What's The Average Thai Salary?

[pampal]

7000 Baht/month at my g/f's shop in chinatown

[think_too_mut]

I mean Doctors in a public hospital would be lucky to be getting more than say 30k baht, so a teenager working at Mcdonalds in the UK could easily earn three times what a fully qualified doctor of 30 years does here.

Let's go downhill first:

That teenager working in BKK Mac would be on 18-22 baht an hour.

Then uphill:

Half a day work to afford a big mac set (if he still feels like it after making 100s of them).

[dave111223]

It really depends on how good looking you are, how young you are and how horney you are.

I think you hit the nail on the head there.

[david96]

It is difficult to compare wages and salaries with a Western country. For example

70% of Australians earn between $25000 and $55000 gross a year based on a 40 hr week. Deduct income tax 20 to 25%. Overtime is not included in these figures.

A qualified tradesman earns $45000 to $50000 a year gross.

Now compare these salaries to those paid in Bangkok based on full time employment. The terms "average" and "median"do not mean anything unless referenced to a particular trade /occupation /profession.

IMHO 70% of Thai workers in Bangkok would earn between 5000THB and 30000THB a month before tax.

Income tax is low compared with western countries.

Now what does a qualified electrical technican earn a month in Bangkok?

[Dakhar]

I work for a co. with over 60 employees. Excluding me, the salaries range from 8K - 15K. THe 15K has an MS from the US and a BS in Eng. from Thailand.

All other employees have at least a BS degree, and work around 60hrs a week, within BKK or outside BKK.

Isan leech.... most folks are willing to do anything for genuine love.... I know I would, especially if she was beautiful, and I was her number one concern.

The last part usually does not happen in any relationship.

[maccaroni man]

education, education, education pays.......my thai family consist of 3 cpa who all earn more than 200k per month plus perks, the others with less education earn less than 50k per month. the key here is that they all save money every month and pay cash for all major purchases including houses; go figure.

[chownah]

Seems like what is being discussed here is the wage in Bangkok. Don't forget that about half of the people in Thailand are farmers and most farmers don't farm year round. In the off season they work at whatever they can and around here most make between 150 and 200 baht per day when not farming....when farming they don't make wages, they make profits....and thier profits if divided by the number of days they work probably comes out to about the same if averaged over many years and skill levels of people involved in this kind of work.

If the OP is interested in what is the most typical wage range it is probably between 100 and 200 baht per day on a nation wide basis.....by "typical wage" here I mean that you would probably find that the largest percentage or even vast majority of Thais fall into this range.

Chownah

[jbsears]

I think speaking English and being willing to work for a Western company will increase a Thai's salary greatly. My gf makes around 25k a month at her 1st job and has been working there for around 8 months. Her friends there that don't have a masters but do the same job make about 5k less a month. She works customer service for a Western company so English is a big part of their hiring.

Another friend of mine got his first job making 23k right out of his bachelor working for a German company. He is now a year later pulling in around 30k a month. With him too I think it was his English skills that led to his success.

My foreign friend has told me that a lot has to do with having Chinese blood too. He has worked at large Western companies here that only hire Chinese Thais. And now that he is head of hiring for his current company, whenever an applicant mentions that he/she is Chinese Thai, my friend just shows him/her the door.

[goldenmile]

hmmmmmmm

seems i am overpaying my gf.

she is earning double the average wage.

[toptuan]

Watson's Drug Store here in central Isaan offers 23 Baht an hour for a cashier position that requires 13 hours a day (8 am to 10pm with two half-hour breaks), seven days a week. In my opinion, that kind of job would be exhausting, but not uncommon in Thailand.

By the way, that works out to about 8,000 baht a month. But when would you have time to spend it?

[phibunmike]

I read somewhere (sorry, can't remember where) that the average income is a little over 3,000 baht per month, and the average in Isaan is around 2,800. I live in Isaan and I know some of my Thai friends and family have very little cash income - some of them almost no cash. Some are very dependant on their crops, a bit of fishing, and foraging for protein in the rice fields. THis will be supplemented also by the occasional bit of labouring - rice harvest, building a fence, etc., and I don't suppose this cash shows up in any statistics.

There is very little middle class in Thailand compared to some other countries - therefore mean income and modal income are very different, whereas in western countries they are much closer (my guesses based on experience, no studies to refer to).

Also remember that families in Thailand live in larger groups, and help each other, so if one brother has no income but another does, probably they are ok.

And, please, keep your nasty comments about Isaan to yourself. Many of us like the place end especially the people.

[phibunmike]

Watson's Drug Store here in central Isaan offers 23 Baht an hour for a cashier position that requires 13 hours a day (8 am to 10pm with two half-hour breaks), seven days a week. In my opinion, that kind of job would be exhausting, but not uncommon in Thailand.

By the way, that works out to about 8,000 baht a month. But when would you have time to spend it?

I think last rice harvest we paid 120 baht a day for labourers. Of course, they can't earn that sort of money all year....

[phibunmike]

Seems like what is being discussed here is the wage in Bangkok. Don't forget that about half of the people in Thailand are farmers and most farmers don't farm year round. In the off season they work at whatever they can and around here most make between 150 and 200 baht per day when not farming....when farming they don't make wages, they make profits....and thier profits if divided by the number of days they work probably comes out to about the same if averaged over many years and skill levels of people involved in this kind of work.

If the OP is interested in what is the most typical wage range it is probably between 100 and 200 baht per day on a nation wide basis.....by "typical wage" here I mean that you would probably find that the largest percentage or even vast majority of Thais fall into this range.

Chownah

I agree with your figures Chownah. In very rough terms (because there are so many variables), if someone farms say 5 or 10 rai that they own, they can probably clear 1,000 baht per month over the year, plus have all the rice they and their extended family need. They can also grow some vegetables for their own use. They might get something in return from some family members, perhaps chickens, eggs or a pig. They can collect frogs, insects, snails and other delicacies from the rice fields. That 1,000 baht cash will then be enough for school, petrol, electricity, water (if on town supply), cooking oil, fish sauce, charcoal and some other items which require cash.

What stuffs it all up is the new pickup, the new TV and the new fridge - all on credit.

Cheers,

Mike

edit> I forgot clothes in my list of cash items

Edited February 5, 2007 by phibunmike

[Acquiesce]

I think that's why foreigners almost always have poor Isaan girlfriends and never educated Bangkokians. To a poor country girl you are well off, but to an educated urbanite you're nothing. That's why wealthy Thais stick together, and poor Thais leech off the stupid farang.

This poor Farang leeches of his educated Bangkokian urbanite.

[sceadugenga]

I flicked through this thread fairly quickly so if someone else has brought this up I apologize. Most of the Thais I know who work in rural areas and earn in the 100 to 200 baht a day range are paid in cash and there for wouldn't be included in any figures. When I built my house everybody was paid in cash on demand, the married men weekly, the single men liked their money every night. No income tax, therefore no record of wages.

[KireB]

What I've read is that the average salary in Thailand is around 21,000 baht a month.

60 to 70 % of the people are living of around 6-10 k a month.

What we shouldn't forget though, is the enormous shadow economy, the grey/back money circuits.

A lot of Thai women are 'importing' substantial amounts of money! Sponsored by the West so to speak. Loansharking is thriving, illegal gambling, crime and corruption are other components of this secret economy.

[Pakboong]

Oddly, some actually make more in Thailand that they would in the US or Europe for the same work. My daughter for example has worked in the US, Europe and now Thailand an makes more in Thailand. The entertainers appear to be overpaid relative to what we westerners consider quality entertainment.

[qualtrough]

I've always been curious about this. Most foreigners I meet will say the average Thai gets 6-8,000 baht a month or something ridiculous like that.

However, most official sources say the average salary is $8,200 a year. This means something around 24,000 baht a month is the average, nation wide.

(See https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/th.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok)

But even 24,000 a month strikes me as being somewhat low for a place like Bangkok, which is full of delux shopping centers, Mercedes and BMWs and some very expensive condos.

According to Wikipedia, the average salary in Bangkok is $20,000 a year. This equates to roughly 58,000 baht a month. Does this sound right? (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok#Economy)

So, this crap about the average Thai earning 8k a month is purely bullsh_t. Also the idea that the average westerner is so much wealthier than the average Thai. It's simply not true. Someone working at Tesco or 7/11 may be earning 8k a month. But someone with an education and a decent job will be earning far more, maybe more than you.

I think that's why foreigners almost always have poor Isaan girlfriends and never educated Bangkokians. To a poor country girl you are well off, but to an educated urbanite you're nothing. That's why wealthy Thais stick together, and poor Thais leech off the stupid farang.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this? I've been wondering about it for some time. Do you think Wikipedia may have incorrect figures?

The sheer ignorance of some posters never ceases to amaze me, but this post really takes the cake. OP, you need to crack a book and learn the difference between mean, median, and mode, etc.

BTW, I am a farang, and my wife, from Ayuthaya, was raised in Bangkok and obtained a college degree. I know of a number of other farangs who have also married women with higher degrees, and some who have married women from very wealthy backgrounds. I have therefore fixed one of the many incorrect sentences in your rant to make it more accurate:

"I think that's why the foreigners I hang out with almost always have poor Isaan girlfriends and never educated Bangkokians."

Edited February 5, 2007 by qualtrough

[jeebusjones]

The sheer ignorance of some posters never ceases to amaze me, but this post really takes the cake. OP, you need to crack a book and learn the difference between mean, median, and mode, etc.

You should really calm down, qualtrough. Actually I specifically mentioned the average (i.e. mean) and not the median or mode. I'd like to know what "ignorance" you're referring to in my post. I gave very specific quotations from reputable sources. The only mistake I made, which I've already realized, is that I ignored the purchasing power parity, which explains the discrepancies I had seen.

So, really, the median and mode have nothing to do with my post. If you'd read it closely, instead of getting in a self-righteous huff, you would have understood that.

BTW, I am a farang, and my wife, from Ayuthaya, was raised in Bangkok and obtained a college degree. I know of a number of other farangs who have also married women with higher degrees, and some who have married women from very wealthy backgrounds. I have therefore fixed one of the many incorrect sentences in your rant to make it more accurate:

"I think that's why the foreigners I hang out with almost always have poor Isaan girlfriends and never educated Bangkokians."

Actually I think my sentence was fine the first time around. If you'll notice, I didn't say all foreigners have poor Isaan girlfriends, I said almost all foreigners have poor Isaan girlfriends. There's a pretty significant difference between the two statements.

Now, obviously I'm not as much of a math wiz as yourself, but my understanding of the expression "almost all" would mean somewhere around 90%. So, while you seem to fall into the 10% of people with well-educated, well-to-do girlfriends, it still doesn't negate the truth of my statement. For every 1 farang with a well-educated missis, you'll easily see ten others with poor, less well-off girls.

Now, I'm not trying to say anything bad about those foreigners, and if there was any negativity in my post it wasn't intentional. But the fact is, and it is a very simple fact, most (meaning more than 51%, in case you forgot) foreigners here do have girlfriends from poor backgrounds.

There's really no need to get angry about such a statement. My girlfriend comes from a working class background. I'm not ashamed of it, and if someone points it out to me I'll say, "Yeah you're right. And the sky is blue, too." It's just pointing out a simple fact.

It's also a reasonable assumption that one of the reasons the poor girl is interested in the reasonably well-off farang is an issue of money. Now, that's not to say that she is a money-grubbing gold-digger. Thai women very often like stability, and someone who can take care of them and provide a future. Western girls very often are no different. I mean, if you were a poor factory worker or a McDonald's cashier in the West, would you honestly expect to get a quality girlfriend? Of course not, and it's no different here.

This is all highly off topic but I don't appreciate personal attacks. If you disagree with my point, that's fine and I welcome a debate. But don't resort to snide remarks just because a point happens to strike a nerve.

Edited February 5, 2007 by jeebusjones

[Acquiesce]

if you were a poor factory worker or a McDonald's cashier in the West, would you honestly expect to get a quality girlfriend? Of course not, and it's no different here.

Define 'quality girlfriend', is your girlfriend not quality because she is working class?

[Goshawk]

if you were a poor factory worker or a McDonald's cashier in the West, would you honestly expect to get a quality girlfriend? Of course not, and it's no different here.

Define 'quality girlfriend', is your girlfriend not quality because she is working class?

Yes pls.. define "quality girlfriend"

[jeebusjones]

if you were a poor factory worker or a McDonald's cashier in the West, would you honestly expect to get a quality girlfriend? Of course not, and it's no different here.

Define 'quality girlfriend', is your girlfriend not quality because she is working class?

Well it would be different for everyone, wouldn't it? For me quality means a good personality with a beautiful body. And I'm talking about a long term girlfriend, one that would possibly lead to marriage.

Am I just digging a deeper hole or are some people just being very disagreeable?

Edited February 5, 2007 by jeebusjones

[Acquiesce]

if you were a poor factory worker or a McDonald's cashier in the West, would you honestly expect to get a quality girlfriend? Of course not, and it's no different here.

Define 'quality girlfriend', is your girlfriend not quality because she is working class?

Well it would be different for everyone, wouldn't it? For me quality means a good personality with a beautiful body. And I'm talking about a long term girlfriend, one that would possibly lead to marriage.

Am I just digging a deeper hole or are some people just being very disagreeable?

To help with your original question, i have recently involved with a company start-up here in Bangkok and one of my roles in the project was a three year cash flow projection. I was unsure about how to set wages so i contacted friend of mine who is the CEO of a large company in Thailand, his reply was:

There are no official/legal requirements above minimum wage – which for Bangkok is 5,730 baht per month. But – typical monthly wages at his company for Thai employees are:

Bachelor – 7,500 to 9,000 baht

Master – 10,000-12,000 baht

PhD – 14,000-17,500 baht

Edited February 5, 2007 by Acquiesce

[griser]

The last post sounds a bit low, I believe thats for thais who are just starting in the job market. I.E. no experience

From what i've read on thai goverment websites, (the labor ministry) the average salary here depend entirely on where you live in Thailand. Bangkok around 20k for someone with some experience in a job.

Out in the provences the workers get paid quite a bit less, I believe its even half that for the same type of worker with experience.

greg

[kriswillems]

Sorry, but I find it a bit offending stating that almost all foreigners are married with poor Isaan girls.

My wife has a university degree and many of her friends from university married a farang (maybe even 30%). My wife might not have much money, but her parents are much more rich than me (I am a western-european engineer with 12 years experience and a masters degree).

Since the introduction of the internet and the wave of Thai people studying in Western countries many pretty wealthy Thais married a farang.

Edited February 5, 2007 by kriswillems

[Acquiesce]

The last post sounds a bit low, I believe thats for thais who are just starting in the job market. I.E. no experience

From what i've read on thai goverment websites, (the labor ministry) the average salary here depend entirely on where you live in Thailand. Bangkok around 20k for someone with some experience in a job.

Out in the provences the workers get paid quite a bit less, I believe its even half that for the same type of worker with experience.

greg

I'm just relating what a CEO of a large Thai company, based in Bangkok, informed me his company pay.

[kriswillems]

My wifes parents pay a totally uneducated, new labourer (woman) 150 baht/day (30 days working = 4500 baht). This is considered to be a very low income and after a few months their income will go up. Many of them don't wait for that and leave earlier. It's getting really hard to find people that want to work for this kind of money because bigger companies often pay much more.

The labourers get free food, they work 9 hours per day.

An uneducated labourer with 7 years experience (woman) gets 400 baht per day (30 days working = 12000 baht).

These amounts are bonus not included (at new-year, songkran or other special days they might get a bonus up to a months pay).

Many labourers work every day, also during the weekend, 30 days per month.

[phibunmike]

Sorry, but I find it a bit offending stating that almost all foreigners are married with poor Isaan girls.

My wife is a "poor Isaan girl" and I am offended that you find it offensive. I suppose one reason I love her is because of her amazing insight into the soul, and her incredible understanding of people.

edit> Monty Python strikes again: two reasons I love her are....

You should really calm down, qualtrough. Actually I specifically mentioned the average (i.e. mean) and not the median or mode.

I think that was qualtrough's point - the mean (average) is almost meaningless in Thailand. The modal income is a far better indicator. I am making up statistics here, but I think I would not be a million miles away if I said that 55,000,000 people earn less than 5,000 baht a month, and the the other 5,000,000 bring in an average of 250,000 baht a month. Not correct figures, but I hope you get the way I am thinking.

edit> I know they don't all work, I am using ratios more than actual numbers....

Edited February 5, 2007 by phibunmike

[Heng]

Someone with an education and a decent job is still likely to be earning 15-25,000 baht or so, I mean Doctors in a public hospital would be lucky to be getting more than say 30k baht, so a teenager working at Mcdonalds in the UK could easily earn three times what a fully qualified doctor of 30 years does here.

True, but a kid working in McDonald's likely won't be able to open his/her own clinic (ala... say Saha Paet... not a shophouse style clinic) later on. Also, his/her customers (patients) likely don't give McDonald's workers gratuity envelopes for common successful surgeries, births, etc. ranging anywhere from 5,000-30,000+ Baht per occassion upon completion of treatment. The big pharmaceutical and consumer goods conglomerates also don't pay McDonald's kids commission to "recommend" a particular brand of milk formula, brand of diaper, any of dozens of versions of the same drug, etc. And all without that annoying concern of possible malpractice suits.

Maybe in America, have you seen the public hospitals here? - I doubt people will be handing them 30,000 baht in envelopes anytime soon, where have you heard that this is common practice in Thai public hospitals?

Actually it's more common in public hospitals than in private hospitals, because that's the only way to get decent service (follow up service... and yes, all credits are valid for family members as well) in public hospitals. It's nothing new, it's actually a long standing tradition, whether the doctor is working in a public or private hospital (and more often... the best doctors work in both). Again, it's not a requirement, more like a gratuity... and certainly not everyone does it. We gave our doctor (who works at Phra Mongkut and also Vichaiyuth) 20k after successfully removing 2-3 small marble sized gall stones from my aunt. The method is no different than giving a basket of fruit + dry goods + bottle of Black to a business person or higher ranking police or army official. The important content of the basket is the white envelope underneath everything. Naturally, for hospital occasions, instead of whisky, you should substitute with a tin of cookies or something similar.

It compensates the doctor, and helps a little in the future when there is a shortage of rooms, when you want to be a little higher up on a waiting list, etc.

[MarkBKK]

I gave very specific quotations from reputable sources.

Wikipedia?

Troll.