New Medical Expenses to be Paid to the Employees

The Minister of Labor issues the new Ministerial Regulations on Medical Expenses Paid by the Employer B.E.2567 (2024) (issue no.2) (“Ministerial Regulation”) to reduce the problem of the rate of medical expenses paid by the employer that is not in line with the economic dynamic, as well as to make it more appropriated and cover treatment methods for employees who experience danger or illness in the diverse form of severe head injury.

As a result, this Ministerial Regulation amended two major provisions of the Ministerial Regulation on Medical Expenses Paid by Employer B.E.2563 (2020) as follows:

1. Amending the rate of the maximum medical expenses paid by the employer from THB 50,000 to THB 65,000.  

When the employees experience danger or illness, the employer shall pay the medical expenses as much as the actual medical expenses but not more than THB 65,000 (Section 2).

2. Amending the conditions for receiving the maximum of the medical expenses not more than THB 100,000 if the medical expenses in Section 2 are not sufficient for experiencing severe head injury and must undergo craniotomy to experience severe head injury.

In case the medical expenses paid according to Section 2 are not sufficient, the employer shall pay the additional medical expenses as much as the paid actual medical expenses but not more than THB 100,000 for experiencing danger or illness of employees in the following condition:

• Severe injuries to multiple internal organs required corrective surgery.
• Severe injuries to multiple bones required corrective surgery.
• Severe head injury.
• Severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, or nerve roots.
• Experiencing a difficult organ surgery requiring microsurgery.
• Experiencing danger from fire, scalding water, heat, cold, chemicals, radiation, electricity or explosion, to the point of loss of skin down to the dermis from twenty-five percent of the body’s surface area.
• Experiencing danger or other illness which is severe or chronic as announced by the Minister of Labor.

This Ministerial Regulation was effective on 25 April B.E.2567 (2024) and the effectiveness covers those who have experienced danger or illness before this Ministerial Regulation has been effective, but such employees are still receiving medical treatment.