8 minutes ago, gearbox said:

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

Of course, but "I have my own business na kaa" rolls off the tongue.......

On 10/8/2022 at 2:00 PM, 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).

Because they have low living expenses and live many to a household... just as your great grand parents did back before they ate Ramen

On 10/8/2022 at 4:39 PM, Iamfalang said:

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

 

many yrs ago in Bkk, a friend used to feel sorry for a fruit vendor and bought from him every day... then he was gone and re-appeared 2 weeks later. He had gone to visit his son in Australia who he was putting through university there... 

42 minutes ago, gearbox said:

I believe nearly 95% of the Thais never filed an income tax return in their lives.

taxes are deducted out of salaries - if you have money in the bank, 15% is automatically deducted from interest payments. 

1 minute ago, 1FinickyOne said:

many yrs ago in Bkk, a friend used to feel sorry for a fruit vendor and bought from him every day... then he was gone and re-appeared 2 weeks later. He had gone to visit his son in Australia who he was putting through university there... 

I am quite sure that fruit vendors do not make enough money to put their Children through University abroad , could be that the student got a loan or a grant or something and also worked part time in Australia and saved enough money for a flight for the vendor parent ?

49 minutes ago, gearbox said:

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

Not a waste at all - running a business with a good education is not essential but a big plus.

 

If nothing else you can have good conversations with your customers who are educated...

The difference between salary and earnings. My partner is an accountant for a company of 155 staff. Only around 20 are on permanent/fixed salary, with 130 employed on daily rates between 400-1200 baht per day.

As it's an engineering / roading business there's always work for the professional staff whereas the site workers are subject to weather restrictions.

Two new graduate engineers started in September on initial salary of 22,000 baht/month. Different roles also get allowances - vehicle, fuel, accomodation subsidy, bonuses, which keeps the gross amount down.

Not Chiang Mai specific as the OP requested, but the Bank of Thailand provides average wage data based on company wages deposits nationwide - doubt it has changed since this as wages didn't increase during Covid, at 31 December 2020 it was just over 16,000 baht / month.

But, yes, another but, there are still plenty of registered companies paying employees in cash (refer the 3.4 million baht payroll robbery in Chonburi last month). Then all the cash-only self-employed and small businesses who don't furnish income data, or pay tax.

So after all that a lot of guesswork.

Except to say she found that 103k median figure impossible to accept, based upon some expat executive survey at a guess.

 

8 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.

Well done for cutting and pasting from a random internet site. I have seen this exact same quote previously, and it is still wrong.

 

A moment spent considering this proposed amount and cross-checking would have been time well spent.

Do you really think half of all Thais are earning >USD 3k per month ?

 

If you are still not sure..

Median salaries by country

UK USD 2k 

USA USD 4k

Australia USD 3k

South Korea USD 2.5k

Germany USD 2.5k

 

3 minutes ago, gomangosteen said:

 

Except to say she found that 103k median figure impossible to accept, based upon some expat executive survey at a guess.

 

She was right..

2 hours ago, gearbox said:

I believe nearly 95% of the Thais never filed an income tax return in their lives.

Don't know that %, but for anyone earning under 12,500 baht a month, that's 500 a day for four six day weeks, well above the daily minimum rates, they'd be exempt:

Annual:

Income Band 
0  – 150,000 Exempt    
150,000 – 300,000 5%    
300,000 – 500,000    10%    
500,000 – 750,000    15%    
750,000 – 1,000,000    20%    
1,000,000 – 2,000,000    25%    
2,000,000 – 5,000,000    30%    
5,000,001 +    35%