the days in the month?
The Labour Protection Act defines the hourly rate for a monthly-paid employee as the monthly wage divided by 30 and by the normal working hours per day, so February and July give the same hourly rate.
Can an employee refuse overtime?
Overtime requires the employee’s consent each time, except where the work by its nature must be continuous and stopping it would cause damage, or in an emergency.
Does Proterate Team calculate OT pay?
No. It records attendance and produces worked hours per person per day. Pay calculation stays with your payroll process or accountant.