What's The Average Thai Salary?

[inthepink]

That 6,000 - 8,000 figure sounds about right for the majority. I think if you count the number of motorcycles as opposed to the number of Mercedes, you will see the average wage is lower.

Make no mistake, there are some very, very wealthy folks in Bangkok and plenty of up and coming people as well.

A good friend of mine who has a bachelor's degree AND reads, speaks and WRITES English very well earns between 25,000 and 40,000. He quits jobs after a few years and ends up back at that 25,000 area. It doesn't take long for his salary to start climbing though. His major strength is that he can write well--both gramatically and organizationally.

im so surprised people are saying its bs, are they sure they have been out of the sukhumvit area, like you wrote it is exactly 8000bht to 12000bht, my wifes was an accountant for siam commercial bank, that was the figure she gave me.

she laughed hard when i said someone said 24000bht, have the people seen the apartments in Bangkok out of sukhimvit like in the dingy sois of samut prakhan that you can rent for 2000bht a month and sometimes less.

As an Accountant my wife was on 15000 bht and the job was only paying 12000 but she demanded more in the interview and got it.

15000bht was considered high amongst here friends who all have regular retail or marketing jobs.

their is a reason girls wander around walking st and its not because the average is anywhere near 24000bht.

they can get by on 8000bht surprisenly, but its not easy.

Burmese maids in Chiang Mai are asking, and getting, a minimum of 300 baht a day nowadays, and most of them don't take time off, so I find it hard to believe that 6-8k is anywhere near accurate as an average for Thai people if the jobs they don't want to do are paying 8-9k a month.

I presume your wife was newly qualified on that salary...otherwise it sounds rather low (sounds a bit low in any case)

so you think maids are getting that from burma do you.lmfao.

my wife was getting more then the others, they were getting 12000 she was on 15000, i repeat that part because you must have missed in in the post you replied to.

20000bht, thats so far of the mark, im starting to wonder if you have been to thailand at all, have you been around the average thai workers in real world jobs, or are you throwing out a wild guess.

I don't think maids from Burma are getting that, I know it for a fact (although I should add that childcare is involved too). They are in rather short supply. And no, it has nothing to do with me being bad at negotiating wages or being white, other all Thai couples are paying the same and the lowest I have heard being offered up here at the moment for Burmese labourers is 250 baht a day. Re. maids wages, these are live out positions, just in case somebody jumps in and says they know one working for 5k a month.

I do actually know of one that was working for 4.5k a month but that was for my MIL and she is a stingy old bag, and it was most certainly not normal.

Edited January 28, 2013 by inthepink

[marstons]

Very good question, I would like to also know how they do it. I see many fancy cars, houses, etc. Were is all the money coming from if they only make about 8,000 baht a month,

Good question, what is the norm salary around BKK.

credit, loans

[inthepink]

Very good question, I would like to also know how they do it. I see many fancy cars, houses, etc. Were is all the money coming from if they only make about 8,000 baht a month,

Good question, what is the norm salary around BKK.

credit, loans

People on 8k a month cannot afford to buy a "fancy car" on credit, or a house for that matter. Do the maths. Edited January 28, 2013 by inthepink

[NeverSure]

OK, fwiw I know a registered nurse who works for a hospital in Udonthani for 15k baht. I know a science teacher with a master's degree in a village of about 200 homes in what I call S. Isaan (Surin, Si Sa Ket general area) who makes 20k. I know a grade school teacher in Udonthani with a bachelor's degree who makes 14k. I know a gal who works in a bank in Chiang Mai. She has a bachelor's degree and makes 20k. I know another gal who was a teacher in Khon Kaen, went to uni part time and got an MBA and is now some kind of leader over several schools and she makes 25k.

The one in S. Isaan who makes 20k drives a late model pickup and is having a new small home built. Don't ask me how she can afford it on 20k. Her family doesn't have money. She's 35, never married, no kids.

[marstons]

This is something I actually know quite a bit about for Bangkok.

All working class jobs, e.g. taxi driver, waitress, etc = THB 6000 - 10000

Middle class office jobs:

- Tier 1:Lower middle class: relatively unskilled and fairly easy to replace, maybe has a degree from within thailand but no chance of ever scaling the career ladder. worker will be from humble background and have little/none english skills. does a process-driven job. = THB 12,000 - 25,000

- Tier 2: Iinternational university graduate - entry level or non-climber. often studied in US/AUS/UK. Good english skills, fairly rich parents. Depending on whether company is lower grade or international brand = THB 20,000 - 45,000

- Tier 3: Middle management: few years experience, studied abroad and is talented individual = THB 45,000 - 80,000

- Tier 4: Senior level: Talented, rich background, well connected, international education. THB 80,000 - 150,000

- Tier 5: Company leaders: heads of department and GM's in international companies = THB 150,000 - 500,000

- Tier 6: Elite: born into family empires. = sky is the limit.- IF they can be bothered to earn.

This wage inequality is the problem with Thailand and something I feel very passionate about. I have been in the position where I have mixed extensively with all levels of Thai society - working class, middle class, and high society and have a relatively good viewpoint on it all. What strikes me is that how the working class have no understanding of middle/upper, and vice versa. They seem absolutely oblivious to each other.

I asked this exact question to someone from the working class from upcounty, and someone from upper middle class. One replied THB 6,000 and one replied THB 30,000. The 2 sections of society really have no interaction with each other and their is no level of compatibility in a social or business sense. The more privileged rarely even speak to the working class - they only shop in high end malls, socialise at high end wine bars, go to high end service industry shops and high end holiday hotels, and will never take a taxi. It would be a big social no-no for them to be seen with a working class person. I once went to a dinner that included a couple of working class friends and a high so acquaintance. The 2 camps didn't say a word to each other, and next time i was invited to go out with the high-so person they stipulated that my working class friends were not allowed to come.

It's such a split society, perfectly demonstrated by the elections.

So the answer to the original question needs to be split in to the 2 sections of society.

Average working class wage = 6,000- 8,000

Average middle/upper class wage = 25,000 - 60,000

on number 2 and 3 I know plenty in this bracket who have never stepped foot out the country, so education here can easily get into those 2 pay grades. Example G/F with end of year bonus (2 months salary) Earns 50k per month , free Nissan March, 7k per month travelling expenses free phone and I pad. Education solely in Thailand. Her Sister and BIL similar, no car but basics of 50k per month plus 100k bonus end of year.

[RandomSand]

My lady is the regular Issan variety. She does not have a degree but is doing a "open university" type course.

8 Years experience in retail on the front line.

Now sells make-up in a Department Store. Gets 0.5% of whatever she sells.

Takes home between 16,000 - 18,000 per month, after tax, depending on sales performance. I think 15k gross is her basic. Works 6 days per week. Normal hours.

edit: I should point out the brand she sells is not upper end of market either.

Edited January 28, 2013 by RandomSand

[muythai2013]

Very good question, I would like to also know how they do it. I see many fancy cars, houses, etc. Were is all the money coming from if they only make about 8,000 baht a month,

Good question, what is the norm salary around BKK.

credit, loans

People on 8k a month cannot afford to buy a "fancy car" on credit, or a house for that matter. Do the maths.

and thats why not many have a house or car

[inthepink]

Very good question, I would like to also know how they do it. I see many fancy cars, houses, etc. Were is all the money coming from if they only make about 8,000 baht a month,

Good question, what is the norm salary around BKK.

credit, loans

People on 8k a month cannot afford to buy a "fancy car" on credit, or a house for that matter. Do the maths.

and thats why not many have a house or car

A quick google and I see a figure of 31% of Thai people over 20 owning a car. Would need to verify that of course, but if it is accurate then it is a substantial percentage. Does sound a bit high to me though.

I found the source but I believe we are not allowed to quote from that newspaper here? Around 14 million car owners in Thailand...a bit more than "not many", in my opinion.

Edited January 28, 2013 by inthepink

[cdnvic]

Feel free to start a new topic but people are quoting posts made almost six years ago and the information is long out of date.