Late last year, the Department of Business Development introduced an e-filing service for the filing of annual financial reports, as highlighted here.  The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (the Labour Department) recently took similar steps for filing work rules and regulations.

Employers with ten or more employees are required to produce and file a physical copy of their work rules with the Labour Department within seven days from the date the work rules are announced.  Following a February 2016 announcement by the Thai government, employers may now file their work rules electronically.  Employers would need to apply for a User ID and Password at the Labour Department’s website at http://eservice.labour.go.th/eformweb/ and then log in and upload their work rules through the e-filing system.

While the new e-filing system appears to provide a more efficient filing mechanism for many business operators, it may still be advisable to file the work rules in person at the Labour Department, especially as the system is still relatively new and possibly unfamiliar to many officials in the Labour Department.  Furthermore, discussing the work rules with a labour official would be recommended if they address “grey areas” of Thai labour law (e.g., compliance requirements), otherwise, there is a risk that the electronically filed work rules could be rejected by the Labour Department.