As Thailand today submits its Initial Memorandum to the OECD, a key step towards membership that launches in-depth policy reviews, TUAC has published its assessment of the country’s bid, highlighting significant concerns around workers’ rights and social dialogue. Based on consultation with Thai trade unions, the report reveals substantial gaps between Thailand’s current treatment of workers’ rights and OECD standards.
Chief among these gaps, Thailand has yet to ratify ILO Conventions No. 87 on Freedom of Association and No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining – a fundamental shortcoming that leaves workers vulnerable to employer retaliation and inadequate legal safeguards.
With union density at just 3 percent and civil servants and migrant workers barred from forming unions entirely, Thailand's labour framework falls far short of OECD standards. Ratifying the core ILO conventions must be a prerequisite for membership.
These low unionisation rates reflect severe legal restrictions on organising. Civil servants, including teachers and police officers, are prohibited from forming trade unions, while foreign workers are barred from union membership and leadership positions. The report shows that employers frequently threaten to terminate contracts when workers attempt to organise, and many court orders to reinstate dismissed trade unionists are simply ignored.
Collective bargaining coverage is equally weak, with only 1-2 percent of Thai workers covered by collective agreements. The 2025 ITUC Global Rights Index ranked Thailand among the worst countries in the world for workers’ rights, citing widespread union-busting, repression and the suppression of strikes. While most workers formally have the right to strike, lengthy conciliation processes and an overly broad definition of ‘essential services’ make strikes very difficult to realise. Workers also face inadequate pay: minimum wage rates of just €9-11 per day fail to meet workers’ cost-of living needs, set through a system of provincial committees where trade unions lack meaningful presence.
The report also highlights broader labour concerns. More than 63 percent of Thailand’s workforce – over 20 million people – remains in the informal economy, lacking access to social protection and earning around half the wages of formal workers. Forced labour persists, particularly in border regions, while over a million children were not in education in 2023, raising concerns about child labour.
TUAC calls for Thailand to ratify the core ILO conventions, extend union rights to all workers including public sector and migrant workers, strengthen protections against anti-union discrimination, and establish an effective National Contact Point with meaningful trade union engagement. For Thailand’s candidacy to advance, these commitments are essential.
Read the full report here.
Image credit: OECD
