What are local incomes and salaries actually like in Chiang Mai?

 

Some people tell me not to underestimate how much Thais are making, and that quite a few Thais earn over 100k baht per month. As a result, farangs making 30k-50k baht per month teaching won't even raise eyebrows.

 

Others say that's a gross exaggeration, and it's more like 15k-25k per month.

 

15 to 25 would be average. Ive met Thais who make 200k via family business in Bangkok.

 

Does it matter to you? Most money is in Bangkok or nearby. CM folks normally dont make much.

15,000 is a good basic salary in Chiang Mai.

 

More with degrees and skills.

 

100,000 is for very highly educated people or business owners etc

I spoke to a nurse some years back and she said more nurses make between 20,000 to 25,000 when they start.  I thought rather low considering the education and training required to become a nurse.  

What puzzles me is why so many Thais on 25k baht salaries can get car loans for brand-new Toyota HiLux pickup trucks.

 

In many other countries, no one would ever approve you for a car loan if you make that kind of money (under $700 USD per month).

How do you know many are getting such loans?

53 minutes ago, RamenRaven said:

 

What puzzles me is why so many Thais on 25k baht salaries can get car loans for brand-new Toyota HiLux pickup trucks.

 

From talking with teachers it seemed like the banks benchmark for buying a car was 15,000. Which was what they got when hired full time, new car within a week. ???? 

4 hours ago, RamenRaven said:

What are local incomes and salaries actually like in Chiang Mai?

Before COVID my kid graduated university and found work at 18kbht.

Then COVID hit and they reduced her wage to 11kbht, so she changed jobs and earned 16kbht.

Now they've transferred her to Nakon Sawan on 20kbht + free condo.

good luck every finding answers on this one.

 

16,000 is horrible.

 

falang teachers from 30 to 35 and then all of a sudden a GOV'T school offers 50k

 

rottee seller once told me they do 30 a month and sometimes 50.   I don't have proof.

 

then you have jokers with 300 in debt and they can tell you anything.

 

gotta figure the avg. Thai income is just under 20 but after 20 years it can really ramp up over 100 if doing gov't work

1 hour ago, marcusb said:

From talking with teachers it seemed like the banks benchmark for buying a car was 15,000. Which was what they got when hired full time, new car within a week. ???? 

teachers get loans a lot easier than many other people with the same income, teaching is usually stable government work 

There are very good salaries given to all class of workers in the high tech factories.  That goes for direct production operators as well as the indirect engineers & managers.

 

Operators - 300 THB and up per day (Typically six 10 hr days). Overtime offered. Housing provided at low cost (or free). Transportation to/from work provided. Subsidized food in the canteen while at work. Many other benefits.

 

Indirect employee - Anywhere from 30k THB to 140k THB a month depending on experience and position. Do note: I personally know quite a few couples where both spouses work at the same company.

14 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

There are very good salaries given to all class of workers in the high tech factories

Not many such jobs in CM are there? Only a few high tech factories or has there been a big increase recently?

17 hours ago, Iamfalang said:

good luck every finding answers on this one.

 

16,000 is horrible.

 

falang teachers from 30 to 35 and then all of a sudden a GOV'T school offers 50k

 

rottee seller once told me they do 30 a month and sometimes 50.   I don't have proof.

 

then you have jokers with 300 in debt and they can tell you anything.

 

gotta figure the avg. Thai income is just under 20 but after 20 years it can really ramp up over 100 if doing gov't work

Thai people tend to mean gross when they tell you business income so if the rote seller did 30,000 their net income after expenses is less...

There has been a glut of uni. graduate job seekers in CM for the past couple of years. My daughter graduated 2 years ago and only recently found employment at 12K. She is the only one employed from her group of friends that were at Waree together. Of course, they could get jobs at Makro or 7/11 etc., but daddy funding a coffee shop is more likely.

2 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Not many such jobs in CM are there? Only a few high tech factories or has there been a big increase recently?

CM does include surrounding areas such as Lamphun doesn't it? Ever heard of IEAT, quite a few tech jobs there. Matter of fact I'm friends with several Thais that wok in that industrial park and they have recently been making Facebook posts showing numerous job openings where they work.

21 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

15,000 is a good basic salary in Chiang Mai.

 

More with degrees and skills.

 

100,000 is for very highly educated people or business owners etc

Where I live most are making 10,000 baht a month if they are lucky. Full government jobs start at about 15,000 baht a month.

21 hours ago, RamenRaven said:

What puzzles me is why so many Thais on 25k baht salaries can get car loans for brand-new Toyota HiLux pickup trucks.

 

In many other countries, no one would ever approve you for a car loan if you make that kind of money (under $700 USD per month).

I know someone in the car business in Bangkok.  Try 15 to 20k a month and getting car loans.  Thais swimming in debt living off credit cards is not uncommon. 

27 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

CM does include surrounding areas such as Lamphun doesn't it? Ever heard of IEAT, quite a few tech jobs there.

Several thousand possibly but not a hundred thousand.  Likely less than ten or can  you confirm otherwise?  That place is often made out to be much larger than it is.  Have you ever been inside and looked around?  When I did it seemed rather small but that was some years ago.  Several thousand is not much compared to CM work force total.

Thailand  has a median salary of 103,000 THB per month, implying that 50% of the Thai population earns more than 103,000 THB, while the other 50% earns below 103,000 THB.

I know a real estate agent earning more than 100K in Pattaya. She invested wisely and now have two restaurants running.

2 hours ago, Dante99 said:

Have you ever been inside and looked around? 

Inside what, IEAT industrial park or some of the high tech companies?

 

Been in both, many times, .and in more than one factory.

 

I never said hundreds of thousands. Matter of fact I didn't imply a number to those employed, only their typical salaries.

 

When Hoya was peaking they employed several thousands alone. I know that as the previous head of HR used to be my neighbor. 

 

And one of those factories I was inside employees today over 3k at their Lamphun location. That company also has locations in BKK, China, USA, and Cambodia.

 

You do know that IEAT is located on both sides of the Super Hwy, don't you? And a few years back Lamphun started developing another High Tech Industrial Park. It is located southeast of the main city. 

 

Those industrial parks are an attraction for international companies as they offer tax breaks.

On 10/8/2022 at 1:29 PM, TravelerEastWest said:

15,000 is a good basic salary in Chiang Mai.

 

More with degrees and skills.

 

100,000 is for very highly educated people or business owners etc

even highly educated does not guarantee a high salary--unless a degree in a highly sought after field

3 hours ago, Onerak said:

Thailand  has a median salary of 103,000 THB per month, implying that 50% of the Thai population earns more than 103,000 THB, while the other 50% earns below 103,000 THB.

I know a real estate agent earning more than 100K in Pattaya. She invested wisely and now have two restaurants running.

Source?

4 hours ago, Onerak said:

Thailand  has a median salary of 103,000 THB per month, implying that 50% of the Thai population earns more than 103,000 THB, while the other 50% earns below 103,000 THB.

Not the Thailand I have been living in for over 30 years.

1 hour ago, Dante99 said:

Not the Thailand I have been living in for over 30 years.

Exactly 50% do not make that much - not a chance.

 

Median is the mid point so perhaps the very wealthy skew this number?

2 hours ago, SammyJ said:

even highly educated does not guarantee a high salary--unless a degree in a highly sought after field

That has nothing to do with Thailand,  it is like that everywhere. 

6 hours ago, Onerak said:

Thailand  has a median salary of 103,000 THB per month, implying that 50% of the Thai population earns more than 103,000 THB, while the other 50% earns below 103,000 THB.

I know a real estate agent earning more than 100K in Pattaya. She invested wisely and now have two restaurants running.

103K THB per month would be around 15-20% below the median salary in Australia or UK.

 

This link here provides more realistic wage, which is 15K per month.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/wages

 

A lot of people work in informal jobs and without contracts, I  suspect the government has little idea what they actually make. I believe nearly 95% of the Thais never filed an income tax return in their lives.

31 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Exactly 50% do not make that much - not a chance.

 

Median is the mid point so perhaps the very wealthy skew this number?

Still unlikely unless Bangkok only. Most rural areas are poor.

40 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Exactly 50% do not make that much - not a chance.

 

Median is the mid point so perhaps the very wealthy skew this number?

It is fake data, looks like a survey done by an agency which employs foreigners in Thailand,  this then gets copied and amplified by tens of other copycats. The wonders of the Internet.

 

Here are the Bank of Thailand numbers:

 

https://www.bot.or.th/App/BTWS_STAT/statistics/ReportPage.aspx?reportID=667&language=eng

6 hours ago, Onerak said:

Thailand  has a median salary of 103,000 THB per month, implying that 50% of the Thai population earns more than 103,000 THB, while the other 50% earns below 103,000 THB.

I know a real estate agent earning more than 100K in Pattaya. She invested wisely and now have two restaurants running.

I just assumed that there had been a decimal point error and the correct figure was 10.300 Baht .

7 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

There has been a glut of uni. graduate job seekers in CM for the past couple of years. My daughter graduated 2 years ago and only recently found employment at 12K. She is the only one employed from her group of friends that were at Waree together. Of course, they could get jobs at Makro or 7/11 etc., but daddy funding a coffee shop is more likely.

Daddy funding a coffee shop? Wouldn't this be a waste of a degree? One can run a coffee shop with primary school arithmetic.