Around 200 nurses and medical personnel gathered on the morning of 16 March 2026 at the flagpole courtyard of Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital in Muang district, Chiang Rai, to protest a new policy requiring 12-hour work shifts. Demonstrators held placards with messages including “People are not robots”, “Return quality of life to nurses”, “Frontline staff will not tolerate this”, and “We do not want 12-hour shifts”. The protest reflected concerns that extended working hours could lead to fatigue and compromise patient safety. Get today's headlines by email The protest followed an announcement by the Nursing Council introducing new working-hour guidelines requiring nurses to work 12-hour shifts. Staff members said the change would significantly affect their daily routines and wellbeing, particularly for overnight shifts running from 20:00 to 08:00. Nurses argued that due to staffing shortages and the wide range of patient conditions, it would be difficult to rotate rest periods during such long shifts and will effect patient care. A representative of the nurses said the group was calling for a return to the traditional eight-hour shift system. They claimed hospital administrators had not consulted staff before the new schedule was introduced and had instead proceeded without addressing concerns raised by frontline workers. According to the group, the new system was presented as voluntary but duty rosters were reportedly prepared in advance to implement the 12-hour shifts beginning in April. The nurses also criticised compensation under the proposed system, saying the payment offered was not reasonable compared with the increased workload and longer hours. They warned that exhaustion among medical staff could directly affect patient care and safety. The protest aimed to draw attention to these concerns and urge hospital management to reconsider the policy. Picture courtesy of Amarin Later, Dr Premchai Tirangkul, Deputy Director for Medical Affairs at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, met with the demonstrators to listen to their concerns and clarify the hospital’s position. He explained that if any department or ward was not ready to adopt the 12-hour shift system, staff could continue working under the previous eight-hour schedule. Following the discussion, the nurses and medical personnel dispersed and returned to their duties. Amarin reported that Dr Premchai said the new shift policy was expected to affect nurses’ lifestyles but emphasised that it was intended to be voluntary. He added that individual wards or departments could decide whether they were able to implement the extended shifts. Units that were uncomfortable with the arrangement or faced operational difficulties would not be required to adopt it. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 17 Mar 2026
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