Daily Minimum Wage Increase To Bt300 Falls Behind Living Costs: Thai Study

[Moruya]

I don't dodge your question, your question is just another way to argue the bogus point that the government is not delivering on the minimum wage promise.

If there were not already a program in place to bring all regions to 300 B as planned, then I would understand the argument, but the deal is done and dusted. The fact that some people don't want to accept that - or just plain ignore that fact so that they can say "look, look, the PTP lied to the Thai people" is a childish, bogus argument.

Face the reality of the situation, ... or don't, and just keep your "gov't broke it's promise" postion, but yours is the position of deception and lies.

If Yingluck promised to paint the moon blue as an election promise and the failed because Jotun didn't have enough paint, would that be a valid excuse or should she have done her homework?

If Yingkuck promised to make the minimum salary 300B universally within one year and failed, it was her fault for failing to research it and failing to enforce it.

That's where the buck stops.

[whybother]

You might notice that ... I am still here.

Make the case - and I mean a real case - that says the government is failing in its minimum wage promise. But you can't...

I have not seen it on TVF - the ONLY argument (if I can be so generous) is that people point to the negotiated deal that came out of the three-party wage committee (as it must, since that is the law in Thailand) and say "the government broke its promise".

Well, that is a load of hooey (to avoid offending some of the more delicate souls here). The deal has been brokered. It was essentially done in September, which in political time is "immediate" and it was set for January 1st. Then the first phase of the negotiated deal was pushed to April in consideration to the business community with regard to the impact of the floods. I fully understand that I feel it was perfectly reasonable. The entire country received a significant increase in the minimum wage on April 1 and all of the country will be brought to 300B/day on Jan 1st. Again, a negotiated and reasonable deal struck between labor, employers, and the government.

Now I recognize that there are enough far right nutters on this forum to call that breaking a promise, but IMO they are just full of "hooey"...

The government made a promise. The government failed to deliver on that promise. You are making excuses for the government not delivering on that promise.

[rubl]

So, timeline according to tlansford:

May 2011: election (only) promise

August 2011: government policy declared

September 2011: deal brokered, promise fulfilled

January 2012: deal delayed

April 2012: deal done, implementation in 7 provinces

January 2013: deal to be done, implementation in all of Thailand

Notes (by yours truly):

- "immediately": Corporate tax rate decreased from 30 to 23%, mostly profiting large companies

- "immediately": rising costs of living

- ongoing: flood related price increases, price pledging related price increases, global oil price related price increases, minimum wage related price increases.

- ongoing: introduction 300B/d minimum wage in 7 provinces, no details on 39% rise outside 7P area

- etc., etc., etc.

Edited August 17, 2012 by rubl

[Ricardo]

But right now they're still waiting for the 300B/day immediate universal minimum-wage they were promised pre-election, are they not ?

I don't dodge your question, your question is just another way to argue the bogus point that the government is not delivering on the minimum wage promise.

If there were not already a program in place to bring all regions to 300 B as planned, then I would understand the argument, but the deal is done and dusted. The fact that some people don't want to accept that - or just plain ignore that fact so that they can say "look, look, the PTP lied to the Thai people" is a childish, bogus argument.

Face the reality of the situation, ... or don't, and just keep your "gov't broke it's promise" postion, but yours is the position of deception and lies.

Yes, or No, it's quite simple really.

'Yes they've received it' or 'No, they're still waiting'.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Ricardo

[rixalex]

Make the case - and I mean a real case - that says the government is failing in its minimum wage promise. But you can't...

The case is all in the poster above. It gave the clear impression of three things:

One, that the 300 baht minimum wage was going to include everyone up and down the country

Two, that the 300 baht minimum wage was going to be implemented shortly after the voters did their bit by voting PTP ("shortly" can obviously be dependent on the person, a varying amount of time, but i think most would define "shortly" as being at least within a year, if not rather 3 or 4 months)

Three, was not subject to all kinds of deliberations and meetings in which delays, caveats and back-tracking might be added, but rather that PTP had the power to implement it of their own accord

No, those things weren't stated categorically, but surely you can see how reading that poster would have given that impression.

But none of those three things have turned out to be true.

Now you might blame a person for taking advertising at face value, for not recognising that the whole idea of advertising is to trick the consumer into believing in something that isn't true, for not reading all the small print, and when we are talking about advertising for the latest home product, i can go along with this attitude, as much as i hate it, because we are not talking about being tricked by the people who run the country, the people who are supposed to have our interests at heart, the people whose wages we all as tax payers, pay, we are talking about businesses whose primary goal is making money. I guess the problem here, and for that matter in most other places, is that the leaders and the businesses actually despite all the bullshit to the contrary, have exactly the same goal in mind. Lining their own pockets. Giving the least they can for the most return. Telling the biggest lies they can get away with without, in the case of leaders, being voted out, or in the case of businesses, being taken to court.

Naive i guess to think otherwise. Doesn't mean having to accept this practice. Doesn't mean having to make excuses for bullshit being pedalled as in the above.

If someone is tricked by a business, do you argue that well that's ok because you can take them to court? I don't think you do. The argument i have heard here is, well if PTP have tricked the people, well that's ok because they can be voted out in three years time. But what sort of deterrent or punishment is that, if you can in those three years enrich yourself and your business many many times over, as i have no doubt is precisely what the majority of PTP politicians will do. Not of course that PTP politicians are any different from Democrat politicians. But i am not defending them. I'm not defending any of them. Not at least when they so plainly cheat and lie.

As i say, i always thought, in spite of our political differences, you really did care about the poor here. The way you defend the PTP from doing what we all know they promised to do, makes me seriously question that belief about you.

[tlansford]

I don't dodge your question, your question is just another way to argue the bogus point that the government is not delivering on the minimum wage promise.

If there were not already a program in place to bring all regions to 300 B as planned, then I would understand the argument, but the deal is done and dusted. The fact that some people don't want to accept that - or just plain ignore that fact so that they can say "look, look, the PTP lied to the Thai people" is a childish, bogus argument.

Face the reality of the situation, ... or don't, and just keep your "gov't broke it's promise" postion, but yours is the position of deception and lies.

If Yingluck promised to paint the moon blue as an election promise and the failed because Jotun didn't have enough paint, would that be a valid excuse or should she have done her homework?

If Yingkuck promised to make the minimum salary 300B universally within one year and failed, it was her fault for failing to research it and failing to enforce it.

That's where the buck stops.

and that was an incredibly intelligent comparison.

[rubl]

begin removed

...

Now you might blame a person for taking advertising at face value, for not recognising that the whole idea of advertising is to trick the consumer into believing in something that isn't true, for not reading all the small print

...

end removed

Be careful, dear rix. You're almost suggesting that all posters here complaining might have made the same mistake as the Pheu Thai voters

[tlansford]

Make the case - and I mean a real case - that says the government is failing in its minimum wage promise. But you can't...

The case is all in the poster above. It gave the clear impression of three things:

One, that the 300 baht minimum wage was going to include everyone up and down the country

Two, that the 300 baht minimum wage was going to be implemented shortly after the voters did their bit by voting PTP ("shortly" can obviously be dependent on the person, a varying amount of time, but i think most would define "shortly" as being at least within a year, if not rather 3 or 4 months)

Three, was not subject to all kinds of deliberations and meetings in which delays, caveats and back-tracking might be added, but rather that PTP had the power to implement it of their own accord

No, those things weren't stated categorically, but surely you can see how reading that poster would have given that impression.

But none of those three things have turned out to be true.

Now you might blame a person for taking advertising at face value, for not recognising that the whole idea of advertising is to trick the consumer into believing in something that isn't true, for not reading all the small print, and when we are talking about advertising for the latest home product, i can go along with this attitude, as much as i hate it, because we are not talking about being tricked by the people who run the country, the people who are supposed to have our interests at heart, the people whose wages we all as tax payers, pay, we are talking about businesses whose primary goal is making money. I guess the problem here, and for that matter in most other places, is that the leaders and the businesses actually despite all the bullshit to the contrary, have exactly the same goal in mind. Lining their own pockets. Giving the least they can for the most return. Telling the biggest lies they can get away with without, in the case of leaders, being voted out, or in the case of businesses, being taken to court.

Naive i guess to think otherwise. Doesn't mean having to accept this practice. Doesn't mean having to make excuses for bullshit being pedalled as in the above.

If someone is tricked by a business, do you argue that well that's ok because you can take them to court? I don't think you do. The argument i have heard here is, well if PTP have tricked the people, well that's ok because they can be voted out in three years time. But what sort of deterrent or punishment is that, if you can in those three years enrich yourself and your business many many times over, as i have no doubt is precisely what the majority of PTP politicians will do. Not of course that PTP politicians are any different from Democrat politicians. But i am not defending them. I'm not defending any of them. Not at least when they so plainly cheat and lie.

As i say, i always thought, in spite of our political differences, you really did care about the poor here. The way you defend the PTP from doing what we all know they promised to do, makes me seriously question that belief about you.

I don't defend the PTP, I counter the absolutely nonsensical arguments about the minimum wage policy and the way that people disingenuously use it to satisfy their need to stick it to the government. The government can defend itself.

What is disingenuous is the stance some prominent posters take here. Before the election, there were wails about how it was too much, too fast, would wreck the economy, etc, etc, etc, ...

Then the plan gets implemented in a 2-step approach with a delay regarding the floods as described previously, and now the same posters wail "the PTP breaks another campaign promise". In the report about companies cheating employees, the predominant line of commentary was 'it was a stupid PTP plan in the first place, what do you expect employers to do".

The fact of the matter is that, on this issue at least, the PTP has done a perfectly reasonable job of implementing the minimum wage and the whiners here are doing what they were born to do - whine.

To your points, the minimum wage increases to date include everyone and everyone will be at 300 B January 1 - whining about that is just sour grapes.

"Shortly" - as mentioned already, the plan was set in September. That the execution is in phases (as the detractors said it ought to be) and to whine that the final adjustment has not yet occurred is just sour grapes.

Thirdly, the law is the law. While it is common to claim (daily, I might add) that the PTP is governing outside the law, the facts are that they are not doing so. And while it might be a surprise to some Farang as to how the Thai system functions, I doubt that it is much of a surprise to the Thai people who voted in the last election.

I suspect that the Thai minimum wage workers who voted PTP because of this promise are less pleased by the compliance of employers than they are bother by some imaginary broken promise of the government on the minimum wage issue.

[tlansford]

You might notice that ... I am still here.

Make the case - and I mean a real case - that says the government is failing in its minimum wage promise. But you can't...

I have not seen it on TVF - the ONLY argument (if I can be so generous) is that people point to the negotiated deal that came out of the three-party wage committee (as it must, since that is the law in Thailand) and say "the government broke its promise".

Well, that is a load of hooey (to avoid offending some of the more delicate souls here). The deal has been brokered. It was essentially done in September, which in political time is "immediate" and it was set for January 1st. Then the first phase of the negotiated deal was pushed to April in consideration to the business community with regard to the impact of the floods. I fully understand that I feel it was perfectly reasonable. The entire country received a significant increase in the minimum wage on April 1 and all of the country will be brought to 300B/day on Jan 1st. Again, a negotiated and reasonable deal struck between labor, employers, and the government.

Now I recognize that there are enough far right nutters on this forum to call that breaking a promise, but IMO they are just full of "hooey"...

The government made a promise. The government failed to deliver on that promise. You are making excuses for the government not delivering on that promise.

Immensely intelligent counter argument - obviously you can do it better...

also, bitte schön...

[Chads]

All well and good pushing the wages up but what happens when the employers decide that they can't support the dead weight of surplus workers ? You only have to go into any of the big stores or malls to see staff playing on their phones or standing around. Guess this isn't a problem at 25 baht an hour but if wages increase and they become a larger part of the company overhead I can see plenty of Thais being made redundant. I had four guys arrive yesterday to fix a phone line/PC problem yesterday. Most anywhere else in the World it was a one man job.

They still took an hour to confirm what I had already told them. Had to show them how to use their TDR too

Unless staff become more efficient, work harder and put some effort into their work I can't see any return for the employers.. And that means trimming the fat to continue making a profit.

This is the same <deleted> the West has been thru. Increase wages, increase the cost of business and then finally price themselves out of the market and manufacturing/business etc moves somewhere cheaper and less regimented. Unless the Thai workforce can offer something that others can't raising wages is a false move.

I could not agree more.

They are now talking about skilled work force, what skilled work force ? I have been advertising in Chiang Mai for 3 months for ten skilled welders. We even pay traveling allowance on top of the salary to try and attract them and still no applicants. We even applied to use Burmese welders but refused because we are BOI registered.

The Thai idea of a skilled worker is a man or woman that can fit 1 wheel nut on a car moving down a production line every ten minutes.

We are forced to employ 4 Thai's for every foreign worker and that is the only reason we employ them at all. Like you say standing around doing F all and playing on mobile phones is the only thing most of them are good at.

I usually hate generalizations such as yours of Thai workers. But I'm trying to understand your point of view and experience as a business owner, as it sounds like you're sincere about what you're going through.

It's sad though. I guess a greater focus has to be put on creating truly skilled workers, starting from the education system. But of course that will take a long time.

[Ricardo]

But right now they're still waiting for the 300B/day immediate universal minimum-wage they were promised pre-election, are they not ?

I don't dodge your question, your question is just another way to argue the bogus point that the government is not delivering on the minimum wage promise.

If there were not already a program in place to bring all regions to 300 B as planned, then I would understand the argument, but the deal is done and dusted. The fact that some people don't want to accept that - or just plain ignore that fact so that they can say "look, look, the PTP lied to the Thai people" is a childish, bogus argument.

Face the reality of the situation, ... or don't, and just keep your "gov't broke it's promise" postion, but yours is the position of deception and lies.

Yes, or No, it's quite simple really.

'Yes they've received it' or 'No, they're still waiting'.

Apologies, upon re-reading this, the answers logically should be 'Yes, they're still waiting', or 'No, they've already received it'.

[rixalex]

I don't defend the PTP, I counter the absolutely nonsensical arguments about the minimum wage policy and the way that people disingenuously use it to satisfy their need to stick it to the government. The government can defend itself.

What is disingenuous is the stance some prominent posters take here. Before the election, there were wails about how it was too much, too fast, would wreck the economy, etc, etc, etc, ...

Then the plan gets implemented in a 2-step approach with a delay regarding the floods as described previously, and now the same posters wail "the PTP breaks another campaign promise". In the report about companies cheating employees, the predominant line of commentary was 'it was a stupid PTP plan in the first place, what do you expect employers to do".

The fact of the matter is that, on this issue at least, the PTP has done a perfectly reasonable job of implementing the minimum wage and the whiners here are doing what they were born to do - whine.

To your points, the minimum wage increases to date include everyone and everyone will be at 300 B January 1 - whining about that is just sour grapes.

"Shortly" - as mentioned already, the plan was set in September. That the execution is in phases (as the detractors said it ought to be) and to whine that the final adjustment has not yet occurred is just sour grapes.

Thirdly, the law is the law. While it is common to claim (daily, I might add) that the PTP is governing outside the law, the facts are that they are not doing so. And while it might be a surprise to some Farang as to how the Thai system functions, I doubt that it is much of a surprise to the Thai people who voted in the last election.

I suspect that the Thai minimum wage workers who voted PTP because of this promise are less pleased by the compliance of employers than they are bother by some imaginary broken promise of the government on the minimum wage issue.

You started that post with five words that were complete and utter BS: I don't defend the PTP. That's akin to me trying to claim i don't attack PTP. If you can't be honest about something as elementary and as screamingly obvious as that, little point in continuing i think. Happy to discuss with people of a different political persuasion, but people who are disingenuous... well, it just seems a little too much like a waste of one's time.

[rubl]

begin removed

...

I suspect that the Thai minimum wage workers who voted PTP because of this promise are less pleased by the compliance of employers than they are bother by some imaginary broken promise of the government on the minimum wage issue.

So, Pheu Thai promises and the employers are to be blamed for not implementing what a political party promised with even the political party having said 'well, campaign only promises'.

Makes sense, to some that is

[Buchholz]

I don't defend the PTP, I counter the absolutely nonsensical arguments about the minimum wage policy and the way that people disingenuously use it to satisfy their need to stick it to the government. The government can defend itself.

What is disingenuous is the stance some prominent posters take here. Before the election, there were wails about how it was too much, too fast, would wreck the economy, etc, etc, etc, ...

Then the plan gets implemented in a 2-step approach with a delay regarding the floods as described previously, and now the same posters wail "the PTP breaks another campaign promise". In the report about companies cheating employees, the predominant line of commentary was 'it was a stupid PTP plan in the first place, what do you expect employers to do".

The fact of the matter is that, on this issue at least, the PTP has done a perfectly reasonable job of implementing the minimum wage and the whiners here are doing what they were born to do - whine.

To your points, the minimum wage increases to date include everyone and everyone will be at 300 B January 1 - whining about that is just sour grapes.

"Shortly" - as mentioned already, the plan was set in September. That the execution is in phases (as the detractors said it ought to be) and to whine that the final adjustment has not yet occurred is just sour grapes.

Thirdly, the law is the law. While it is common to claim (daily, I might add) that the PTP is governing outside the law, the facts are that they are not doing so. And while it might be a surprise to some Farang as to how the Thai system functions, I doubt that it is much of a surprise to the Thai people who voted in the last election.

I suspect that the Thai minimum wage workers who voted PTP because of this promise are less pleased by the compliance of employers than they are bother by some imaginary broken promise of the government on the minimum wage issue.

You started that post with five words that were complete and utter BS: I don't defend the PTP. That's akin to me trying to claim i don't attack PTP. If you can't be honest about something as elementary and as screamingly obvious as that, little point in continuing i think. Happy to discuss with people of a different political persuasion, but people who are disingenuous... well, it just seems a little too much like a waste of one's time.

I was going to mention similar in that after saying he doesn't defend the PTP, he then proceeds to defend the PTP over the next 7 paragraphs (albeit short ones).

Only a slight variation of the renowned,

"I'm no fan of Thaksin, but..."

comes the updated,

"I don't defend the PTP, I counter..."

.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Buchholz

[tlansford]

I don't defend the PTP, I counter the absolutely nonsensical arguments about the minimum wage policy and the way that people disingenuously use it to satisfy their need to stick it to the government. The government can defend itself.

What is disingenuous is the stance some prominent posters take here. Before the election, there were wails about how it was too much, too fast, would wreck the economy, etc, etc, etc, ...

Then the plan gets implemented in a 2-step approach with a delay regarding the floods as described previously, and now the same posters wail "the PTP breaks another campaign promise". In the report about companies cheating employees, the predominant line of commentary was 'it was a stupid PTP plan in the first place, what do you expect employers to do".

The fact of the matter is that, on this issue at least, the PTP has done a perfectly reasonable job of implementing the minimum wage and the whiners here are doing what they were born to do - whine.

To your points, the minimum wage increases to date include everyone and everyone will be at 300 B January 1 - whining about that is just sour grapes.

"Shortly" - as mentioned already, the plan was set in September. That the execution is in phases (as the detractors said it ought to be) and to whine that the final adjustment has not yet occurred is just sour grapes.

Thirdly, the law is the law. While it is common to claim (daily, I might add) that the PTP is governing outside the law, the facts are that they are not doing so. And while it might be a surprise to some Farang as to how the Thai system functions, I doubt that it is much of a surprise to the Thai people who voted in the last election.

I suspect that the Thai minimum wage workers who voted PTP because of this promise are less pleased by the compliance of employers than they are bother by some imaginary broken promise of the government on the minimum wage issue.

You started that post with five words that were complete and utter BS: I don't defend the PTP. That's akin to me trying to claim i don't attack PTP. If you can't be honest about something as elementary and as screamingly obvious as that, little point in continuing i think. Happy to discuss with people of a different political persuasion, but people who are disingenuous... well, it just seems a little too much like a waste of one's time.

"seems a little too much like a waste of one's time"

well, we agree there.

You pick an irrelevant part of the reply and run with that - just typical for the people here to attack the poster.

I happen to believe in a living wage and have been very consistent in my position about this policy.

The PTP promised a 300B minimum wage and are delivering it. Anyone who wants to deny that is ... well, in denial

Edited August 17, 2012 by tlansford

[tlansford]

begin removed

...

I suspect that the Thai minimum wage workers who voted PTP because of this promise are less pleased by the compliance of employers than they are bother by some imaginary broken promise of the government on the minimum wage issue.

So, Pheu Thai promises and the employers are to be blamed for not implementing what a political party promised with even the political party having said 'well, campaign only promises'.

Makes sense, to some that is

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

[Moruya]

I don't dodge your question, your question is just another way to argue the bogus point that the government is not delivering on the minimum wage promise.

If there were not already a program in place to bring all regions to 300 B as planned, then I would understand the argument, but the deal is done and dusted. The fact that some people don't want to accept that - or just plain ignore that fact so that they can say "look, look, the PTP lied to the Thai people" is a childish, bogus argument.

Face the reality of the situation, ... or don't, and just keep your "gov't broke it's promise" postion, but yours is the position of deception and lies.

If Yingluck promised to paint the moon blue as an election promise and the failed because Jotun didn't have enough paint, would that be a valid excuse or should she have done her homework?

If Yingkuck promised to make the minimum salary 300B universally within one year and failed, it was her fault for failing to research it and failing to enforce it.

That's where the buck stops.

and that was an incredibly intelligent comparison.

Thought I would paint a picture.

At what percentage would you deem the policy a success?

[whybother]

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

I would imagine that there would be a few people nationwide that would rather have to deal with not being paid the 300 baht that they were promised.

[loong]

Spiralling wages increase inflation.

Spiralling inflation increases wages.

The losers are those who pay a higher proportion if their earnings on food - the lower paid.

Thaksinomics meets Mugabe

Imagine where the min wage workers would be today if they were still making 150B/day...

Moruya meets Mugabe

Many still are.

Petrol pump attendant in many places around here. 180 Baht for a 12 hour day, that's 120 Baht for an 8 hour day, less if you factor in overtime.

My stepson is working in a wholesaler's shop. 20 Bt per hour.

[billd766]

300 Baht perday is 300 baht too much to pay lazy Thai sitting there all day.

Food is only 20 baht per meal and help yourself to the FREE refreshing cool drinking water.

Did you perchance forget the cost of renting somewhere to live, electricity bills, transport costs, clothes, footwear, soap, toothpaste, laundry and the many other ESSENTIAL things that everbody needs to live on?

What about how much it costs to feed the wife, children, aged parents as well or do they eat the same 20 baht per meal plus of course feee cool refreshing drinking water in the home as well? Who pays for the school books and school clothes? This government cancelled the free books and the school clothes allowance that that nasty K Abhisit and the Democrats you hate so much pushed through and the TRT shut it down.

Perhaps you get all that for free and only pay 20 baht for a meal though for 20 baht you won't eat that well.

Edited August 17, 2012 by billd766

[Reasonableman]

300 Baht perday is 300 baht too much to pay lazy Thai sitting there all day.

Food is only 20 baht per meal and help yourself to the FREE refreshing cool drinking water.

Did you perchance forget the cost of renting somewhere to live, electricity bills, transport costs, clothes, footwear, soap, toothpaste, laundry and the many other ESSENTIAL things that everbody needs to live on?

What about how much it costs to feed the wife, children, aged parents as well or do they eat the same 20 baht per meal plus of course feee cool refreshing drinking water in the home as well?

Perhaps you get all that for free and only pay 20 baht for a meal though for 20 baht you won't eat that well.

Please don't feed the troll.

[billd766]

300 Baht perday is 300 baht too much to pay lazy Thai sitting there all day.

Food is only 20 baht per meal and help yourself to the FREE refreshing cool drinking water.

Did you perchance forget the cost of renting somewhere to live, electricity bills, transport costs, clothes, footwear, soap, toothpaste, laundry and the many other ESSENTIAL things that everbody needs to live on?

What about how much it costs to feed the wife, children, aged parents as well or do they eat the same 20 baht per meal plus of course feee cool refreshing drinking water in the home as well?

Perhaps you get all that for free and only pay 20 baht for a meal though for 20 baht you won't eat that well.

Please don't feed the troll.

I have just eaten dinner and I thought it would be nice to throw a few crumbs now and again.

I forgot to add the last line of the single word beginng with a and ending with le as I might upset the poor sensitive soul.

[tlansford]

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

I would imagine that there would be a few people nationwide that would rather have to deal with not being paid the 300 baht that they were promised.

that is just a goofy statement

[Reasonableman]

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

I would imagine that there would be a few people nationwide that would rather have to deal with not being paid the 300 baht that they were promised.

that is just a goofy statement

That is a witty riposte, pregnant with unfathomable meaning

[tlansford]

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

I would imagine that there would be a few people nationwide that would rather have to deal with not being paid the 300 baht that they were promised.

that is just a goofy statement

That is a witty riposte, pregnant with unfathomable meaning

troll troll troll your boat, ....

or maybe you can explain how it is not a goofy statement to claim that a Thai making min wage cares more about not getting 300B/day compared to their employer ignoring the law and not paying the wage that he is due today?

You and Why Bother seem so close, ... as if you can read each others thoughts...

... gently down the stream....

[Noistar]

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

I was led to believe that the 300bt minimum wage was only implemented in certain provinces.

[Ricardo]

<snip for brevity>

To your points, the minimum wage increases to date include everyone and everyone will be at 300 B January 1 - whining about that is just sour grapes.

"Shortly" - as mentioned already, the plan was set in September. That the execution is in phases (as the detractors said it ought to be) and to whine that the final adjustment has not yet occurred is just sour grapes.

"everyone will be at 300B January 1" and "the final adjustment has not yet occurred"

Apologies, upon re-reading this, the answers logically should be 'Yes, they're still waiting', or 'No, they've already received it'.

In the absence of any other reply, I'll accept that as "Yes, they're still waiting". Good Night !

[nietzche]

Heaven help the majority of workers, who didn't even get the (9 months !) late-delivered only-a-pre-election-promise minimum-wage of 300B/day, because they don't live in the handful of provinces which did receive it !

One can argue about the theoretical economic rights/wrongs of this headline-policy of PTP, meanwhile the poor continue to suffer under this government, time perhaps for the Big Boss overseas to put his thinking-cap on again !

you know that all the other provinces received an average 40% increase in the minimum wage in April and will have the 300 B in January, .... don't you?

Increasing the minimum wage does not solve the problem.

The problem here is the shocking disparity in incomes. In Thailand, unlike the U.S or other developed countries, if you are born in to poverty you are stuck there and it is almost impossible to break free.

This is a society where cronyism is everything and ability means nothing. I think Europe and the U.S. also have huge issues, but hard work and being smart as f*$k means more than anything else.

99% of the Thai population exist in what can only be compared to as serfdom. Increase the minimum wage by 100%. In fact, increase it by 500% and it's still a shit level of living.

The population is brainwashed as a result of the media propaganda machine and the Great Internet Firewall.

Sheer lack of financial education is also a huge problem. Give a Thai on minimum wage 1 million baht and they will go out and buy a car with all of it. Forget the fact that they live in a shack and are 2 million baht in debt.

Any increase in wages will be offset by interest payments on a new motorbike or iPhone (yes, Thai's buy their iPhone's on credit. That's why everyone has one).

We can talk about their woes all we want. Nothing will ever change here.

[philw]

&lt;deleted&gt; is wrong with people getting a slight increase in pay and a small improvement in their living conditions ??

How can people here object to this ??

You would all fight tooth and claw for a 3% increase in your pensions...................

[Noistar]

tell me Rubl, what do you think is more important to a Thai worker, that his employer doesn't try to screw him out of his raise or that the PTP raised the minimum wage to 300B/day nationwide on August 9th 2011?

This is as ridiculous as every thread here regarding the minimum wage ... as Bugs would say, "what a bunch of maroons... "

I was led to believe that the 300bt minimum wage was only implemented in certain provinces.

I have since got confirmation that on August 9th 2011 the minimum wage was not raised nationally

The situation on 1st April 2012 was:

Effective April 1, 2012 the minimum daily wage in Thailand as set by Thailand’s Employment Committee No. 6 is:

• Bt 300 –– Bangkok, Phuket, Nakorn Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakarn and Samut Sakorn

• Bt 273 –– Chonburi

• Bt 269 –– Chachoengsao and Saraburi

• Bt 265 –– Ayudhya

• Bt 264 –– Rayong

• Bt 259 –– Ranong

• Bt 258 –– Phang-nga

• Bt 257 –– Krabi

• Bt 255 –– Nakorn Ratchasima and Prachinburi

• Bt 254 –– Lopburi

• Bt 252 –– Kanchanaburi

• Bt 251 –– Chiangmai and Ratchburi

• Bt 250 –– Chantaburi and Petchburi

• Bt 246 –– Songkhla and Singhburi

• Bt 244 –– Trang

• Bt 243 –– Nakorn Srithammarat and Angthong

• Bt 241 –– Chumporn, Pattalung, Satun, Loei and Sakaew

• Bt 240 –– Prachuab Kirikhan, Yala, Surat Thani and Samut Songkram

• Bt 239 –– Narathiwat, Udonthani and Ubolratchathani

• Bt 237 –– Nakorn Nayok and Pattani

• Bt 236 –– Trad, Lampoon, Buengkan and Nongkai

• Bt 234 –– Kampaengpetch and Uthaithani

• Bt 233 –– Chainat, Supanburi, Kalasin and Khonkaen

• Bt 232 –– Chiangrai, Buriram, Nakorn Sawan, Petchaboon, Yasothorn, Roiet and Sakolnakorn

• Bt 230 –– Chaiyapoom, Mukdahan, Lampang, Sukhothai and Nongbualampu

• Bt 229 –– Nakornpanom

• Bt 227 –– Pichit, Pitsanuloke, Prae, Mahasarakam, Maehongson, Utaradit and Amnatcharoen

• Bt 226 –– Tak and Surin

• Bt 225 –– Nan

• Bt 223 –– Srisaket

• Bt 222 –– Payao

http://photo-journ.com/downloadable-documents/thailand-minimum-daily-wage-per-province-from-april-1-2012/#axzz23oV6C0o8