Thailand urged to extend maternity leave to 180 days
Experts warn population crisis deepens as birth rates continue to fall
A Thammasat University academic has supported proposals to increase Thailand’s maternity leave from 98 to 180 days to address the declining birth rate.
Kritsada Theerakosonphong, a lecturer at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Social Administration, expressed on Tuesday that extending maternity leave to 180 days would align Thailand with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
The WHO recommends a minimum maternity leave period under the International Labour Organisation’s convention, which stipulates no less than 14 weeks, ideally extending to at least 18 weeks.
Kritsada, who also serves as an adviser to the House extraordinary committee reviewing the amended Labour Protection Bill, stated that this leave policy, alongside other childcare-related policies, is particularly pertinent given the country’s ageing society and low birth rate.
“Increasing privileges and welfare would give women more confidence to start a family. Society should focus on welfare to ease the decision to have children.”
In 2012, there were over 300,000 childbirth claims under the Social Security scheme. By last year, this number had decreased to 220,000, representing a 26% decline. This trend indicates a shrinking future workforce.
Currently, Thai labour laws provide 98 days of maternity leave, while the Senate is reviewing a bill to increase this to 120 days. Kritsada noted that if the Senate approves the draft, it will become law, provided there are no political barriers, such as a house dissolution. However, he emphasised that 120 days still falls short of the civil sector’s target of 180 days, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, Mahidol University has raised alarm over a significant demographic decline as Thailand recorded fewer than 500,000 births in 2024, the lowest in 75 years. The country reported 462,240 births this year, down from 519,000 in 2023.
Associate Professor Chalermpol Chamchan of Mahidol’s Institute for Population and Social Research highlighted that this marks the fourth straight year where deaths have outnumbered births, signalling a serious population concern.
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