Thailand Labour Day march targets rising costs, job insecurity
Hundreds of workers marched to Government House in Bangkok today, May 1, on Thailand Labour Day 2026, pressing the government for fair wages, job security, and expanded social protections as part of International Workers’ Day events held worldwide.
Labour groups led by the State Enterprises Workers’ Relations Confederation and the Thai Labour Solidarity Confederation gathered at Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Road from 8am before proceeding to Government House Gate 5 to submit their demands.
Around 400 participants had assembled by 8.30am despite hot and humid conditions.
The march brought together workers, elderly groups, youth, informal sector networks, state enterprise unions, and motorcycle taxi riders. Loudspeaker trucks and banners from labour groups accompanied the procession, with demonstrators holding placards and staging symbolic actions along the route.
KhaoSod reported that organisers marched under the slogan “Workers unite against global capitalism, build a new democratic society,” citing rising living costs, high energy prices, and insecure employment as core concerns. Key demands included fair wages, stable jobs, and broader social security rights.
Specific calls included a ban on asbestos, ratification of International Labour Organisation Conventions 87 and 98, an end to precarious employment arrangements, equal rights for all workers, and reforms to state energy assets.
Organisers urged the government to address structural issues and improve long-term living standards for Thai workers. The demonstration concluded by 11.30am.
In a similar protest, around 200 medical staff at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital in Mueang Chiang Rai district gathered in March to protest a nursing council announcement requiring some staff to work 12-hour shifts, arguing the change would increase fatigue and affect patient care.
Staff said rosters had been arranged without consultation and that compensation was unreasonable.
Following the demonstration, the hospital’s deputy director for medical services confirmed that 12-hour shifts would remain voluntary, with wards not ready to adapt permitted to continue under the existing eight-hour model.
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