Typcial Thai Wages/salary

[zzdocxx]

Just wondering, does anyone know about typical wages/salaries in LOS? We find it a useful gauge, eg. in Mexico, when negotiating prices, when considering an appropriate expenditure for gifts, etc.

What would be typical earnings per hour or day or week or month for:

domestic worker (hotel maids at 3*+ BKK)

bank worker, low level (eg. teller)

bank worker with college degree

street policeman

Thai school teacher

Farang English teacher

waitress

waitress in high-end hotel restaurant

hotel check in / front desk clerk

taxi driver (inlcude tips, minus expenses?)

motorcycle taxi driver (expenses?)

busy street food-stand vendor (net after expenses)

skytrain cashier

shopping mall food or drink stand person (employee)

shop employee, high-end mall shop employee

office/clerical employee

I have found info on the net about minimum wages, it looks like it is about $4.50USD per day. Also forum search results showed Farang min wage for Americans ~60,000/month.

I would like to get a grasp of the economics of the typical people I come into contact with as a visitor. Any idea of the percentages of people who fall into lower/middle/upper classes?

Information on any of the above would be useful in filling in the picture, thanks!

[expatinasia]

You should have done a more thorough search. Why in the world you want to know the salary of everyone that you might see in a week could only serve one purpose - you want to compare yourself to them. Unbelieveable! The US publishes "The Statistical Abstract of the United States" annually, that breaks down pay/salary/benefits to the nth degree. Thailand does the same. Now, it's up to you to find the English version.

[BambinA]

I hve no idea about all carreer you want to know... it depends on many conditions

anyhow this is Min. Wage Rage from The Ministry of Labour

Minimum Wage Rate since 1 August 2005 (depends on area)

BAHT

181 Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Nakornpratom, Pratumthani, Samutprakarn and Samutsakorn

178 Phuket

163 Chonburi

161 Saraburi

156 Nakornratchasima

153 Chiangmai, Pang-nga, Ranong and Rayong

152 Pranakornsriayuthaya

150 Chachengsao

148 Kanchanaburi and Krabi

147 Prachaubkirikhan, Petchaburi, Ratchaburi and Samutsongcram

146 Chantaburi, Lopburi and Angthong

145 Chumporn, Trang, Trad, Prachinburi, Lumpoon, Srakaew, Singhaburi and Sukhothai

144 Kalasin, Khonkean, Burirum, Pattani, Yala, Loei, Songkha, Satoon and Udonthani

143 Kampaengpetch, Tak, Nakornsawan, Pattalung, Phitsanulok, Petchaboon, Lumpang, Suphanburi, Suratthani and Uttraradit

142 Chainat , Chaiyaphum, Chaingrai, Nakornpanom, Nakornsrithammarat , Mugdahan, Yasotorn, Roi-ed, Srisaket , Sakonnakorn, Nongkhai, Nongbualumpoo and Uthaithani

141 Nakornnayok, Pichit, Maehongsorn, Surin, Ubonratchatani and Amnatchareon

140 Nan, Payao, Phrae and Mahasaracram

139 Naratiwat

[Thaipwriter]

Just wondering, does anyone know about typical wages/salaries in LOS? We find it a useful gauge, eg. in Mexico, when negotiating prices, when considering an appropriate expenditure for gifts, etc.

What would be typical earnings per hour or day or week or month for:

domestic worker (hotel maids at 3*+ BKK)

bank worker, low level (eg. teller)

bank worker with college degree

street policeman

Thai school teacher

Farang English teacher

waitress

waitress in high-end hotel restaurant

hotel check in / front desk clerk

taxi driver (inlcude tips, minus expenses?)

motorcycle taxi driver (expenses?)

busy street food-stand vendor (net after expenses)

skytrain cashier

shopping mall food or drink stand person (employee)

shop employee, high-end mall shop employee

office/clerical employee

I have found info on the net about minimum wages, it looks like it is about $4.50USD per day.  Also forum search results showed Farang min wage for Americans ~60,000/month.

I would like to get a grasp of the economics of the typical people I come into contact with as a visitor. Any idea of the percentages of people who fall into lower/middle/upper classes?

Information on any of the above would be useful in filling in the picture, thanks!

Correct me if I am wrong but your motive for asking this question appears to be so you can spend as little money as possible whilst you are here?

[phibunmike]

I have found info on the net about minimum wages, it looks like it is about $4.50USD per day. 

Actually, I think they use something called the bart, or something like that...

[Pie Boy]

skytrain cashier

At first I thought 'Why on earth would you want to know what a skytrain cashier earned?' but now it's got me thinking maybe it's something I really should know for my next visit.

[bendix]

What would be typical earnings per hour or day or week or month for:

domestic worker (hotel maids at 3*+ BKK)

bank worker, low level (eg. teller)

bank worker with college degree

street policeman

Thai school teacher

Farang English teacher

waitress

waitress in high-end hotel restaurant

hotel check in / front desk clerk

taxi driver (inlcude tips, minus expenses?)

motorcycle taxi driver (expenses?)

busy street food-stand vendor (net after expenses)

skytrain cashier

shopping mall food or drink stand person (employee)

shop employee, high-end mall shop employee

office/clerical employee

Information on any of the above would be useful in filling in the picture, thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Educated guesses:

Domestic hotel workers . . probably aroun 5000 a month, plus tips

low level bank worker - 7-8000

higher level . c12-15000

branch manager . . 25-35000

street copper . .I think I read it was around 9,000 (plus 90,000 in bribes)

thai school teacher . . depends on seniority but 15-25,000

english teacher . . . 25,000-40,000 (more for elite places)

waitress . . . 6-7000

hotel front office 8-12000

etc etc

Office and clerical employees is too wide a range. I know office people earning as little as7-8000 a month. I have some people in my office earning 40,000. depends on their skill sets i guess.

[Steve2UK]

Hmmmm......... I think some of you are being a bit harsh about the OP's question (even if it does call for an extreme amount of detail). IMHO, it's useful and sobering to know something of what an "average" Thai earns - particularly when it's compared to what the average tourist pays out for hotels etc and what expats pay for rent etc.

For what it's worth, in Chiang Mai (Thailand's second city - admittedly much smaller than BKK), my information is that an average Thai worker would think they're doing pretty well to be making 10,000 baht a month - and I'd guesstimate that the figure would be maybe 20-25% higher in BKK.

Compare that to what you spend for a night in, say, a 4-star hotel. Just your bar or pool-side snack bill is almost certainly more than what the waiter/receptionist/driver makes in a day.

[speleo]

Compare that to what you spend for a night in, say, a 4-star hotel. Just your bar or pool-side snack bill is almost certainly more than what the waiter/receptionist/driver makes in a day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Many of the staff would be paid less than the price of two bottles of Heineken for a day's work.

As an example in a small bar in northern Thailand the staff are paid between 100 and 150 baht for a 7 hour shift, plus tips, though the new employee was on 80 baht. The cook is paid 200 baht. Helps explain why many see prostitution as a tempting financial move.

Agricultural work: handpicking chillis - 10 baht a kilo.

[Bryan in Isaan]

Hmmmm......... I think some of you are being a bit harsh about the OP's question (even if it does call for an extreme amount of detail). IMHO, it's useful and sobering to know something of what an "average" Thai earns - particularly when it's compared to what the average tourist pays out for hotels etc and what expats pay for rent etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree and think it is an excellent question for any of us living in the LOS and wanting to know more about it's people and culture.

Here in Kalasin, one of the poorest provinces, per capita in Thailand, most people outside the major cities work as farm laborers or other jobs in the agricultural sector. They make about 100B to 150B /day depending on season. A skilled construction worker can make 200B to 250B /day. Other than a few wealthy merchants and politicians, teachers make the highest salaries. The range is from about 7000B to 30000B+, for beginners all the way to principals and all are required to have a college degree now. Most people consider themself lucky if they can go to Bangkok and make 7000B/mo. and they are expected to send money home. With a vocational degree, a person can go to a city (usually Bangkok) and make a little more, usually starting around 10000/mo. My wife has a brother who was lucky to land a job overseas in another Asian country where he will be making a whopping 22000/month, most of which will be sent home to repay loans for fees to get that job. So, all in all, life is tough here.

These are rough estimates, based on living here and watching people over the past four years. The cost of living is of course cheaper here than in BKK, but some things, such as a new car costs the roughly same no matter where you are in the world.

Bryan

Edited September 26, 2005 by Bryan in Isaan

[taxexile]

one of the salespeople in the shoe dept. at the emporium dept. store told me that they earn 3500b/ month. they also get commission on sales. 6 and sometimes 7 days a week , maybe one day off every month.

steve2uk

I think some of you are being a bit harsh about the OP's question (even if it does call for an extreme amount of detail). IMHO, it's useful and sobering to know something of what an "average" Thai earns - particularly when it's compared to what the average tourist pays out for hotels etc and what expats pay for rent etc.

i agree.

[haha]

talking about salaries is a very sensitive topic anywhere in the world. and it's all relative on how you look at things.

a couple of stories...

I lived in the philippines for a few months once. rented a 4 bedroom house for about 120 dollars a month. it wasn't as well-builted as many in the states, but for the price, I had no complaints.

one day, I was shooting the breeze with a couple of other expats comparing the salaries we were making when we were still working in the states. I mentioned that at my peak I was commanding xx dollars an hour. a mid-level hourly rate at the time for a network engineer.

anyway, one of the electricians working on our rented house came up to me saying that I must be a millionaire. I replied no. far from that. since he was in a chatting mood, I asked him how much he made an hour. he replied in a sad way saying that he earned about a dollar a day for a whole day's work.

upon hearing his story, I didn't want to discuss salaries anymore knowing that such discussion could be looked at in many ways by other people and could possibly result in a vicious confrontation due to misunderstandings.

on the other side of the coin...

I remember walking down this soi on sukhumvit when all of a sudden I saw this huge mansion that encompassed about 2 square blocks of space. man, it was big. anyway, I was curious as to who owned the place. so, I asked one of the food vendors that had a stall near the place. get this, his reply to my question was that the place was owned by a colonel in the military.

right off the bat, I said to myself. wow! those guys in the military must be getting paid a lot to be able to afford that place. .. a little later after thinking about it, I said to myself..... yeah. right.

[loong]

Wages are all relative.

I know a lot of people in the village that make between 100 and 150 Baht per day.

Strange that many seem to have a much happier life than many high earners I know in the Uk.

Baic wages unskilled about 3-5,000 Baht per month

Skilled 5-8,000

Skilled, self employed 10,000 - 20,000

Village School teacher around 12,000

Village doctor 20-30,000

Illegal logger 20,000

Person who buys and distributes illegal timber 50,000 plus

University Grad 6-8,000

Motorbike taxi in Pattaya 10,000 plus

Edited September 26, 2005 by loong

[zzdocxx]

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses.

[seeker108]

Wages are all relative.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm. I guess so. I may be sorry that I looked at this thread, as prior to this I was thinking that 1,000 baht per month was a decent wage to pay a mostly full-time (6 hours per day 6 days per week) maid/cook outside of the metro areas. That was what I was paying two years ago. The maid was arranged by a Thai friend and the maid seemed very happy with the arrangement and the job (and we had interviewed several other potential employees, all of them knowing the salary). Of course it included meals that she was there for (even for her 12 yr old son who was often there for lunch on non-school days).

She was middle aged, not young and inexperienced and spoke a little English as she had worked for farangs before.

So she was happily working for the equivalent of 50 baht per 8 hour day (about 1,200/month) plus food and she was a good honest, hard working employee. Having been in India this wage did not surprise me. Also, a friend in Bkk was paying his full-time, live-in nanny/maid/cook 3,000 per month, so again, what I was paying seemed on par considering the difference between BKK and 20 km outside of CM. Have wages gone up significantly in the past 2 years or was I just in an unusual area?

[britmaveric]

For avg worker - 4000-6000 BHT per month. Most dont make a lot I'm afraid.

[zzdocxx]

Seeker,

In searching the site for info, I came across this interesting thread about maids, maybe you'll find it helpful.

http://www.thaivisa.com/maid.0.html

[phibunmike]

I think some of you are being a bit harsh about the OP's question (even if it does call for an extreme amount of detail). IMHO, it's useful and sobering to know something of what an "average" Thai earns - particularly when it's compared to what the average tourist pays out for hotels etc and what expats pay for rent etc.

i agree.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree - my own reply was a bit snotty, for which I apologise. I just get irritated by what I see as the parochial US attitude of converting everything to US$, but that is my problem, not the OP's.

[seeker108]

Seeker,

In searching the site for info, I came across this interesting thread about maids, maybe you'll find it helpful.

http://www.thaivisa.com/maid.0.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks. I particularly like what it says at the end about giving them respect and making them feel welcome. I think that if you treat a person well and pay them to the best of your ability within an accepted framework then it will be a lasting and mutually enjoyable relationship.

I think finding any employee through some reference is the best way as there is then more of a connection there.

[Tyree D.]

I hope after seeing the wages of these workers, westerners will stop bitching about being supposedly underpaid. I'm watching y'all!!!

[loong]

A maid 20 Kms from Chiang Mai

I would have thought normal wage should be 2,500 pm for the hours you mention plus food.

Are you sure she wasn't from Burma?

There were quite a few Burmese illegals working in the building boom in Pattaya. From what I understand they were being paid about 80 Baht per day!

[Jockstar]

My ex used to prmote beer on KhaoSan rd. Shje and her friends would make between 7-9K a month. Working 6 days a week. The other staff ie waiters make about 3500baht a month plus tips.Thai teachers at my school earn about 7000 baht the farang around 32K. The Thais work harderie tghey are at school longer but get paid less. My gf friends are casting director and make 60K + a month, The missus makes 30K plus. My mates wife worked for the government off and made 7K a month. So its different what evr you do. But basically the Thai salaries are shit. For me the majority of Thai are hard working but recieve a pittence.

[yesduhh]

The question was a very good one. We foreigners need to know the facts about things like this, it is important part of the lives of the people around us.

I am a teacher in an international school, I pay a live-in maid/nanny about 12000 B per month. She is a hard and reliabler worker.

Wages are all relative.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm. I guess so. I may be sorry that I looked at this thread, as prior to this I was thinking that 1,000 baht per month was a decent wage to pay a mostly full-time (6 hours per day 6 days per week) maid/cook outside of the metro areas. That was what I was paying two years ago. The maid was arranged by a Thai friend and the maid seemed very happy with the arrangement and the job (and we had interviewed several other potential employees, all of them knowing the salary). Of course it included meals that she was there for (even for her 12 yr old son who was often there for lunch on non-school days).

She was middle aged, not young and inexperienced and spoke a little English as she had worked for farangs before.

So she was happily working for the equivalent of 50 baht per 8 hour day (about 1,200/month) plus food and she was a good honest, hard working employee. Having been in India this wage did not surprise me. Also, a friend in Bkk was paying his full-time, live-in nanny/maid/cook 3,000 per month, so again, what I was paying seemed on par considering the difference between BKK and 20 km outside of CM. Have wages gone up significantly in the past 2 years or was I just in an unusual area?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[speleo]

street copper . .I think I read it was around 9,000 (plus 90,000 in bribes)

If I understood a drunken conversation correctly an army major (or was it the captain?) was on a salary on 10,000 baht/month. Probably had 'other business interests' to support his lifestyle.

Thais don't seem to be as uptight as westerners when it comes to discussing income.

[bendix]

I prefer to overpay my maid. She gets 4400 a month for coming three days a week, and working 4 hours each time. She cleans, washes, irons and does odds and sods.

In return for overpaying her, I know I can trust her implicitly, even to the point of giving her 20,000 the other week to go and pay a few bills which needed to be taken care of. She's a gem.

The idea of paying a maid 1000 a month as a previous poster did is, imho, bordering on taking the p**s. Just because you can get away with it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. I couldn't live with myself if I ordered in a pizza a few beers and I gave the maid more than a month's salary to pay the delivery guy for a junk food binge. It just aint right.

[zzdocxx]

I feel that having some information like this helps me be more sensitive to other peoples' situations. For example, I am realizing that the amount I could pay for a 4* hotel per night might be equal to the monthly rent for the apartment of a worker there.

[meemiathai]

Have wages gone up significantly in the past 2 years or was I just in an unusual area?

Yes, as significant as 6-700%! But since the maid is so happy with it, u may as well try baht 800.

[AmeriThai]

Thanks.  I particularly like what it says at the end about giving them respect and making them feel welcome.  I think that if you treat a person well and pay them to the best of your ability within an accepted framework then it will be a lasting and mutually enjoyable relationship.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That kind of attitude can pay off in many other ways as well. I tend to be that way wherever I am, and see people for who they are more instead of what their job is, whether they are maids, taxi drivers, barbers, vndors, or whatever. Everyone deserves some form of respect.

For example, I used to frequently stay at the old Mermaid's Rest on Soi 8 (a few steps off Suk) before it was closed. Oddly, I'd see a lot of guests who seemed to regard the maids and other help there as the next thing to non-persons. As for myself, I always enjoyed chatting with the help on a friendly basis. In turn, they often went to extra lengths to make my stay more enjoyable and comfortable.

There was a New Year party held there for a nominal cover charge to guests and visitors. Of course, free for the employees. I was planning to skip it, but nearly all the employees, from the office manager down to the maids insisted I attend. Practically everyone from all shifts showed up for the event. When I offered to pay the cover charge, they refused it saying I was more like a part of the "family" there. The party was a blast and a fun time was had by all dancing and celebrating their way into the New Year.

[Steve2UK]

I feel that having some information like this helps me be more sensitive to other peoples' situations.  For example, I am realizing that the amount I could pay for a 4* hotel per night might be equal to the monthly rent for the apartment of a worker there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Make that "room" rather than "apartment" and you're not far off.

[seeker108]

I prefer to overpay my maid. She gets 4400 a month for coming three days a week, and working 4 hours each time. She cleans, washes, irons and does odds and sods.

In return for overpaying her, I know I can trust her implicitly, even to the point of giving her 20,000 the other week to go and pay a few bills which needed to be taken care of. She's a gem.

The idea of paying a maid 1000 a month as a previous poster did is, imho, bordering on taking the p**s. Just because you can get away with it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. I couldn't live with myself if I ordered in a pizza a few beers and I gave the maid more than a month's salary to pay the delivery guy for a junk food binge. It just aint right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Bendix,

I would like to put the situation in perspective and assure you that I was not being some sort of heartless taskmaster. At that time my health was not in the best shape, nor were my finances (though in many ways good fortune was smiling on me as you will soon see).

I had a Thai friend who I had helped in the past with her health who came up with me to CM to help me out. She found great housing for me as well as the maid. I was completely new to the CNX area and did not know anything about the cost of living there except that it could be massively cheaper than BKK for example.

Also for perspective, you should know that my monthly rent for a very nice, fully furnished, 2 story, 2 bdr, 2 bath townhouse (with telephone, but no aircon) was baht 1,000/ month (1 month deposit and no contract). As I said everything was arranged by my Thai friend who knew I was on a tight budget. She found the place (and this was not the only one of this quality for 1,000 baht/month in the same area. She put out the word for the maid through friends and neighbors and what salary I could pay (again multiple applicants).

The maid always felt like she was family, knew my finances were tight and never felt taken advantage of (nor did I even have a hint that this was not an appropriate wage for the situation and area). My place was close to her home and closer to her son's school. If she had some pressing need to miss a day or change her schedule, she knew that I was flexible and she could do it as long as she let me know. It was a mutually beneficial relationship and for her the big factor might have been just to have a positive place for herself and her son to be to get away from a husband who tended toward being wasted, abusive and at home most of the day if he did not have to report to the army base. As Loong said, 'wages are all relative'. And maybe wgaes are not always defined in cash.

Personally I have mostly been a volunteer my entire adult life. I often find that people regard respect and other such intangibles more highly than cash. I have lived in rural areas where the community would be offended and very annoyed at the farang if he were to pay for something beyond what they thought was reasonable.

As I said earlier you should give what you can, within accepted standards.

To answer Loong, she was Thai and lived within a 5 minute scooter ride of me. Her husband was in the army.

Yes, as significant as 6-700%! But since the maid is so happy with it, u may as well try baht 800.

*

Very funny MMT smile.gif