How Much Does Thai People Earn.....

[Geekfreaklover]

I believe in the context of the OP's question, your theory is also flawed. If one person earned a billion baht a year and 999 earned 10000, of course the average is much higher but in real world terms, not reflective of the actual state.

Hmmmm. So what better way have we of calculating an average per capita wage figure other than taking a wide range of salaries across the country and calculating a mean figure? We can't say this is the average figure, but some people earn more and some people earn less in certain industries. Encylcopedias and atlases etc want an average wage for stats on each country. This is the only way, I know to do it.

I reckon 12-15k is about right, across the board.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[yabaaaa]

I find the discussions on what the "average" Thai salary pretty much worthless. The range is so wide the average doesn't really mean anything. I sit here in my office in Bangkok and look at the 6 Thai that report directly to me and their salaries range from 45k a month all the way up to 125k. These are university educated, mid to late 30's people with 5-15 years experience working in the Engineering and Construction business. These ranges seem to be pretty normal for this business. So much for the 12k a month average

TH

And these are your average Thais are they?? Should be seeing more Mercs and Beemers around than I do then.

[think_too_mut]

I believe in the context of the OP's question, your theory is also flawed.

The OP is a backpacker on a working holiday visa. Oz and Thailand have that agreement for a small number of people.

1500 a year, if that. Nothing compared to UK-Oz where it runs in over 120 thousand youngsters a year.

The OP was just naive in his thinking he can do something worthwhile with that kind of visa in Thailand.

[Tinkelbell]

quoted from 'tritexengineering'......."I accidently tipped 1000 baht to a foot masseuse,meaning to tip 100,didn't have the heart ask for it back..."

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So YOU were the guy that tipped 1000bahts to the foot masseuse in Pattaya ?

A way back ago I related my experience in this forum: Me and 4 other ladies went to have a foot masseuse ( part of our tour packaged from the West Coast, USA to Pattaya,). During masseusing, one of the masseuses talking in Thai to her colleagues that her last customer - a farang gave her tip 1000 baht. When I heard her saying that ( She knows that I speak Thai), I told myself I'm not going to fall into her scheme to keep up with the FOOL who tipped her 1000 baht.

Must be some kind of service ???

At the end when we 5 ladies threw in the tip around 400+ , they were not happy because they didn't pick up the tip. Since we would still be in Pattaya for the next 2 days, and didn't want to have any unexpected confrontation from the locals, so decided to add 200 baht to the tip pot. Then walked out.

Yeah,i was a noobie to Thailand,didn't speak the language,didn't realise until after what i had done..No wonder she looked surprised!Wasn't Pattaya though...Mini bus station at the roundabout in BKK...So u can cross me off your list of people to hunt down and kill......Please?? LOL

:jerk: This one got away.

From 'Tinkelbell (aka the headhunter)

[frtiz]

average of 80K a month?? I don't know much about the salaries in the corporate world in Thailand but it sounds good. I think it's a typical Bangkok thing otherwise people wouldn't sell their votes for 500 baht.

Bangkok wages are way higher than the wages in the rest of the country.

You'll find that the average government employee starts at 6-7K a month depending on rank you'll get extra over the following years.

An average government employee, 10 - 20 years in service, earns somewhere in between 10-20K depending on rank. The average employee will be somewhere around the 13K mark. But they have 'the extras'..... that is extra money for housing, uniform, my husband is a ..... I live in a different province, the water is more expensive here etc.etc. Very easy if you can benefit from that. (I work for the Thai government and there are some benefits to be made even for foreigners). For example a thai with a Phd will earn somewhere around 15K a month working at a Rajabhat. (plus extras of course)

Foreigners in Thailand working as a teacher earn somewhere in the range of 25k -150K a month. Depends on where you work. Assumption university pays 85K a month (you have to work 11,5 months a year) government high schools through an agency pay around 30-35K (but you only get paid 9 months a year) depending on your qualifications and negotiation skills. Government universities pay 35K a month no negotiation possible. Some private unis pay more some less, I've heard of pay rates ranging from 20K to 200K a month if you make it to the position of dean or assistant dean.

Note that if you have a Philipino passport you'll have to settle for 15K a month, or maybe 20K if you're lucky. Thais have a strange prejudice against Philipinos. I've worked together with a couple of Philipinos and found them very creative and good teachers way better than some of the arrogant native speakers that I've worked with before.

I worked for an agency in Bangkok before and was sent to a rural high school. Having an MA and BA in a related field + teaching license they paid me 37K a month, other teachers with only a BA or TEFL were paid 29-33K a month. Now I work for the Thai government, not the best deal financially but I do have a lot of freedom in teaching which is more important to me than the money.

Working permits for foreign teachers will only be issued if you have a Ba. If not, no permit. Doesn't mean you can't get a job unfortunately. Most teachers still work without a permit, either because the involved parties are either too slow in processing one or the employee doesn't have the right qualifications. I would advise the latter group of people to stop teaching in Thailand and find a job in a different branch as they're ruining the market for the people who do have the right qualifications. MOE still requires teaching licenses and the people who actually live here and pay taxes here need to get one of those for teaching at primary and secondary level, prathom and mathayomsuksa. Khao sarn teachers don't even know of the existence of it and often just wank around in front of a Thai class with high expectations (parents do have to pay extra for that long haired unshaven foreigner) for a couple of months.

Where the money is to be made for foreign teachers is either putting up with the regime at a private school and teaching subjects other than English, like science or math, (international schools 50K up) or you can do some extra tuition. Rates vary from 200 baht in the countryside to 800+ in the Bangkok area.

Corporate training is the best, 2-4 hrs seminars/workshops, 10-15 people you can negotiate a price of 1000 baht per head if you do a good job and have the experience.

Most of my Thai colleagues here (Ma or higher) are on 13-16K a month and they've been working here for more than 10 years.

Edited January 15, 2009 by frtiz

[JoeThePoster]

I find the discussions on what the "average" Thai salary pretty much worthless. The range is so wide the average doesn't really mean anything. I sit here in my office in Bangkok and look at the 6 Thai that report directly to me and their salaries range from 45k a month all the way up to 125k. These are university educated, mid to late 30's people with 5-15 years experience working in the Engineering and Construction business. These ranges seem to be pretty normal for this business. So much for the 12k a month average

TH

Duh, that's what it's an average. Get it? You can talk about the gap between the rich and poor with other figures or go ahead and talk about the average of a certain industry. Of course there will be a wide range.

A recent survey ranked Thailand 2nd among 61 countries, with the widest salary scale gap between senior executives and clerical employees. See the second last paragraph in the article below.

Edited January 15, 2009 by JoeThePoster