New doctor not being paid

[seajae]

Our daughter finally started working at the local hospital last month after becoming a doctor, she was due to be paid at the start of June for her first month of work but has been told she may not be paid for 3 months by the govt. She has also been doing a lot of overtime which the hospital is supposed to pay for seperately but again they have not paid, I know in Australia if people are not paid legal action is taken against the employer but here it appears they can do as they please. My wife has told me the govt can refuse to pay  new workers if they want to so was wondering if any other members in here have come across the same thing with their kids as I find it hard to believe govt workers can be ripped off by the employer but being Thailand it doesnt really surprise me, big question is how does the govt expect people to live for 3 months without being paid, I am sure all the govt minister do not go 3 months without pay when they start

[Presnock]

Just now, seajae said:

Our daughter finally started working at the local hospital last month after becoming a doctor, she was due to be paid at the start of June for her first month of work but has been told she may not be paid for 3 months by the govt. She has also been doing a lot of overtime which the hospital is supposed to pay for seperately but again they have not paid, I know in Australia if people are not paid legal action is taken against the employer but here it appears they can do as they please. My wife has told me the govt can refuse to pay  new workers if they want to so was wondering if any other members in here have come across the same thing with their kids as I find it hard to believe govt workers can be ripped off by the employer but being Thailand it doesnt really surprise me, big question is how does the govt expect people to live for 3 months without being paid, I am sure all the govt minister do not go 3 months without pay when they start

may be a clue to just how empty the govt coffers are!

[ChaiyaTH]

Sounds like a bad hospital to be working at, my wife also used to work as a physio therapist at a government one when she just graduated and they abused her a lot. In terms of over hours that were never paid out, always using her to change shifts with other workers, late payments and even missing payments when she left. Change hospitals, it's usually corruption games within management. Government always send money everywhere, same in villages.

 

How could your wife even believe the story that the gov can decide to pay or not LOL. And she is a doctor? Maybe she need to study becoming street smart now.

[freeworld]

I guess she has a formal work contract with a specific date that the salary is to be paid on/by. Not acceptable they can state in advance that salary will not be paid for 3 months if it is not according to the work contract.

 

I do not think this is the case at all.

"My wife has told me the govt can refuse to pay  new workers if they want to"

 

Refer to Thailands labour protection act 2541

https://www.labour.go.th/attachments/article/47756/The Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541.pdf

 

Has she started a process to solve the matter.

 

"Dispute Resolution Process. The approach to handling labor disputes in Thailand is structured to promote amicable resolutions before escalating to formal legal processes:

1. Grievance Procedure: Initially, parties are encouraged to resolve issues internally using the company’s grievance process. This often involves dialogue between employees, supervisors, and potentially HR departments.

2. Mediation: If the grievance procedure proves inadequate, mediation by a representative from the Ministry of Labor can be sought, aiming to facilitate a mutual agreement between the disputing parties.

3. Labor Courts or Ministry of Labor: As a last resort, if the matter remains unresolved, it can be taken to the Labor Courts or further escalated within the Ministry of Labor."

[brianthainess]

Hospital administrators are a dodgy lot IMO has she spoken to the administrator ?

Like many 'administrators' in Thailand 

[AgMech Cowboy]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

...she was due to be paid at the start of June for her first month of work but has been told she may not be paid for 3 months by the gov...

Yes, seajea, I have read other accounts here (or maybe as far back as ThaiVisa) that new Doctors are not paid in a timely fashion.  There was a long discussion then, but no resolution.  I know that's not what you want to hear.  I don't think it's isolated to just the medical industry, either. I think in most cases the family, a friend(s), colleague(s) or a bank (a bridging loan of some sort) are how these new unpaid graduates get by. It's not correct to do them like that, but I know it happens.

[Bob12345]

4 hours ago, seajae said:

she was due to be paid at the start of June for her first month of work but has been told she may not be paid for 3 months by the govt

Same happened with my wife (must have been about a decade ago); it is "normal". She earned the money and will get it, but there is a delay of 3 months.

[digbeth]

4 hours ago, freeworld said:

...

 

Refer to Thailands labour protection act 2541

https://www.labour.go.th/attachments/article/47756/The Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541.pdf

 

...

 

Arent't government bodies exempt from this law?

[thesetat2013]

6 hours ago, seajae said:

Our daughter finally started working at the local hospital last month after becoming a doctor, she was due to be paid at the start of June for her first month of work but has been told she may not be paid for 3 months by the govt. She has also been doing a lot of overtime which the hospital is supposed to pay for seperately but again they have not paid, I know in Australia if people are not paid legal action is taken against the employer but here it appears they can do as they please. My wife has told me the govt can refuse to pay  new workers if they want to so was wondering if any other members in here have come across the same thing with their kids as I find it hard to believe govt workers can be ripped off by the employer but being Thailand it doesnt really surprise me, big question is how does the govt expect people to live for 3 months without being paid, I am sure all the govt minister do not go 3 months without pay when they start

Your wife needs to take it to social media and get responses there. Not only will she get the correct information but if there is wrongdoing then it will have to be addressed due to social outrage. 

[thailand49]

Your wife is like most acceptance which leads to situations like what is happening. Govt. Thinks they have the upper hand because no one makes an issue out of it. 

They figure you just out of school the ways it works here not a lot of choices go with the program complain you are black listed.

So choice it has been 3 months most likely it hurts you more than her it is her fight and choice.

 

 

[Gottfrid]

No they can not refuse to pay, exactly like every other employer. If your wife believe that, then I can only feel sorry for you.

[Prison Mike]

It's shameful to withhold wages. I raise an eyebrow when people say the government hospitals provide good health care or are even a viable option. If the doctors and staff are abused how do you think the patients are treated. 

[KhunLA]

3 hours ago, Prison Mike said:

It's shameful to withhold wages. I raise an eyebrow when people say the government hospitals provide good health care or are even a viable option. If the doctors and staff are abused how do you think the patients are treated. 

I've had good to excellent care at 5 govt hospitals I've use, and total crap care at 2 of the 4 private hospitals I've used.  100% satisfaction 👍 vs 50% 👎

[2baht]

Are there no vacancies at one of the private hospitals???

[Farma]

This is quite common. It takes time for the hospital to receive funding for new employees.

 

Most hospitals will advance pay from hospital funds until the new employees funding is approved and arrives.

[KhunLA]

14 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Are there no vacancies at one of the private hospitals???

Got to crawl before you walk ... worldwide unless having good connections.

 

Besides, it's mandatory to do 3 years 'public service' , although that might just mean, they have privileges at both, govt & private hosp. as many do.

[digbeth]

54 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Are there no vacancies at one of the private hospitals???

 

If they finished their medical training at government university, they're on the hook to repay their subsidized education for at least 3 years, if they quit before then they might need to pay up to half a million baht to get out of the obligation in order to go to private hospitals.

 

hours the hospital put these new doctors through will mean they have little chance to have 2nd shift at a clinic or private hospitals 

[MeePeeMai]

I have a female friend who graduated from a university here in Udon Thani last year and got a job teaching at a government elementary school (she was shipped way, way out to the sticks in Sakon Nakhon). 

 

She didn't receive any salary at all for the first 2 or 3 months it does happen here.  She also had to spend 6000 baht on her uniforms before she started work and also had to rent a place to live near the school (no teacher housing there).

 

It's sad what most Thai's have to go through just to get a "good government job" which pays peanuts and the promise of a very small pension someday.  

[chuang]

Talk to the press..

[seajae]

3 hours ago, MeePeeMai said:

I have a female friend who graduated from a university here in Udon Thani last year and got a job teaching at a government elementary school (she was shipped way, way out to the sticks in Sakon Nakhon). 

 

She didn't receive any salary at all for the first 2 or 3 months it does happen here.  She also had to spend 6000 baht on her uniforms before she started work and also had to rent a place to live near the school (no teacher housing there).

 

It's sad what most Thai's have to go through just to get a "good government job" which pays peanuts and the promise of a very small pension someday.  

yes our daughter had to buy the correct hospital clothes for a dictor and have her name sewn on them as well, when she was first accepted into university the local hospital(Surat Thani govt hospital) offered to pay most of the fees  as long as she signed a deal to work there for 3 years on completion, all we had to pay were incidentals and accomodation, her  aunty(a doctor in Bangkok) did the same deal when she became a doctor several years ago, apparently it is how hospitals get guaranteed doctors for a period of time, her aunty ended up paying the hospital what they put towards her uni fees and she now works in a private hospital. We have since talked to our daughters friend that has been at the same hospital for just over 2 months  and she told us she has just been paid for the first time and that the same happened with a couple of other doctors that started around the same time. This shows that what we were told appears to be correct and the govt delays their pay for a period of time for what ever reason, thanks for your replies, some were spot on

[digbeth]

4 hours ago, MeePeeMai said:

I have a female friend who graduated from a university here in Udon Thani last year and got a job teaching at a government elementary school (she was shipped way, way out to the sticks in Sakon Nakhon). 

 

She didn't receive any salary at all for the first 2 or 3 months it does happen here.  She also had to spend 6000 baht on her uniforms before she started work and also had to rent a place to live near the school (no teacher housing there).

 

It's sad what most Thai's have to go through just to get a "good government job" which pays peanuts and the promise of a very small pension someday.  

 

medical benefits for the family (parents, child and spouse) which is way better than social security in private jobs or the 'free' universal healthcare seems like a good deal in exchange for peanuts pay, 

Government pensions are also a lot better than private company scheme

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, Prison Mike said:

It's shameful to withhold wages. I raise an eyebrow when people say the government hospitals provide good health care or are even a viable option. If the doctors and staff are abused how do you think the patients are treated. 

I fail to see why some feel compelled to comment on something they know nothing about.

Becoming a doctor in Thailand is not easy, but then it is not easy in other countries.

 

https://www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/junior-doctors-and-government-enter-mediated-talks-to-make-progress-on-pay-dispute#:~:text=“We have been in dispute,can help break the logjam.

[still kicking]

On 6/8/2024 at 10:54 AM, seajae said:

Our daughter finally started working at the local hospital last month after becoming a doctor, she was due to be paid at the start of June for her first month of work but has been told she may not be paid for 3 months by the govt. She has also been doing a lot of overtime which the hospital is supposed to pay for seperately but again they have not paid, I know in Australia if people are not paid legal action is taken against the employer but here it appears they can do as they please. My wife has told me the govt can refuse to pay  new workers if they want to so was wondering if any other members in here have come across the same thing with their kids as I find it hard to believe govt workers can be ripped off by the employer but being Thailand it doesnt really surprise me, big question is how does the govt expect people to live for 3 months without being paid, I am sure all the govt minister do not go 3 months without pay when they start

I know how you feel my nephew which is a specialised doctor who operates computers and does keyhole surgery has not been paid either