I was looking for the "year-end bonus for housekeeper" topic from last year since it was moved from the Chiang Mai forum. I found it under "Real Estate, housing, house and land ownership". Anyway, your comments were very useful to us last year and may be useful to newbies this year.

I am curious as well. I was told that practically any lower-paid jobs (maid, gardener, receptionist, etc) will receive up to a full month's pay as a bonus in Dec.

I would like to hear from other people on this topic as well.

I am curious as well.  I was told that practically any lower-paid jobs (maid, gardener, receptionist, etc) will receive up to a full month's pay as a bonus in Dec. 

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I've never known anyone to get less than 1 full month for New Years...

Thanks Ajarn

This is my first year in the country as well and I don't want to be too much of a cheapskate when it comes to New Year's.

I'm curious though... is this common with all jobs or just jobs that farang hire people to do? For example, do all office staff in most businesses get this large of bonuses? I sure wish they did this back in my country.

Thanks Ajarn

This is my first year in the country as well and I don't want to be too much of a cheapskate when it comes to New Year's. 

I'm curious though... is this common with all jobs or just jobs that farang hire people to do?  For example, do all office staff in most businesses get this large of bonuses?  I sure wish they did this back in my country. 

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Yes, most get at least one month, sometimes many times more. For example, I have a friend who is a bank cashier at Kasikorn. Her bonus this year is 7.5 months... Average, from my reading and asking, seems to be about 3 months. It varies, based on economic issues in that business...

But, remember that 90% of the salaries are crap, mostly less than $400 a month.

Oh, I should mention that with staff who have been with you less than one year, the 1 month obligation is lessened, appropriatley.

Edited December 10, 200520 yr by Ajarn

Brief note. Having asked around many of my Thai and long-stay Farang friends, most seem to pay their domestic help somewhere between 500 and 2,000 Baht as a New Year bonus. A surprisingly large number, mainly Thais, pay nothing.

Boy, that's news to me! Maybe I'm paying too much...

I've been running a company in Bangkok for 10 years+ and we have never paid any year end bonus to employees. It just does not make any sense from a managment POV. We have been paying performance and milestone dependent bonuses, instead. In Bangkok, companies pay on average one month salary as a year end bonus.

Cheers, X-Pat

Boy, that's news to me! Maybe I'm paying too much...

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You DO have very happy, loyal staff though!

Boy, that's news to me! Maybe I'm paying too much...

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You DO have very happy, loyal staff though!

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Very true

My wife says the norm in professional office work is one or two+ months bonus, but…

In Chiang Mai staff are not given performance bonuses, etc., so they get “locked in” at a certain salary, may get minimal raises, and only get any kind of extra cash with the New Year bonus, thus there is little incentive to really shine.

In the case of the shipping business, few companies offer sales commissions to their salespeople, which I found amazing. I know other trades where sales folks are always given a commission to motivate them to sell more.

In BKK, aparently it’s quite different with more Western-style commissions, etc.

Anyway one month's bonus seems to be the minimum.

While this thread is focusing mostly on business bonuses I'm wondering what the norm is for apartment/condo staff bonuses.

My apartment complex staff has been exceptional in their performance from the moment I moved in. I'd like to show my gratitude with some Baht. I'm mulling what would be an appropriate gift for each. [staffing is: 1 office mgr, 2 maids, gardener, 3 security guys, 3 maintenance men.

Your comments/suggestions welcome....

While this thread is focusing mostly on business bonuses I'm wondering what the norm is for apartment/condo staff bonuses.

My apartment complex staff has been exceptional in their performance from the moment  I moved in. I'd like to show my gratitude with some Baht. I'm mulling what would be an appropriate gift for each. [staffing is: 1 office mgr, 2 maids, gardener, 3 security guys, 3 maintenance men.

Your comments/suggestions welcome....

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Instead of money, I might suggest flowers for the women, decent booze(?) for the men...

Not! Cash is the only option I'm contemplating. But, since you suggested them, what was your ballpark value for those gifts?

Up to you

Okay, here goes.

We tend to give a couple of cases of Chang beer to the guards to share amongst themselves. Female community workers will receive Khanom of some kind, dressed up nicely in a tin, for them to share with family etc. The overall head guard will receive a bottle of whiskey for himself and some Khanom for his family. He will also get his share from the communal beer pool.

Domestic servants generally receive gifts of clothing, some eats of some kind and a monetary bonus of 1 to 2K Baht, depending on seniority. We might also give some nice keepsake from Farangland, depending if we have been back to the UK or have had visitors bring them over recently. (If the staff had recently started, the bonus would be nearer 500 Baht.)

Note: Bonuses are paid at New Year, not Christmas.

As always, your responses have been helpful and informative. Sorry, I forgot to include a link to the original post and responses (which were also helpful and humorous).

Original Post

Elaine