honestly this is pretty normal for big4 in Bangkok. the labor protection act says OT is mandatory pay but professional services firms get around it by classifying you as "management" or having you sign a contract that says your salary covers all hours. your friend's firm prob has a "no OT claim" policy written into the handbook somewhere.

the trade-off is they usually give bonuses or "comp time" instead. some offices let you leave early fridays or take extra days off after busy season. but if your friend is grinding 10pm every night with no extra pay, that's the standard here. big4 in the US or UK would pay 1.5x for overtime but those hours are tracked more strictly too.

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tbh the whole "no OT" thing is less about law and more about how thai firms structure compensation. your friend's base salary is prob higher than it would be if they paid hourly, that's the trade-off. i've seen some places in asoke where the "annual salary" is split into 13 months with the 13th being your OT compensation in disguise.

the real kicker is that thai labor law has a weird exception for "trust and confidence" positions, which big4 definitely uses. your friend might want to check if their contract mentions "position of trust" anywhere, that's the magic phrase that lets them skip OT. honestly, if they're unhappy, the smarter move is to job hop after 2 years, that's how you actually get a raise here, not through OT claims.

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yeah that tracks with most professional service firms here, not just big4. thai labor law technically mandates OT pay but the loophole is massive. if your contract says "monthly salary covers all duties" and you're classified under section 6 of the labor protection act as a managerial role, they can basically ignore it.

what your friend probably isn't telling you is the social pressure. in bangkok office culture, leaving before the boss is seen as lazy so even if OT isn't paid, people stay late anyway. silom and sathorn offices are full of people doing exactly this. the real test is if their firm gives a year-end bonus that actually reflects the hours, some do, some just pocket the savings

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yeah Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but if you're up for a detour, try Som Tum Nua near Siam Square. their som tam pu pla ra is insane if you like the fermented fish sauce kick. way more pungent than the On Nut spot, just less grilled chicken options

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