Thai berry-pickers in Europe earned Bt800 million in three months

[overherebc]

3 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

 

It's not really good money. I'm assuming it's a 6 days a week job, 48 hours, so before tax that's about 10.5 Euro per hour, maybe before tax. That's not enough to get Europeans off their a**ses in what is very tough work.

 

I tried picking strawberries when I was a teenager, and the Asians could pick 3 baskets to my 1. I only lasted a day.

I'd say 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, at least.

Edited October 9, 2020 by overherebc

[from the home of CC]

7 minutes ago, overherebc said:

One of the big uk brexit worries was reference the fruit and veg etc harvest time as a big % of it was done by EU migrant workers. Locals wouldn't do it because they would lose their gov' allowances. More money for no work.

that's the problem when governments act as nannies, in Canada you have whole generations that have been collecting handouts for years..

[overherebc]

33 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

that's the problem when governments act as nannies, in Canada you have whole generations that have been collecting handouts for years..

Wasn't like that in the 70's, from memory only.

[UbonEagle]

Suspect the figures are slightly inflated, but nothing outrageous here, migrant farm workers would make roughly that for a 10hr day / 6 days a week routine, I think they usually get some pretty basic free accommodation and cover living costs themselves

[Dario]

8 hours ago, CanuckThai said:

"they got paid around Bt80,000 per month".  Nice work...how much goes to the "agents" and how much goes into the pockets of the fieldworkers?

There's a documentary made by DW "Thai berry pickers in Sweden" (it's available on youtube) which was mentioned today in a similar thread where it was revealed that each laborer brings home around 40'000 Baht, the rest goes to middlemen, the airfare and other expenses they incur, I think of food and lodging.

[Orton Rd]

Just watched it and from last year, 40k baht for 2 months backbreaking work, better off working in Korea they can earn that every month for years, although mostly illegal. Hard to see how some managed to buy tractors, cars and land from 2 months work.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Orton Rd

[yeahbutif]

I Heard the Thai gov have a quoter to allow Thais to apply for wp for them Jobs.

[Antti]

8 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Presumably they paid Swedish income tax on earnings?

Not sure about Sweden but in Finland picking wild berries is tax free.

[djayz]

8 hours ago, overherebc said:

I'd say 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, at least.

Generally speaking, not correct. 6 days a week, average 8 hours/day, incl. 1 hour lunch break plus two shorter breaks. Overall, 48 hrs/week is the norm. Plus/minus a bit. 

[dimitriv]

35 minutes ago, djayz said:

Generally speaking, not correct. 6 days a week, average 8 hours/day, incl. 1 hour lunch break plus two shorter breaks. Overall, 48 hrs/week is the norm. Plus/minus a bit. 

 

If you watch the video I posted on the first page it is 7 days a week, 12+ hrs a day + time to travel.

[Jack Hna]

Seems strange the gov is bigging this up. 

[Grumpy John]

Sounds like a krap job to me.  As a kid I picked black berries so my mum could make jam. It was a <deleted> of a job.

[Bundooman]

21 hours ago, CanuckThai said:

"they got paid around Bt80,000 per month".  Nice work...how much goes to the "agents" and how much goes into the pockets of the fieldworkers?

And even to help pay for their quarantine on return - unless everything is all-found!

[lesmac]

Thats 278,000 a month each come on

[bruck2020]

I have some extended family members that have been interested in working Overseas partime, something similar to this.

 

Does anyone know where Thais go to apply for jobs like this?

[JensenZ]

On 10/9/2020 at 5:44 PM, overherebc said:

I'd say 7 days a week and 12 hours a day, at least.

OK, so at best 128 baht per hour and at worst 73 baht per hour (after tax, maybe)

[GinBoy2]

On 10/9/2020 at 4:15 AM, Eibot said:

Yeah didn't read it properly. Still seems like a very ambitious monthly salary though. Something the avarage seasonal worker in Europe is more than happy to move for.

I was curious about the salary too.

 

Is ฿80k/month real? Thats almost $3000/month which seems at least to me somewhat high for a fruit picker. 

 

I suspect your average barista in the local coffee shop doesn't earn that.

 

Does anyone have some real figures?

[dimitriv]

3 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Does anyone have some real figures?

 

It is in the video on the first page of this post. 2019 was a bad year, not much berries.

 

After expenses, flight ticket etc they made 40k Baht, or E 1190 a person for 2 months of very hard work. Not really a dream job. But they also say that in better years it is more, so they plan to go back next year.