Thailand’s recently passed amendments to its Labor Protection Act, which lay out specific remedies for employees terminated as a result of automation or other technological advancements.

The changes come as many workers either have been or face being replaced in the future by AI, robotics, machinery, algorithms, and computer programs that can do menial labor at far cheaper and more productive rates.

Firstly, the Labor Protection Act amendments state that employees laid off due to automation must be given advance notice of termination of at least 60 days or 60 days’ worth of wages.

For normal firings not involving automation, only 30 days notice or 30 days’ pay is required.

The business must also notify labor inspectors also 60 days ahead of any terminations due to tech advancements or face a fine of up to 20,000 baht.

Thailand’s labor laws regulate everything from workplace conditions and work hours to maternity leave and social security.

Any companies that lay off workers replaced by technology also must pay special severance payments based on the laid-off employee’s last salary and experience at the company.

For example, an employee who had worked at the company between 120 days and one year would receive 30 days worth of severance pay. An employee with 10 to 20 years of experience would receive 300 days of severance payments.

Read more about the changes to the Labor Protection Act amendments concerning automation here.

Bloomberg reports that Thailand’s pension system is the worst out of 37 countries examined in the 2019 edition of the Melbourne Mercer Global Pensions Index.

Pension plans in the 37 countries were graded on measurements such as savings, employee rights, pension growth, and the overall growth of the economy.

Topping the pension rankings were the Netherlands, Denmark, and Australia respectively followed by Finland, Sweden, Norway, Singapore, New Zealand, and Canada.

Thailand’s pension system received a grade of “D” for what the report cited as an ineffective and ambiguous pension program.

The report stated that Thailand should introduce some form of mandatory retirement savings measures to remedy its pension system’s woes.

Under Thailand laws, only employees of the state are eligible for a pension tied to their salary.

Most Thai citizens have to rely on pensions ranging from 600-1,000 baht per month, which amounts to about $20-33.

One-in-three Thai workers are forced to continue working past retirement age due to insufficient savings and a poor pension program.

Read the full story here.