Benefits to Promoting the Employment of Highly Skilled Personnel under the Thailand Plus Package

Tax incentives that promote the employment of highly skilled personnel and the development of highly qualified personnel (Thailand Plus Package) are offered to accelerate investment and support the relocation of production due to the impact of trade wars.

Recently, on 7 March 2023, the Cabinet approved the extension of the tax incentives to accommodate the migration of foreign investors (Thailand Plus Package) from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025, a total of three years. The measures are divided into two types:

1) Tax incentives to promote the hiring of highly skilled personnel, by extending the period of the 150% income tax exemption to companies or juristic partnerships operating in the target industry. For expenditures paid salaries for hiring highly qualified employees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from the Revenue Department to promote and encourage the hiring of more highly skilled personnel stem from personnel wage support for start-up enterprises, 50% of personnel wage support up to 5 million baht for two years (up to 100,000 baht per person per month) for start-up enterprises (established up to 5 years), according to the announcement of the National Competitiveness Committee for Target Industries on measures to promote start-up enterprises;

2) Tax incentives to promote the development of highly skilled personnel are expanded to extend the income tax exemption period for companies or juristic partnerships. For example, the expenditures paid as expenses for sending employees to education or training can be exempted. This also applies to the cost of training employees in courses that are certified by government agencies that apply for a 250% income tax exemption from the Revenue Department, particularly the following agencies

Office of the National Council for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (National Science and Technology Development Agency); Office of the Eastern Special Development Zone Policy Committee; Office of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA); and the Network Committee of the Center of Robotics Excellence (CoRE). The exemptions aim to promote and encourage the training of employees in companies or juristic partnerships.

Both measures will effectively promote the development of target industries in Thailand and enhance the country's competitiveness, as well as the development of Thai personnel and the development of private enterprises in Thailand.

There are more than 3,700 companies, agencies, and individuals interested in employment and recruitment under the implementation of the Thailand Plus Package. In addition, there are currently more than 3,700 certifications in STEM employment from 74 companies and more than 600 certifications for government, universities, and private sector training agencies from 58 training agencies.

The extension of tax incentives for another three years is expected to positively affect the expansion of employment benefits and personnel training, thereby enhancing the company's competitiveness while continuously increasing the number of highly skilled personnel. The goal is to employ 5,000 persons and increase the number of trained personnel to 20,000 in 1,000 companies by 2023.

Source: Office of the National Council for Higher Education Policy, Science, Research, and Innovation (National Science and Technology Development Agency) 
319 Chamchuri Square Building, 14th Floor, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel. +66 2109 5432

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