Thailand: can you require your employees to vaccinate against covid-19?

Given the disruption suffered by many businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers will be asking a very important question can our company require all employees to vaccinate against Covid-19?

What is at stake?

Employers will be seeking to ensure the wellbeing of their employees and the safe and continuous operation of their business. This has to be balanced against the right of an employee to choose whether to take the vaccine. Although the risks are low, vaccines are not risk-free and employees may object to taking them on other grounds. The answer to this question is dependent on the principles of contract, legal obligations, constitutional protections, and labor law protections. The below takes a holistic view taking all these principles into consideration.

Mandatory vaccines unlikely to be permitted under existing agreements

Most companies in Thailand will have…