There seems to have been an assumption recently that Cambodia was well placed to snap up business and factory investment from Thailand as a result of the flood crisis. This BBC report is alluding to the fact that there is wage inflation pressure and an inability in Cambodia to fill current factory job vacancies.

This seems to undo the received wisdom of a flight of jobs out of Thailand into Cambodia, in fact Thailand may have an opportunity to attract garment manufacturers from Cambodia. Have a look at the article......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16940455

its the start of labor relations , more out put = more pay. Cost of living goes up people want more money. My wife worked in a factory assembling Computers, each one she made sold for at least 5 times her monthly pay, she went to work on a bus at 04 30 on a Monday Morning, slept at the Factory all week and returned home on A Saturday all for 1530baht. and thats only a few years ago.

its the start of labor relations , more out put = more pay. Cost of living goes up people want more money. My wife worked in a factory assembling Computers, each one she made sold for at least 5 times her monthly pay, she went to work on a bus at 04 30 on a Monday Morning, slept at the Factory all week and returned home on A Saturday all for 1530baht. and thats only a few years ago.

When you hear stories like that it really hits home how difficult life is for many people here in Asia.......

I imagine that this is a typical point of the economic cycle in a developing country.

Whilst somewhere like Thailand introduces 300 Baht minimum wage (say, US$300 p.m.) manufacturers will exploit lower cost neighbouring countries.

Whilst exploitation is a resonable accusation you also have to ask what these workers would have been earning before - most probably very little as their subsistence economy largely mirrors that of Thailand i.e. rice, rice and more rice.

I spoke to a girl who worked in the Night Market bar in Siem Reap. By day she was a nursery school teacher and received $25 p.m. - for 6 nights work in the bar she received $50. A grand total of $75 (say 2,300 Baht p.m.).

A waitress in a central Pub St restaurant took home $120 with tips and one in Blue Pumpkin $85. The average wage around Siem Reap (which is a 'wealthy area') seemed to be $3 per day. Our minibus driver said he earned $2 per day !

No wonder the tuk-tuk drivers fight for a local fare of $2 a time !

Have seen quite a bit of production shifted from Sri Lanka over the last year - mainly to Bangladesh and then Cambodia.

While there is an Imbalance of wealth in the world you will always get exploitation.

While there is an Imbalance of wealth in the world you will always get exploitation.

True, and where some people see exploitation other people see development.....it's a queer world we live in.