Thailand’s hiring landscape in 2024 mirrors the country’s gradual economic recovery, with projected GDP growth rates hovering at 2.3 – 3.2%. Constraints like high household debts have weakened consumer purchasing power, in turn prompting businesses to focus on cost savings as they fall short of revenue targets.

This has made for a sluggish job market in some sectors, says Punyanuch Sirisawadwattana, Country Manager at Robert Walters Thailand. Tourism, a major economic pillar, has been on the rebound, but it still lags pre-pandemic levels of activity, affecting growth in adjacent industries like hospitality and retail.

On the positive side, there was a boost in exports, particularly in the electronics sector. This has created opportunities for talent skilled in manufacturing and export logistics.

“These economic factors have resulted in longer hiring timelines, greater selectivity, and heightened focus on talent retention as companies navigate a challenging landscape,” notes Punyanuch.

Read on to find out more about Punyanuch’s expectations for Thailand’s labour market in 2025.

Longer hiring processes, bigger focus on retention

With Thailand’s slow economic recovery, employers and employees alike are treading carefully when it comes to decisions around hiring and resigning – a trend expected to persist going into 2025.

Companies were more cost-sensitive in the last year, and Punyanuch observes that as a result, they were very selective in hiring, opting for candidates who can fit seamlessly into their organisational culture and job requirements. Hiring timelines were extended as companies took more time to search for and mull over prospective hires from a limited pool of qualified candidates. Many vacancies were left unfilled for longer periods of time, affecting business operations and productivity.

Retention has also become a huge focus as companies are finding it more difficult to bring in new talent. To prevent turnover, companies are resorting to competitive counteroffers to retain existing employees. They will likely expand on efforts in this area in the coming year, potentially investing in offering perks and other programs to keep employees motivated and engaged.

Faced with a challenging hiring market, companies are leveraging new strategies and technologies to stay on top of market trends and secure the talent they need. Over the past year, Punyanuch has seen an increase in requests for market intelligence reports, and support in areas like talent advisory and workforce planning. Some companies also implemented artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data analytics tools into their search for mid- and senior-level positions.

In-demand roles for 2025

Within some of Thailand’s key industries like food manufacturing, FMCG and automotive, Punyanuch points out that there is tremendous demand for plant directors, plant managers and operations managers, alongside talents with expertise in quality and R&D.

Meanwhile, within the human resources function, there is a growing demand for experienced HR business partners and experts in learning and development.

The healthcare sector is in urgent need of sales and marketing professionals who can support emerging needs in market access, government affairs, regulatory affairs and product marketing.

Advice on talent attraction and retention

The key challenge for companies looking to attract talent in today’s market is that there is a large group of passive candidates who are not intending to change jobs at all, and at the same time, candidates who are actively seeking new opportunities may not be suited to the position at hand.

To overcome these obstacles, Punyanuch advises companies to focus on engagement – both for prospective and existing hires.

In hiring, companies should aim to provide a positive candidate experience by  interacting openly and efficiently with interviewees, aligning clearly on expectations and outcomes for the interview process. She also recommends shortening time-to-hire, as overly prolonged processes could deter candidates and increase the risk of them being snapped up by competitors.

Investments in employee engagement also pay off, especially when companies adapt strategies in this area to changing market dynamics and candidate motivations. Besides fostering an inclusive, diverse workplace culture, companies can also show appreciation for employees by offering flexible perks and recognition and rewards programmes.

Larger pay bumps for experienced candidates

Job movers with strong, immediately applicable skills can expect a salary bump of 15 – 20%, while those requiring some onboarding or training may receive increments up to 15%. For employees staying put, salary growth averages around 2–4%.

Find out more

Request access to our 2025 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in Thailand.