Average Thai salary?

[benj005]

Does anyone know what the average salary is for a Thai worker?

My girlfriend who works for a major company makes only 20,000 baht a month. She's on salary so they ask her to work many hours. I think her pay is too low, and it doesn't equal the amount of hours that she's expected to work. She does not have a degree.

I've read that most Thais make 7-8,000 baht a month. Is this still true? The article was a few years old, so I don't know if much has changed. Even with a college degree I've read that the pay is normally low.

[Soutpeel]

The number sounds about right for your GF, average salaries in Thailand like the rest of the world is regional, and dependent of where you are in the country THB 20k/m could be "high" or "low", there is on no one average salary in Thailand,

THB 7-8k/m may be average in say Isaan, but low for BKK or say Rayong area (which are the two higher paying areas)

the only real point of reference you have is referencing against the Thai minimum wage of THB 300/day and lets say a person works 6 days a week, (24 day month) then around THB 7200/m would be considered minumim, therefore based on this your GF is way above this thereshold.

[benj005]

The number sounds about right for your GF, average salaries in Thailand like the rest of the world is regional, and dependent of where you are in the country THB 20k/m could be "high" or "low", there is on no one average salary in Thailand,

THB 7-8k/m may be average in say Isaan, but low for BKK or say Rayong area (which are the two higher paying areas)

the only real point of reference you have is referencing against the Thai minimum wage of THB 300/day and lets say a person works 6 days a week, (24 day month) then around THB 7200/m would be considered minumim, therefore based on this your GF is way above this thereshold.

Thanks for the help.

We're currently in Bangkok. I guess THB 20k is about average then.

It's no wonder that a lot of Thai girls choose to go into the sex industry. They can make a lot more money.

Edited August 28, 2014 by benj005

[chiang mai]

I'm guessing that 20k is too high and the following link seems to agree, I was going to suggest 15k but in fact it's 13.2k:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages

Important to remember that there's a huge percentage of the population on 300 a day. And whilst there's a lot of wealth in Bangkok, the full time population is under 10% of the entire country. Numbers are distorted as a result.

[benj005]

I'm guessing that 20k is too high and the following link seems to agree, I was going to suggest 15k but in fact it's 13.2k:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages

Important to remember that there's a huge percentage of the population on 300 a day. And whilst there's a lot of wealth in Bangkok, the full time population is under 10% of the entire country. Numbers are distorted as a result.

There is a lot of wealth in Bangkok, but it's controlled by the few. The majority of Thais who ride motor taxis and take the buses to work don't have a lot of money.

Which brings me to the Thai and Thai/Chinese wealth distribution. It seems that the Thai/Chinese control most of the wealth in Bangkok. Is this true? My girlfriend tells me that most of her clients are Thai/Chinese. There is nothing wrong with it. I'm just stating the truth.

[AlexRRR]

20,000 no degree is more than a fair wage, i know women with degrees working below their education standard for around the low to mid 20's

ExTGF worked for an American bank as an accountant with a BD but studing for her masters which she did get before she resigned her salary when i met her was 38,000 and 43,000 when she resigned 18 months later.

Previous TGF also an accountant was assistant manager of a large warehouse 10 years service and was on 25,000.

Seems if you work in your field with at least a BD around 30,000 is about the norm, no degree admin/office 14,000 to 20,000, unskilled anything from cleaner to waitress 7,000, hairdressers and i know a couple around the 10,000 to 12,000 if on salary.

[Soutpeel]

There is a lot of wealth in Bangkok, but it's controlled by the few. The majority of Thais who ride motor taxis and take the buses to work don't have a lot of money.

so how is this different from say New York, the City of London, Mumbai etc etc, the vast majority of wealth is controlled by a few, Thailand is no different in that regard to any other country, even the "communist" countries, whose fundamental doctrine is "all men are created equal" but of course we add to this pharse, "some are created more equal than others"

There is nothing unique in the Thai context, doesnt matter where you go in the world, there will always be the "haves" and "have nots"... this is not just a Thai trait, this is a human trait

[chiang mai]

I'm guessing that 20k is too high and the following link seems to agree, I was going to suggest 15k but in fact it's 13.2k:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages

Important to remember that there's a huge percentage of the population on 300 a day. And whilst there's a lot of wealth in Bangkok, the full time population is under 10% of the entire country. Numbers are distorted as a result.

There is a lot of wealth in Bangkok, but it's controlled by the few. The majority of Thais who ride motor taxis and take the buses to work don't have a lot of money.

Which brings me to the Thai and Thai/Chinese wealth distribution. It seems that the Thai/Chinese control most of the wealth in Bangkok. Is this true? My girlfriend tells me that most of her clients are Thai/Chinese. There is nothing wrong with it. I'm just stating the truth.

"Thailand

Main article: Thai Chinese

Thailand is home to the largest and most integrated Overseas Chinese community. As already said above, the present Thai monarch, Chakri Dynasty, was founded by King Rama I, who himself was partly Chinese. His predecessor, King Taksin of Thonburi Dynasty, was the son of Chinese immigrants from Guangdong Province and was born with a Chinese name. The majority of Prime Ministers in Thailand are of Chinese descent. Most ethnic Chinese in Thailand live in cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai and Nakhon Sawan. A large majority of them belong to the Teochew dialect group of Han Chinese. A small number of Chinese people, mainly belonging to the Yunnanese dialect group, also live in the northern part of Thailand which is in close proximity to their homeland in Yunnan province of China. Charoen Pokphand Group, founded by Thai-Chinese Chearavanont family, is currently the single largest foreign investors in China.^[91]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Chinese#Thailand

[Sena Dave]

About 14K for factory fodder. I know this as my nephew spent 4 years in college learning to be chef and when he finished (Qualified )got a job in a factory . He's not the brightest of boys

[benj005]

About 14K for factory fodder. I know this as my nephew spent 4 years in college learning to be chef and when he finished (Qualified )got a job in a factory . He's not the brightest of boys

He got a job in a factory making peanuts after spending 4 years in college? Don't qualified chefs do well? Maybe he has low self esteem issues? Lack of confidence?

[Soutpeel]

About 14K for factory fodder. I know this as my nephew spent 4 years in college learning to be chef and when he finished (Qualified )got a job in a factory . He's not the brightest of boys

He got a job in a factory making peanuts after spending 4 years in college? Don't qualified chefs do well? Maybe he has low self esteem issues? Lack of confidence?

again same the world over, for every Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, Wolfgang Puck running about, there will be 100's of qualfied chefs barely making a living, hardly a low self esteem issue...

14k in certain parts of the country would be considered doing ok, lest not forget in a lot of these "factories" provide accomdation or accomdation allowances and even meals are given as well, medical insurance etc, so 14k cash in hand may

[chiang mai]

15k to 20k for hotel fodder in 5/6 star hotels, mostly unskilled workers but with experience, some with degrees - am unsure if service charge is assumed to be part of the salary figures above, it can be over 100% of salary, a base of 8/9k plus same again for SC, 20k is easily dooable. Mrs CM works in the same so the numbers are real.

[Sena Dave]

 

About 14K for factory fodder. I know this as my nephew spent 4 years in college learning to be chef and when he finished (Qualified )got a job in a factory . He's not the brightest of boys

He got a job in a factory making peanuts after spending 4 years in college? Don't qualified chefs do well? Maybe he has low self esteem issues? Lack of confidence?

 

He's a good lad actually , grafter. I think he thought he'd waltz into a job in Bangkok for 30k a month. Colloedge is just a start of a chefs career , they make real money when they hit their 30s. He is actually waiting to start a job in a hotel in Bang Pa in, don't know what they offered.

[h90]

Here girls who start in the office start at 10.000 +/- 1000

A new one, who has a lot experience in a leading position will change to us for 15.000. Which is less than she got in the last job. But in the last job she had to work every weekend....never seeing her family.

20.000 is pretty good.

[canarysun]

Where i live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) most of the Thais that i talk to earn around 9,000 baht a month. Which is quite good when you consider the real living costs of living in Thailand. I can live on less than a Thai i find Thailand ridiculously cheap with the average rents in my area from 2000 to 4000 baht a month.(with balcony WIFI & Sat TV ) I don't drink or smoke and love to walk everywhere.( or by bicycle ) with the average thai meal from the food market from only 20 /30 baht and a 1 hour train journey at only 10 baht. 5L of drinking water is 5 baht.I even had my " Kito " high performance Flip Flops " resoled" the other day for 120 baht ( in the Uk it would cost 1000 baht ! ) so i think a 9,000 baht month wage is a reasonable wage for Thailand.

God Bless you all ! ( Irish accent ... )

[Sena Dave]

 

Where i live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) most of the Thais that i talk to earn around 9,000 baht a month. Which is quite good when you consider the real living costs of living in Thailand. I can live on less than a Thai i find Thailand ridiculously cheap with the average rents in my area from 2000 to 4000 baht a month.(with balcony WIFI & Sat TV ) I don't drink or smoke and love to walk everywhere.( or by bicycle ) with the average thai meal from the food market from only 20 /30 baht and a 1 hour train journey at only 10 baht. 5L of drinking water is 5 baht.I even had my " Kito " high performance Flip Flops " resoled" the other day for 120 baht ( in the Uk it would cost 1000 baht ! ) so i think a 9,000 baht month wage is a reasonable wage for Thailand.

God Bless you all ! ( Irish accent ... )

I used to live in Naklua , go back a few times a year and stay in hotel in 16/2. I suppose in that area many peoples income comes from Tourists or ex-pats

 

[benj005]

Where i live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) most of the Thais that i talk to earn around 9,000 baht a month. Which is quite good when you consider the real living costs of living in Thailand. I can live on less than a Thai i find Thailand ridiculously cheap with the average rents in my area from 2000 to 4000 baht a month.(with balcony WIFI & Sat TV ) I don't drink or smoke and love to walk everywhere.( or by bicycle ) with the average thai meal from the food market from only 20 /30 baht and a 1 hour train journey at only 10 baht. 5L of drinking water is 5 baht.I even had my " Kito " high performance Flip Flops " resoled" the other day for 120 baht ( in the Uk it would cost 1000 baht ! ) so i think a 9,000 baht month wage is a reasonable wage for Thailand.

God Bless you all ! ( Irish accent ... )

Have you seen Scott's You Tube I'm an American in Bangkok. He talks about the possibility of living in Thailand on $500 USD (bht16,000) a month. He said it's really not desirable. I guess you would disagree.

Thailand is so much cheaper compared to New Jersey. I took a taxi ride 2 weeks ago to immigration. Took me 40 minutes and paid baht 300. I took a taxi ride in New Jersey last year. The cost was $26 for a 15 minute ride.

Edited August 28, 2014 by benj005

[Soutpeel]

Which is quite good when you consider the real living costs of living in Thailand. I can live on less than a Thai i find Thailand ridiculously cheap with the average rents in my area from 2000 to 4000 baht a month.(with balcony WIFI & Sat TV ) I don't drink or smoke and love to walk everywhere.( or by bicycle ) with the average thai meal from the food market from only 20 /30 baht and a 1 hour train journey at only 10 baht. 5L of drinking water is 5 baht.I even had my " Kito " high performance Flip Flops " resoled" the other day for 120 baht ( in the Uk it would cost 1000 baht ! ) so i think a 9,000 baht month wage is a reasonable wage for Thailand.

God Bless you all ! ( Irish accent ... )

what is the reasl cost of living in Thailand then ?.....what you have stated is your cost of living, not what the "real cost is"

what you have listed there are bare minimum basic's, and if thats the way you want to live, thats up to you, what about medical insurance, life insurance, school fees, water and electric costs, what about your visa costs ?

9k/m is an amount of money but not "quite good" even if you use the THB 300/day minimum wage measure, 9k/m is not much above minimum wage in Thailand.

[benj005]

People go on about how Thai food is cheap. Yes, it's cheap but look at what you're getting. Pork, rice, chicken, papaya. I could do the same in America. I could put together a can of tuna/white rice for a dollar a day. Who wants to eat that on a constant basis? I love Thai food. I think it's much more than rice and chicken, but the ingredients that the street vendors use are naturally cheap to begin with.

Just my opinion.

Edited August 28, 2014 by benj005

[Sena Dave]

 

Where i live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) most of the Thais that i talk to earn around 9,000 baht a month. Which is quite good when you consider the real living costs of living in Thailand. I can live on less than a Thai i find Thailand ridiculously cheap with the average rents in my area from 2000 to 4000 baht a month.(with balcony WIFI & Sat TV ) I don't drink or smoke and love to walk everywhere.( or by bicycle ) with the average thai meal from the food market from only 20 /30 baht and a 1 hour train journey at only 10 baht. 5L of drinking water is 5 baht.I even had my " Kito " high performance Flip Flops " resoled" the other day for 120 baht ( in the Uk it would cost 1000 baht ! ) so i think a 9,000 baht month wage is a reasonable wage for Thailand.

God Bless you all ! ( Irish accent ... )

Have you seen Scott's You Tube I'm an American in Bangkok. He talks about the possibility of living in Thailand on $500 USD (bht16,000) a month. He said it's really not desirable. I guess you would disagree.

Thailand is so much cheaper compared to New Jersey. I took a taxi ride 2 weeks ago to immigration. Took me 40 minutes and paid baht 300. I took a taxi ride in New Jersey last year. The cost was $26 for a 15 minute ride.

 

I think it very much depends on your nocturnal habits are. You could probably live on 16k but that would be with very few trimmings

[gomangosteen]

something to factor in when discussing wages/salaries is the bonus system - reward for staying with one employer

They can significantly change a year's income:

some examples from a news article referring to end of 2013 bonuses:

Several firms manage generous year-end bonuses

The auto industry continues to be a high-performing sector that handsomely awards its employees

Toyota Motor Thailand announcing an average bonus of 10 months plus Bt20,000

Honda Thailand is paying eight months plus Bt80,000

Mitsubishi Thailand is rewarding staff with seven months

Thai Yamaha Motor is paying bonuses of four or five months' salary.
Maybank Kim Eng Securities' management said the brokerage would pay a bonus in February equal to last year's 15 months.

Bangkok Bank paid a two-month fixed bonus in the middle of the year, and will pay an additional amount at year-end. Last year's bonus was three months and 15 days.
Krungthai Bank, which is a state-owned commercial bank, will pay what it terms a "special return" to its employees in March. Last year, the average special return was around two months' salary.

Nok Airlines and AirAsia are both paying their staff four months, while Bangkok Airways is paying out six months.

Airports of Thailand leads the way in the industry with a bonus of 11 months' salary.

Last year the company my partner works for, in addition to a multi-month salary bonus (dependent on years with company) took all staff with 5yrs+ service on a package tour to Macau and Hong Kong. It's a big factor when looking for a new job eg it may pay a higher base monthly salary but then have to wait 1-2 years before eligible for any bonus.

Her brother-in-law works for Toyota in international marketing, splits time between Japan and SE Asian locations, there 12yrs since graduating and a massive bonus each of recent years. Sensibly - a lump sum payment off their house mortgage each time.

As a note on Toyota, their 2012 bonus was the highest since 2008; for their Japanese staff: "2013 average bonus of about 2.05 million yen ($21,375), compared with 1.77 million yen in 2012" source

*********

The local 7/11 store is advertising for fulltime (4 x 6 day weeks) with a start salary of 12,000b per month. 500b per day (unsure if they do 8 or 10 hours shifts?). When it opened early 2013 the start rate advertised as 9500b per month.

Edited August 28, 2014 by gomangosteen

[choochoo]

The number sounds about right for your GF, average salaries in Thailand like the rest of the world is regional, and dependent of where you are in the country THB 20k/m could be "high" or "low", there is on no one average salary in Thailand,

THB 7-8k/m may be average in say Isaan, but low for BKK or say Rayong area (which are the two higher paying areas)

the only real point of reference you have is referencing against the Thai minimum wage of THB 300/day and lets say a person works 6 days a week, (24 day month) then around THB 7200/m would be considered minumim, therefore based on this your GF is way above this thereshold.

Thanks for the help.

We're currently in Bangkok. I guess THB 20k is about average then.

It's no wonder that a lot of Thai girls choose to go into the sex industry. They can make a lot more money.

They can but a lot dont. So many are just unable to consistently get men to pay for some nude fun..............lol.

[hotsoup]

'Average' Thai salary is c.13,500; but it is a bit meaningless as there are huge variations in employment areas. A very loguacious and unusually forthcoming noodle stall holder at the end of the road said she made 30,000 a month. Not sure what the profit margin is on a 30B bowl, but that seems low to me! I reckon she was selling nearly 100 bowls/bags a day! Still more than a nurse or teacher though

[gomangosteen]

agreed hotsoup - huge variations

how much declared/taxable income is there?

In the year I 'went rural' spent some time with a farm contractor - tractors/harvesters etc.

Mostly cash. Small farmers didn't seem to need a receipts

Accompanied him to buy a new pickup. You guess it, paid 100% in cash.

At that time 2010-11, he was paying basic labourers 350-400 per day, machine operators 5-700 per day. But that's not 'salary' of course as they were all on 'as required basis' for seasonal work and subject to drought/flood etc. No work no income. When they did work, it was every hour of daylight.

Hard to get reliable averages when so much of that must go on nationally.

[David48]

Ask your gf if there is a year end Bonus.

Where MissFarmGirl used to work, International Company, Degree, part of the Management Team, her Year end Bonus was often a months Salary, sometimes 2 months ... paid during the Chinese New Year.

Like many Thais, she worked 6 days a week ... though Saturday was a casual style day.

.

[I knew this would happen]

Where i live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) most of the Thais that i talk to earn around 9,000 baht a month. Which is quite good when you consider the real living costs of living in Thailand. I can live on less than a Thai i find Thailand ridiculously cheap with the average rents in my area from 2000 to 4000 baht a month.(with balcony WIFI & Sat TV ) I don't drink or smoke and love to walk everywhere.( or by bicycle ) with the average thai meal from the food market from only 20 /30 baht and a 1 hour train journey at only 10 baht. 5L of drinking water is 5 baht.I even had my " Kito " high performance Flip Flops " resoled" the other day for 120 baht ( in the Uk it would cost 1000 baht ! ) so i think a 9,000 baht month wage is a reasonable wage for Thailand.

God Bless you all ! ( Irish accent ... )

Have you seen Scott's You Tube I'm an American in Bangkok. He talks about the possibility of living in Thailand on $500 USD (bht16,000) a month. He said it's really not desirable. I guess you would disagree.

Thailand is so much cheaper compared to New Jersey. I took a taxi ride 2 weeks ago to immigration. Took me 40 minutes and paid baht 300. I took a taxi ride in New Jersey last year. The cost was $26 for a 15 minute ride.

Some things in Thailand are so much cheaper, but NOT everything. Labour is cheap, some basics are cheap. The rest is not cheaper than at home but they have significantly lower incomes. I live the same Life here as I did back home. It all averages out to cost the same. When my Som Tum in Germany was 8€ now it´s my favourite cheese that is 8€ Prices have changed, the final bill hasn´t a lot. My home is cheaper, my car is more expensive. and it goes on like that. I could only save A LOT with a huge downgrade in my lifestyle. But I´ll admit that Thailand does have some cost advantage, but for me it´s not that huge.

Edited August 28, 2014 by I knew this would happen

[canarysun]

Sure but if you live " Thai Style " with sun! It is very cheap! But the moment you live a " farang style " in Thailand eating farang food and alcohol ( which is very expensive! ) then its going to get ridiculously expensive! Keep everything "Thai Style" and 9,000 baht a month wage is perfect!

[I knew this would happen]

Sure but if you live " Thai Style " with sun! It is very cheap! But the moment you live a " farang style " in Thailand eating farang food and alcohol ( which is very expensive! ) then its going to get ridiculously expensive! Keep everything "Thai Style" and 9,000 baht a month wage is perfect!

Hmm no, not perfect. 9K really is a tight budget, it´s possible to live with it, but that´s no life when you think what a Thai has to do for these 9K. How much hours in the heat, factory, shop or whatever. And at home almost zero luxury or pleasure awaits you.

15-20K without Farang stuff will provide a good life though. It´s just that amount of extra money above the 10K which you definately need to cover your basics that will then allow some fun.

Edited August 28, 2014 by I knew this would happen

[Jdiddy]

its all subjective

i have no car, no motorbike, no addictions to western food or alcohol or prostitutes, mostly eat in season fruit and i get by on about $400/month here without stressing about it and having a few luxuries, take my lifestyle back home to australian and it costs me $3000/month, then add in car expenses, going out with friends to dinner, $50 cell phone bill instead of a $10 thai one ect ect

[canarysun]

The other thing to consider of course is you " RENT " my rent is only 2000 baht a month with bathroom WIFI & SAT TV ( i don't watch TV! ) if you keep your rent nice and low then you can cover your " basic costs " easy on 6,000 baht a month. ( oh and i am just off to the beach right now ( " LIVE " ) and it will cost me about 1 baht for my water! Can you afford to go to the beach viewers...?

Mr Jaidee