Thai Workers 'Unable To Pay Bills' Despite Pay Rise

[strollling]

This comes as no surprise

IMO Thai people have for a long time lived beyond their means.

For so many Thais as soon as they get their monthly salary at

the beginning of the month they rush of to go shopping or they

go out for meals. Then when the last 7 - 10 days of they either

have no money left for food / water and they spend the last few

days of the month eating mama noodles.

They have no concept of saving and budgets, yet so many have

IPhones and Bloackberry's. Priorities are so out of whack, they

eat and be happy today and they do not think or worry about

tomorrow

Yup, if they're not more careful they'll up like America. Completely fcuked financially due to greed an an inibility to understand how one's spending will affect you.

[Sayonarax]

When Mr. Thaksin comes back all their troubles will be over. He will make them rich, just like he and his philanthropic family.

No worries, life will be good. Trust him.

Why is it whenever there is a discussion happens unrelated to Taksin, some poster has to throw in some comment about Taksin?

What's happening is basic economics 101 and has nothing to do with Taksin. The only thing it does is up his posting count.

Lame.

Did you miss the sarcasm ? I know three people did.

[JurgenG]

Funny that people blame everything on Thaksin, especially when you know that two of the most active Thaksin opponents were businessmen who couldn't accept they were bankrupt : Sondhi Limthongkul and Prachai Leophairatana.

Beside that I don't think that Thai are worse than anybody else when it comes to managing money. I'm sure I will be accused of being an american basher when I say the last world economical crisis was mostly caused by american people who borrowed more that they could afford to repay but it is unfortunately true. At least Thai people cause trouble only to themselves

Edited April 27, 2012 by JurgenG

[Bagwan]

On the first day of every month my wife hands me her wage packet. I put the money into my wallet and then transfer the equivalent amount from one of my bank accounts into hers. Every ten working days I give her 1000 baht cash. Her days off are not taken into account as then she is out and about with me and I make with the readies - for everything. She also has another source of spending money by way of her share of the staff tips box which varies from 60 to 150 baht per day. When we set up her bank account we stipulated that we did not require an ATM card so that she would have to invade my 'holy of holies', my desk, to get hold of her passbook, and she is fully aware of the dire consequences of that.

Initially I handed over 100 baht per day but we are now progressing towards her being and acting responsibly with money. Although a devout Buddhist she now accepts that Buddha will not provide and that she is solely responsible for her financial situation. It is rewarding to know that she is spreading that gospel to her family members. They have known from the outset that I will assist them in obtaining the things that they need, and never what they want, or think they want.

When we instituted the measures to bring her spending under control there were a few long faces initially but now she becomes almost orgasmic when sighting her bank credit balance. One of the tenets of my life has been that it doesn't matter how much money that you have, it is what you do with it that matters. The majority of Thai people need to learn this lesson.

Good to see that some farang are not paying the pimp husband his monthly salary for his beer money and karaoke girls. You have set a good example for other farang. Good on you. If more farang act like you farang will start to get respect and they will no longer call us bufallos. It is some relief to hear this story after hearing so many farang paying 10K to 100K baht to pimp husbands indirectly through their wives of course.

What a pair you are.

Must be delightful company..........

Love that opening sentence, I take my wifes money and put it in my wallet.

Bet she loves yah...................

And the rest of my opening sentence didn't register with you? Do you do orangutang impersonations as a hobby? Any person with an IQ greater than their body temperature would realise that I remove cash and credit HER bank account with the equivalent amount. Even she, a lady from Isan (a species who tend to be much maligned here) realises that it is for her own good. My wife has a blood condition that requires medication for the rest of her days. It is a major concern of mine that she has the wherewithal to pay for her medication and medical advice to ensure that she lives comfortably for the rest of her hopefully long life.

BTW my wife will have nothing to do with Thai men and there are no hangers on, including her father, whom she now feels no obligation to support in any way. Her husband left her for a younger woman when she announced that she was carrying their second child. She struggled alone for 10 years before we met, often going without food as she could only afford to feed her two children. I was concerned for her health when we met and took her to a private hospital where the doctor said unless treatment started immediately her life expectancy was three months. That was 10 years ago and now she is fit and lively and dedicated to both me and our family, as I am to them. I have instilled in them financial discipline and am proud that I have achieved that.

Your sickening cynicism and ignorance should be obvious to all here and does you no credit.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Bagwan

[heiwa]

On the first day of every month my wife hands me her wage packet. I put the money into my wallet and then transfer the equivalent amount from one of my bank accounts into hers. Every ten working days I give her 1000 baht cash. Her days off are not taken into account as then she is out and about with me and I make with the readies - for everything. She also has another source of spending money by way of her share of the staff tips box which varies from 60 to 150 baht per day. When we set up her bank account we stipulated that we did not require an ATM card so that she would have to invade my 'holy of holies', my desk, to get hold of her passbook, and she is fully aware of the dire consequences of that.

Initially I handed over 100 baht per day but we are now progressing towards her being and acting responsibly with money. Although a devout Buddhist she now accepts that Buddha will not provide and that she is solely responsible for her financial situation. It is rewarding to know that she is spreading that gospel to her family members. They have known from the outset that I will assist them in obtaining the things that they need, and never what they want, or think they want.

When we instituted the measures to bring her spending under control there were a few long faces initially but now she becomes almost orgasmic when sighting her bank credit balance. One of the tenets of my life has been that it doesn't matter how much money that you have, it is what you do with it that matters. The majority of Thai people need to learn this lesson.

Good to see that some farang are not paying the pimp husband his monthly salary for his beer money and karaoke girls. You have set a good example for other farang. Good on you. If more farang act like you farang will start to get respect and they will no longer call us bufallos. It is some relief to hear this story after hearing so many farang paying 10K to 100K baht to pimp husbands indirectly through their wives of course.

What a pair you are.

Must be delightful company..........

Love that opening sentence, I take my wifes money and put it in my wallet.

Bet she loves yah...................

And the rest of my opening sentence didn't register with you? Do you do orangutang impersonations as a hobby? Any person with an IQ greater than their body temperature would realise that I remove cash and credit HER bank account with the equivalent amount. Even she, a lady from Isan (a species who tend to be much maligned here) realises that it is for her own good. My wife has a blood condition that requires medication for the rest of her days. It is a major concern of mine that she has the wherewithal to pay for her medication and medical advice to ensure that she lives comfortably for the rest of her hopefully long life.

BTW my wife will have nothing to do with Thai men and there are no hangers on, including her father, whom she now feels no obligation to support in any way. Her husband left her for a younger woman when she announced that she was carrying their second child. She struggled alone for 10 years before we met, often going without food as she could only afford to feed her two children. I was concerned for her health when we met and took her to a private hospital where the doctor said unless treatment started immediately her life expectancy was three months. That was 10 years ago and now she is fit and lively and dedicated to both me and our family, as I am to them. I have instilled in them financial discipline and am proud that I have achieved that.

Your sickening cynicism and ignorance should be obvious to all here and does you no credit.

Mr Phil - if your idea of romance is paying a monthly salary to a wife then you should reconsider. It is well known in Thailand among Thais that a farang man who has to pay a Thai wife is a man a Thai wife could never love. Such a man who thinks he can find love by paying is an absolute joke of the local community. She has a Thai man on the side for this and pays him part of the farang monthly salary to him. You are also in great danger with a woman who demands a monthly salary from violent retribution from the pimp husband which I have seen so many times before with colleagues and news reports. I know of many farang who pay this monthly salary and I know their wives all have Thai husbands (the locals are only to happy to tell a farang and share a laugh with you ) who are in great need of beer money Edited April 27, 2012 by heiwa

[GentlemanJim]

Vietnamese workers are getting the upper hand with cheaper rice. Cheap Vietnamese rice. This should be made available to those living in poverty and struggling workers in Thailand where many are finding it hard to pay their bills. Market economics. Perhaps the politicians are already importing this cheap Vietnamese rice?

I am sure some of them are importing lots of it. Then they re bag it and submit it to the rice pledging system and take the 15 000 baht per ton. Wouldnt surprise me if they are not making 50% plus on their money every single week. The rice pledging system, sorry scam, is helping none of the farmers, but will be making a few people extraordinarily wealthy right now.

Edited April 27, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[vijer]

This comes as no surprise

IMO Thai people have for a long time lived beyond their means.

For so many Thais as soon as they get their monthly salary at

the beginning of the month they rush of to go shopping or they

go out for meals. Then when the last 7 - 10 days of they either

have no money left for food / water and they spend the last few

days of the month eating mama noodles.

They have no concept of saving and budgets, yet so many have

IPhones and Bloackberry's. Priorities are so out of whack, they

eat and be happy today and they do not think or worry about

tomorrow

Sorry LL I think that is very naive. I posted about this before; lets say I am single and I live in BKK. I have a high school education, if I wasn't too stupid or poor and dropped out of school. So I probably earn 9,000 bhat a month working at 7-11 and I work about 10 hours a day 6 days a week. I live in a crap 10 sqm apartment and that i pay 3,000 baht a month for and another 500 for electric and water. I have to take a hot bus to and from work everyday and it takes about an hour each way to get to/from work. I probably have to pay 15 baht each way so that is another 720 a month. Where are we now 3,000 + 500 + 750 = 4,250. Its tight already. OK now I want to eat, hmm noodles on the street are 25 baht times three meals a day times 30 days, that's 2,250. I have a cheap cell phone and I pay as you go, probably another 300 a month. Where am I 4,250 + 2,250 + 300 = 6,850. I need some water everyday and drinking the tap water is iffy so I buy a bottle of water a day and once in awhile I want some fruit or maybe a treat so lets say another 30 baht a day for other stuff like soap, toothpaste, laundry, etc. so another 900. We are up to 7,750 the government takes some taxes out so I at the end of the month I actually get 8,730. So what's left 980. Maybe this month I need some new shoes or a pair of pants or I got sick. Pretty tough life.

And you have to wait a whole month to get paid so you have to budget real well. Try it sometime. Take 9,000 baht out of your bank. Give your debit card, credit cards and your bank book to a friend and make a pact with them not to give them to you until the next month. Let me know how well you did budgeting your money. Most Americans hate being paid every other week, they wouldn't be able to cope with getting paid once a month.

[heiwa]

This comes as no surprise

IMO Thai people have for a long time lived beyond their means.

For so many Thais as soon as they get their monthly salary at

the beginning of the month they rush of to go shopping or they

go out for meals. Then when the last 7 - 10 days of they either

have no money left for food / water and they spend the last few

days of the month eating mama noodles.

They have no concept of saving and budgets, yet so many have

IPhones and Bloackberry's. Priorities are so out of whack, they

eat and be happy today and they do not think or worry about

tomorrow

Sorry LL I think that is very naive. I posted about this before; lets say I am single and I live in BKK. I have a high school education, if I wasn't too stupid or poor and dropped out of school. So I probably earn 9,000 bhat a month working at 7-11 and I work about 10 hours a day 6 days a week. I live in a crap 10 sqm apartment and that i pay 3,000 baht a month for and another 500 for electric and water. I have to take a hot bus to and from work everyday and it takes about an hour each way to get to/from work. I probably have to pay 15 baht each way so that is another 720 a month. Where are we now 3,000 + 500 + 750 = 4,250. Its tight already. OK now I want to eat, hmm noodles on the street are 25 baht times three meals a day times 30 days, that's 2,250. I have a cheap cell phone and I pay as you go, probably another 300 a month. Where am I 4,250 + 2,250 + 300 = 6,850. I need some water everyday and drinking the tap water is iffy so I buy a bottle of water a day and once in awhile I want some fruit or maybe a treat so lets say another 30 baht a day for other stuff like soap, toothpaste, laundry, etc. so another 900. We are up to 7,750 the government takes some taxes out so I at the end of the month I actually get 8,730. So what's left 980. Maybe this month I need some new shoes or a pair of pants or I got sick. Pretty tough life.

And you have to wait a whole month to get paid so you have to budget real well. Try it sometime. Take 9,000 baht out of your bank. Give your debit card, credit cards and your bank book to a friend and make a pact with them not to give them to you until the next month. Let me know how well you did budgeting your money. Most Americans hate being paid every other week, they wouldn't be able to cope with getting paid once a month.

So true the farang so often take the "high horse" approach. However, in neighbouring countries 3,000 baht a month is a very high wage (711 = M point in Laos). Most only getting 1,000 to 1,500 baht a month and three meals a day is just a dream. I have eaten with such people and speak their native tongue - and they insisted on sharing their meal with me. Thais have got it extremley good compared to Laos or Cambodians. And in Vientiane its a 2 metre by 2 metre room for 1,000 baht a month - sleeping four people. As for owning a new Japanese scooter in Laos - well you would be in the company of royalty. For the upwardly mobile in Laos it is the 14,000 baht Chinese scooters. Edited April 27, 2012 by heiwa

[sirchai]

Here's one of the problems why it is how it is...................

[tukkytuktuk]

Hate to show the stereo type but don't Thais on receiving their wages go out immediately and go shopping buying anything and everything until their pockets are empty. Just an observation.

[vijer]

So true the farang so often take the "high horse" approach. However, in neighbouring countries 3,000 baht a month is a very high wage (711 = M point in Laos). Most only getting 1,000 to 1,500 baht a month and three meals a day is just a dream. I have eaten with such people and speak their native tongue - and they insisted on sharing their meal with me. Thais have got it extremley good compared to Laos or Cambodians. And in Vientiane its a 2 metre by 2 metre room for 1,000 baht a month - sleeping four people. As for owning a new Japanese scooter in Laos - well you would be in the company of royalty. For the upwardly mobile in Laos it is the 14,000 baht Chinese scooters.

Nobody's arguing the point that Thai's are better off then SOME of their neighbors, the point the poster made was that Thai's don't budget their money well. I beg to differ.

[heiwa]

So true the farang so often take the "high horse" approach. However, in neighbouring countries 3,000 baht a month is a very high wage (711 = M point in Laos). Most only getting 1,000 to 1,500 baht a month and three meals a day is just a dream. I have eaten with such people and speak their native tongue - and they insisted on sharing their meal with me. Thais have got it extremley good compared to Laos or Cambodians. And in Vientiane its a 2 metre by 2 metre room for 1,000 baht a month - sleeping four people. As for owning a new Japanese scooter in Laos - well you would be in the company of royalty. For the upwardly mobile in Laos it is the 14,000 baht Chinese scooters.

Nobody's arguing the point that Thai's are better off then SOME of their neighbors, the point the poster made was that Thai's don't budget their money well. I beg to differ.

Fair enough. Personally I feel Thais are just too passionate to budget. Budgets are for dull people. You will find it very difficult to make Thais dull. It's just not in their character.

[hellodolly]

I really don't have an opinion as to what an adequate wage is for the Thai workers, but I don't quite understand how anyone could think that if you force companies to raise employees wages that you are automatically "injecting" those raises into the economy. Wouldn't it be more likely that the companies will adjust the prices of their products to compensate for having to pay higher wages? And if this happens, isn't this going to just raise the cost of living for the very same people who receive the wage increases?

The only way I can see a variant here is if the only companies that had to raise the amounts they paid in wages were export only companies.

You are the first poster on TV who really doesn't have an opinion - but, if your living here don't you think you should learn something about your adopted Country - things like how much people need to earn to live?

That is a loaded question.

Live at what level.

Obviously they are living so just look at what they are making and you will know the answer.

Now if you are talking at the level you are at look at how munch you make and you will have the answer, If you are talking about the elite well I imagine all one could do is guess.

Personally I don't know either but I do know one way or another they are living. But defiantly not up to the standards we in the west have.

[robsamui]

This comes as no surprise

IMO Thai people have for a long time lived beyond their means.

For so many Thais as soon as they get their monthly salary at

the beginning of the month they rush of to go shopping or they

go out for meals. Then when the last 7 - 10 days of they either

have no money left for food / water and they spend the last few

days of the month eating mama noodles.

They have no concept of saving and budgets, yet so many have

IPhones and Bloackberry's. Priorities are so out of whack, they

eat and be happy today and they do not think or worry about

tomorrow

This is not just thailand, but most developing countries. People will always chase trends/fashions to keep up with others.

Does that not also apply to many millions of "educated people" in Western "developed" countries?

Absolutely not - quite evidently you have had little experience of the way Thai people depend upon flaunting some form of social status. Indeed it is an ingrained element of their society.

The only people in Western societies who have to "wear their wealth" are impoverished social minorities. That's where you'll see the equivalent of what you see in Thailand, with people living in subsidised housing wearing ropes of gold and driving BMWs.

Western society has evolved away from this kind of elemental bragging about cash assets to prove social status: it's seen as loud and trashy and entirely the opposite of high-status.

And second, Western society is far more complex than Thai society in this respect. Career experience and qualifications, promotability, holidays abroad, placing the kids in good schools, private pensions schemes and investments; all these are non-visible measures of financial standing.

Plus there's another huge difference - the huge "middle class" that comes with a developed nation.

And in Thailand, a population of 66 million with a few thousand of them being the privileged elite, right now there are tens of millions of people earning $300 a month who have debts (according to the quoted figures) of almost $200 a month.

I can't see any similarity at all with your "many millions of "educated people" in Western "developed" countries"

R

[allan michaud]

When Mr. Thaksin comes back all their troubles will be over. He will make them rich, just like he and his philanthropic family.

No worries, life will be good. Trust him.

Why is it whenever there is a discussion happens unrelated to Taksin, some poster has to throw in some comment about Taksin?

What's happening is basic economics 101 and has nothing to do with Taksin. The only thing it does is up his posting count.

Lame.

How on earth can you say the big T has nothing to do with whats happening with the economy, that's so blatantly untrue. Its his govt making the bloody decisions. What a stupid post.

[robsamui]

Mr Phil - if your idea of romance is paying a monthly salary to a wife then you should reconsider. It is well known in Thailand among Thais that a farang man who has to pay a Thai wife is a man a Thai wife could never love. Such a man who thinks he can find love by paying is an absolute joke of the local community. She has a Thai man on the side for this and pays him part of the farang monthly salary to him. You are also in great danger with a woman who demands a monthly salary from violent retribution from the pimp husband which I have seen so many times before with colleagues and news reports. I know of many farang who pay this monthly salary and I know their wives all have Thai husbands (the locals are only to happy to tell a farang and share a laugh with you ) who are in great need of beer money

What "monthly salary" to his wife?

Why do you think he is "paying his wife"?

Whatever kind of tablets you're on, best stop taking them. They're making you look like you can't understand simple text.

R

[letitbe]

applies everywhere not just here inflation has its way and those who believe inflation here K USA or europe is a measly 3-5% dont live in same world as me and I have no problem paying my bills being one of lucky ones with a decent income

[Skywalker69]

Funny that people blame everything on Thaksin, especially when you know that two of the most active Thaksin opponents were businessmen who couldn't accept they were bankrupt : Sondhi Limthongkul and Prachai Leophairatana.

Beside that I don't think that Thai are worse than anybody else when it comes to managing money. I'm sure I will be accused of being an american basher when I say the last world economical crisis was mostly caused by american people who borrowed more that they could afford to repay but it is unfortunately true. At least Thai people cause trouble only to themselves

Guess you wont join my "We hate Thaksin for robbing Thailand" Club?

[JacChang]

So ignorant, the fault does not lie with the wage or the cost of things or etc.

How much is enough really? I totally agree with the other posters on how the locals do not know how to manage their own money and just spend it all. It's so typical of them.

I have always been against the idea of the 300 baht minimum wage. Are you kidding me? Do you think the locals will win from this? It is such a lame populist strategy by the government to fool people. And guess what? They really are fooled. I laughed disgustingly when the 300 baht wasn't enough and they demand more? 450? 500? 600? It's like a drug that kills them and they cant even see that it's not the solution and still demand more.

1) Rising wages = rising costs. As soon as those locals receive 300 baht wages, company costs will increase, and we bosses never lose. We make the rules, we gain the benefits, if there are no benefits, we dont do it. We transfer the higher costs to our goods and services. Therefore as a result of rising wages, automatically all the food, transportation, entertainment, etc. All prices increase due to this effect. And trust me the economy is not fair and will never be, the pathetic wage increase is NO MATCH for the price increase. With your 250 baht wage, you could have bought 10 boxes of eggs, now with your 300 baht wage, you can only buy 8 boxes of eggs. Idiots who can only say "More MORE MORE to my wage".

2) Rising wages = less attractive workers. Yes, nobody wants to hire you anymore, you are less demanding due to the same level of work you produce with a higher cost. Say good bye to job security. Instead of being jai yen yen and mai pen rai all the time. Worried about foreign workers taking over, of course they will. They work hard, they are on task and they are fast and they are cheaper. They are like the top students in the class who are willing to provide the bosses with more. Being lazy wont get you anywhere. It's not always what you want. If things were run by the locals, we would have holidays half of the month, high wages, drink beer all the time, yea right...

3) Spending...... my workers have better mobile phones than me lololol. When is spending enough? What is enough? Is there a limit? And the debt, they will jump on their feet at every opportunity for a loan or credit. Pathetic. I spend my whole life buying assets that give me even more money. There people spend their life buying liabilities, so they can give people more money. Choice is in each person's hands, what would you choose? There is a line drawn, and a reason which individual stands to be on the rich side or the poor side. I am the one who gets paid 3-15% of each baht I invest in. They are the one paying 3-9% each money they get. It's not the economy, blame themselves.

[Colin Yai]

Funny that people blame everything on Thaksin, especially when you know that two of the most active Thaksin opponents were businessmen who couldn't accept they were bankrupt : Sondhi Limthongkul and Prachai Leophairatana.

Beside that I don't think that Thai are worse than anybody else when it comes to managing money. I'm sure I will be accused of being an american basher when I say the last world economical crisis was mostly caused by american people who borrowed more that they could afford to repay but it is unfortunately true. At least Thai people cause trouble only to themselves

Guess you wont join my "We hate Thaksin for robbing Thailand" Club?

I did here there was a waiting list as its way over subscribed

[Colin Yai]

So ignorant, the fault does not lie with the wage or the cost of things or etc.

How much is enough really? I totally agree with the other posters on how the locals do not know how to manage their own money and just spend it all. It's so typical of them.

I have always been against the idea of the 300 baht minimum wage. Are you kidding me? Do you think the locals will win from this? It is such a lame populist strategy by the government to fool people. And guess what? They really are fooled. I laughed disgustingly when the 300 baht wasn't enough and they demand more? 450? 500? 600? It's like a drug that kills them and they cant even see that it's not the solution and still demand more.

1) Rising wages = rising costs. As soon as those locals receive 300 baht wages, company costs will increase, and we bosses never lose. We make the rules, we gain the benefits, if there are no benefits, we dont do it. We transfer the higher costs to our goods and services. Therefore as a result of rising wages, automatically all the food, transportation, entertainment, etc. All prices increase due to this effect. And trust me the economy is not fair and will never be, the pathetic wage increase is NO MATCH for the price increase. With your 250 baht wage, you could have bought 10 boxes of eggs, now with your 300 baht wage, you can only buy 8 boxes of eggs. Idiots who can only say "More MORE MORE to my wage".

2) Rising wages = less attractive workers. Yes, nobody wants to hire you anymore, you are less demanding due to the same level of work you produce with a higher cost. Say good bye to job security. Instead of being jai yen yen and mai pen rai all the time. Worried about foreign workers taking over, of course they will. They work hard, they are on task and they are fast and they are cheaper. They are like the top students in the class who are willing to provide the bosses with more. Being lazy wont get you anywhere. It's not always what you want. If things were run by the locals, we would have holidays half of the month, high wages, drink beer all the time, yea right...

3) Spending...... my workers have better mobile phones than me lololol. When is spending enough? What is enough? Is there a limit? And the debt, they will jump on their feet at every opportunity for a loan or credit. Pathetic. I spend my whole life buying assets that give me even more money. There people spend their life buying liabilities, so they can give people more money. Choice is in each person's hands, what would you choose? There is a line drawn, and a reason which individual stands to be on the rich side or the poor side. I am the one who gets paid 3-15% of each baht I invest in. They are the one paying 3-9% each money they get. It's not the economy, blame themselves.

Bristling with common sense , but do you think a Thai would agree with you? , highly doubtful, maybe they should read the old fable"The ant and the cricket" eh Edited April 27, 2012 by Colin Yai

[masterbiker49]

Meand post # 41

Perhaps it is not right to judge, but the one that blows me away is I see Thais take motorbikes daily to go very walkable distances.

Money spent on getting to work is indeed a necessity here.

When I came here to live some 21 years back I thought the same as you do now, however after a stroll of around half a kilometer up to to 1 kilometer to work I soon found that either a M/C taxi or a bus was indeed much more pleasurable.

One didn't arrive to work looking like one had been swimming and not changed your clothes prior to starting work whilst wafting a gentle effluvia of B.O. around the place.

In England a brisk stroll of a kilometer or so posed no problems, here after a stroll to work one does tend to arrive at the office in a somewhat disheveled and smelly manner looking much like Worzel Gummidge on one of his better days.

Haven't U heard of deodorant,and maybe don't walk so fast or else get fit instead of sitting in a bar!u

[masterbiker49]

On the first day of every month my wife hands me her, wage packet. I put the money into my wallet and then transfer the equivalent amount from one of my bank accounts into hers. Every ten working days I give her 1000 baht cash. Her days off are not taken into account as then she is out and about with me and I make with the readies - for everything. She also has another source of spending money by way of her share of the staff tips box which varies from 60 to 150 baht per day. When we set up her bank account we stipulated that we did not require an ATM card so that she would have to invade my 'holy of holies', my desk, to get hold of her passbook, and she is fully aware of the dire consequences of that.

Initially I handed over 100 baht per day but we are now progressing towards her being and acting responsibly with money. Although a devout Buddhist she now accepts that Buddha will not provide and that she is solely responsible for her financial situation. It is rewarding to know that she is spreading that gospel to her family members. They have known from the outset that I will assist them in obtaining the things that they need, and never what they want, or think they want.

When we instituted the measures to bring her spending under control there were a few long faces initially but now she becomes almost orgasmic when sighting her bank credit balance. One of the tenets of my life has been that it doesn't matter how much money that you have, it is what you do with it that matters. The majority of Thai people need to learn this lesson.

Good to see that some farang are not paying the pimp husband his monthly salary for his beer money and karaoke girls. You have set a good example for other farang. Good on you. If more farang act like you farang will start to get respect and they will no longer call us bufallos. It is some relief to hear this story after hearing so many farang paying 10K to 100K baht to pimp husbands indirectly through their wives of course.

What a pair you are.

Must be delightful company..........

Love that opening sentence, I take my wifes money and put it in my wallet.

Bet she loves yah...................

And the rest of my opening sentence didn't register with you? Do you do orangutang impersonations as a hobby? Any person with an IQ greater than their body temperature would realise that I remove cash and credit HER bank account with the equivalent amount. Even she, a lady from Isan (a species who tend to be much maligned here) realises that it is for her own good. My wife has a blood condition that requires medication for the rest of her days. It is a major concern of mine that she has the wherewithal to pay for her medication and medical advice to ensure that she lives comfortably for the rest of her hopefully long life.

BTW my wife will have nothing to do with Thai men and there are no hangers on, including her father, whom she now feels no obligation to support in any way. Her husband left her for a younger woman when she announced that she was carrying their second child. She struggled alone for 10 years before we met, often going without food as she could only afford to feed her two children. I was concerned for her health when we met and took her to a private hospital where the doctor said unless treatment started immediately her life expectancy was three months. That was 10 years ago and now she is fit and lively and dedicated to both me and our family, as I am to them. I have instilled in them financial discipline and am proud that I have achieved that.

Your sickening cynicism and ignorance should be obvious to all here and does you no credit.

So right Bagwan,I too am married to one & had similar problems with mine.I used to think a big part of money problems is lack of education,but in LOS I think it is FACE,must have bigger & better to show off?

[Lee4Life]

I really don't have an opinion as to what an adequate wage is for the Thai workers, but I don't quite understand how anyone could think that if you force companies to raise employees wages that you are automatically "injecting" those raises into the economy. Wouldn't it be more likely that the companies will adjust the prices of their products to compensate for having to pay higher wages? And if this happens, isn't this going to just raise the cost of living for the very same people who receive the wage increases?

The only way I can see a variant here is if the only companies that had to raise the amounts they paid in wages were export only companies.

You are the first poster on TV who really doesn't have an opinion - but, if your living here don't you think you should learn something about your adopted Country - things like how much people need to earn to live?

Sorry, maybe I should have worded that differently. "I really don't have the time to sit down and do an in depth study on the cost of living for the average Thai" may have been more appropriate.

How much people need to earn to live is subjective. (in any country)

[corkman]

When Mr. Thaksin comes back all their troubles will be over. He will make them rich, just like he and his philanthropic family.

No worries, life will be good. Trust him.

Why is it whenever there is a discussion happens unrelated to Taksin, some poster has to throw in some comment about Taksin?

What's happening is basic economics 101 and has nothing to do with Taksin. The only thing it does is up his posting count.

Lame.

Is it not the case that rice i so expensive because it is artificially inflated because the gouvernment gaurantee's an above market price per tonnne, in order to curry favour with the "poor" ......... so a few rice farmers benefit, then the sons and daughters who come to Bangkok and elsewhere suffer because someone has to pay for the rice. I could be wrong, I do not claim to be knowledgeable in such matters, but from my very basic understanding, the populist policies that Taksin started which are perpetuated by his brainwashed followers, are at least in part the reason why people cannot pull themselves up and out of poverty. Why improve yourself, when with a little patience and enough complaining, the governement will bail you out?

[corkman]

On the first day of every month my wife hands me her wage packet. I put the money into my wallet and then transfer the equivalent amount from one of my bank accounts into hers. Every ten working days I give her 1000 baht cash. Her days off are not taken into account as then she is out and about with me and I make with the readies - for everything. She also has another source of spending money by way of her share of the staff tips box which varies from 60 to 150 baht per day. When we set up her bank account we stipulated that we did not require an ATM card so that she would have to invade my 'holy of holies', my desk, to get hold of her passbook, and she is fully aware of the dire consequences of that.

Initially I handed over 100 baht per day but we are now progressing towards her being and acting responsibly with money. Although a devout Buddhist she now accepts that Buddha will not provide and that she is solely responsible for her financial situation. It is rewarding to know that she is spreading that gospel to her family members. They have known from the outset that I will assist them in obtaining the things that they need, and never what they want, or think they want.

When we instituted the measures to bring her spending under control there were a few long faces initially but now she becomes almost orgasmic when sighting her bank credit balance. One of the tenets of my life has been that it doesn't matter how much money that you have, it is what you do with it that matters. The majority of Thai people need to learn this lesson.

Good to see that some farang are not paying the pimp husband his monthly salary for his beer money and karaoke girls. You have set a good example for other farang. Good on you. If more farang act like you farang will start to get respect and they will no longer call us bufallos. It is some relief to hear this story after hearing so many farang paying 10K to 100K baht to pimp husbands indirectly through their wives of course.

What a pair you are.

Must be delightful company..........

Love that opening sentence, I take my wifes money and put it in my wallet.

Bet she loves yah...................

And the rest of my opening sentence didn't register with you? Do you do orangutang impersonations as a hobby? Any person with an IQ greater than their body temperature would realise that I remove cash and credit HER bank account with the equivalent amount. Even she, a lady from Isan (a species who tend to be much maligned here) realises that it is for her own good. My wife has a blood condition that requires medication for the rest of her days. It is a major concern of mine that she has the wherewithal to pay for her medication and medical advice to ensure that she lives comfortably for the rest of her hopefully long life.

BTW my wife will have nothing to do with Thai men and there are no hangers on, including her father, whom she now feels no obligation to support in any way. Her husband left her for a younger woman when she announced that she was carrying their second child. She struggled alone for 10 years before we met, often going without food as she could only afford to feed her two children. I was concerned for her health when we met and took her to a private hospital where the doctor said unless treatment started immediately her life expectancy was three months. That was 10 years ago and now she is fit and lively and dedicated to both me and our family, as I am to them. I have instilled in them financial discipline and am proud that I have achieved that.

Your sickening cynicism and ignorance should be obvious to all here and does you no credit.

Bagwan - well done. Serioulsy. I esepcially like the line "I will assist them in obtaining the things that they need, and never what they want". I have a similar mindset - with my mob, the difficulty is them recognising the difference between need and want. Brother drinks his wages. 1 week later, his wife needs to go to hospital. Brother has no money to pay hospital - but cannot equate that he has no money now because he drank it last week..... "but I need money now to pay hospital"......

[OzMick]

More than 60 per cent of workers polled recently believed the government’s 300 baht minimum wage policy would make their life better, Bangkok Poll at Bangkok University reported on Friday.

The pollster conducted a survey on “the life of labourers after getting paid a 300 baht daily minimum wage” from April 23 to 26, seeking opinions from 1,180 workers in Bangkok and nearby provinces.

Bangkok Poll reported that 60.7 per cent of the polled workers said their living standards had improved, 36.5 per cent of them believed there was no impovement and 2.8 per cent said it was worsening.

Asked whether their working life changed or would change after the higher wage was implemented, 82.4 per cent said no change, 15.4 per cent said they had to work harder and 1.3 per cent said they worked less than before.

Half, 49.9 per cent of the respondents, did not believe the wage increase would cause problems for manufacturers or force them to close down, 26.9 per cent of them believed employers’ profits would drop, 23.0 per cent said businessed would extra gain more profits, 1.4 per cent said their employer could face a loss and 0.8 per cent said the factory could close down.

Questioned whether the wage rise would help ease the problem of social inequality, 54.9 per cent of the labourers said yes but 45.1 per cent of them disagreed.

A total of 93.2 per cent of the respondents backed the 300 baht daily minimum wage hike nationwide but 6.8 per cent of them opposed.

The polled workers wanted the government to oversee and improve welfare of labouers, ensure that the employers would abide by the law and improve their quality of life.

Perhaps they should have polled some of the ex-workers laid off because of the B300 wage rise.

"A total of 93.2 per cent of the respondents backed the 300 baht daily minimum wage hike........"

Perhaps we could start a new thread on the economic insight of Thai minimum wage workers. The result is comparable to walking into a kindergarten with a bag of lollies and asking "Who like sweeties?"

[OzMick]

When Mr. Thaksin comes back all their troubles will be over. He will make them rich, just like he and his philanthropic family.

No worries, life will be good. Trust him.

Why is it whenever there is a discussion happens unrelated to Taksin, some poster has to throw in some comment about Taksin?

What's happening is basic economics 101 and has nothing to do with Taksin. The only thing it does is up his posting count.

Lame.

Is it not the case that rice i so expensive because it is artificially inflated because the gouvernment gaurantee's an above market price per tonnne, in order to curry favour with the "poor" ......... so a few rice farmers benefit, then the sons and daughters who come to Bangkok and elsewhere suffer because someone has to pay for the rice. I could be wrong, I do not claim to be knowledgeable in such matters, but from my very basic understanding, the populist policies that Taksin started which are perpetuated by his brainwashed followers, are at least in part the reason why people cannot pull themselves up and out of poverty. Why improve yourself, when with a little patience and enough complaining, the governement will bail you out?

You have to understand the sequence of events. The promise to pay a large subsidy on rice is made BEFORE the election, as was the promise of B300/day. This attracted a large number of voters who could only see their own short term benefit, and ensured election.

AFTER the election, the subsidies rarely make it to the farmer (same as last time Thaksin implemented it) while the cost of the nation's basic food source rises. Couple this with rising wages and inflation is inevitable. But that's OK because those pulling the wool over the sheeple's eyes are in power and at the trough, and will think up some new populist policies before the next election.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts, derogatory generalizations, disquised profanity posts, and replies to previously deleted posts have been removed.

[louse1953]

Interesting to note the price increases announced yesterday concerning public transport long distance and local buses equates to around a 7% increase in costs.

Note who is hit the hardest by these increases, it's the lower end of the labour market who are being squeezed dry of the last satang they may have.

Meanwhile this current maladministration cuts taxes for businesses, announce moratoriums for debt and is allocating enormous sums of money for numerous projects which have as much chance of success as a lead balloon has of flying or any of us here selling pork pies in a mosque or a synagogue.

Crazy schemes involving credit cards for farmers and taxi drivers all calculated to result in a future society crippled financially by irresponsible undisciplined financial transactions that will and in fact do result in a society imprisoned by debt bondage.

People need to be educated to understand that credit cards are a form of loan, nothing more or nothing less.They are not a magic piece of plastic that lets you buy what you want and then forget the financial consequences of your actions.

So very easy to get into debt , however the road out of debt is indeed a long and hard road ..

Inflation is biting hard at the lower end wage earners and it isn't going to be too long before the bite gets bigger and hits the middle class wage earners.

Yes,there will be some cheap motorbikes and cars on the market soon.