Inter-regional project: How to strengthen social protection coverage in the context of the European Union Agenda on decent work and promoting employment in the informal economy. Thailand: Case Study

Thailand is a middle-income country with per capita income of 134,343 baht or US$3,887 in 2007.1 It was once an agrarian economy, but with the pace of development, its economy now relies more on industry and services. As a result, employment in these sectors has been increasing. With the move into a modern economy, labour standards have improved. The first half of the 1970s, was a period in which advances were made in social democracy. Workers demanded that their right to a decent job should be protected by law. A number of laws came into force in this period, for example, on labour relations, workmens compensation, private-school teaching staff and labour protection.