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Bangkok Workers Polled On New Minimum Wage Law



BANGKOK: -- Most people in the Bangkok area said they are not affected by the minimum wage hike to 300 baht per day, according to a poll by the Bangkok University Research Center. Some said their lives got worse, mostly due to rising prices.

People living and working in Bangkok and its surrounding areas were surveyed on the labor issue for the poll, “Perspectives on Labor After the Minimum Wage Increased to 300 Baht.” The poll was conducted by the Bangkok University Research Center (Bangkok Poll).

The results showed that 65.4 percent of those polled responded that they were not affected by the new minimum wage, while 34.6 percent said they were affected.

Of the number who reported being affected, 16.5 percent stated that they were given less overtime (OT) hours, and 9.2 percent indicated that they had to work harder. About 4.2 percent said they received no wage increase.

When asked about any change in their living conditions, 45.9 reported no change. Compared to the previous poll, this represented an increase of 9.4 percent of respondents reporting no change.

About 44.2 people thought that their living conditions were better, a decrease of 16.5percent compared to the last poll, while 9.9 percent thought their living conditions were worse (up 7.1 percent).

As for the reasons people said their lives were not better, the main reason was that things were more expensive, (85.9 percent). This was followed by the lack of welfare assistance (7.1 percent); and job insecurity, from not knowing when they might be fired (4.4 percent).

The demographics of the polled residents found that 75.1 percent of the workers came from hometowns outside Bangkok and its suburbs, while 24.9 percent were Bangkok residents.

When asked why the workers did not work in their hometown areas, 64.8 percent said that there were only few jobs available. About 33.4 percent indicated that in Bangkok and its suburbs, the jobs came with better benefits, while 33.3 percent indicated that their wage is still under 300 baht.

Full story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/05/01/bangkok-workers-polled-on-new-minimum-wage-law/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-05-01

[Locationthailand]

The ones who claimed there has been no affect have not seen where at this point. Fuel higher, food higher, manufactured goods higher - they just aren't smart enough to work it out.

[givenall]

Welcome to new world, become more effective or lose your job. everyone around the world continually working to make themselves more productive, by working smarter, harder and longer

[Pib]

Welcome to new world, become more effective or lose your job. everyone around the world continually working to make themselves more productive, by working smarter, harder and longer

That's the same thing the Egyptian Pharaohs and Chinese Emperors told the workers building the pyramids and Great Wall, respectively.

[kimamey]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

[yourauntbob]

Thailand cannot escape the laws of economics, no matter what the politicians would like to believe

[Pib]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

I think there is some fine print to the law that allows some employers to count some of the benefits towards the wage. I know here in my moobaan the workers who maintain the community areas get 280 baht/day...probably due to the benefits thing.

[kimamey]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

I think there is some fine print to the law that allows some employers to count some of the benefits towards the wage. I know here in my moobaan the workers who maintain the community areas get 280 baht/day...probably due to the benefits thing.

I've not heard of that but you could be right. Since Bangkok is so expensive being the capital I would have thought 300 baht was especially important there.

[whybother]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

I think there is some fine print to the law that allows some employers to count some of the benefits towards the wage. I know here in my moobaan the workers who maintain the community areas get 280 baht/day...probably due to the benefits thing.

I've not heard of that but you could be right. Since Bangkok is so expensive being the capital I would have thought 300 baht was especially important there.

I don't think it's in the fine print. It's just a loophole.

[Equalizer]

300 bht per day!! i went to buy a simple buffing cloth for my drill to polish some brass the other day. 500 bht it was. This works out at roughly 1 and a half days wages for a buffing cloth. When you look around at the day to day prices in Thailand these people on the minimum wage need to live like animals. Example, the minimum wage in the UK is £6.31 an average working day is 8 hours thats 50.48 per day. 1 and a half days is approx 75.00 pounds. Not including any tax, Can you imagine going to B&Q for a bit for your drill to polish some brass and they tried charging you 75.00 quid for it.

[Robby nz]

Could it be that a fair percentage of those who work in BKK were on more than the 300 B before.

Depends a great deal who they polled dosent it, possibly those who say they ere not affected were those who were on more than the Min wage before or are self employed so indeed were not affected by it at all.

If it was a random sample of people in the street it could include: office workers, taxi drivers, market stall holders, nurses etc etc all of whom would not have been affected,

[drdoom6996]

The ones who claimed there has been no affect have not seen where at this point. Fuel higher, food higher, manufactured goods higher - they just aren't smart enough to work it out.

We are so pleased that you are here to help us with that.

[caughtintheact]

Where is the poll of the poor and inexperienced people who were refused employment because they are now priced out of the market? Where is the poll of those who lost their jobs because companies could not afford to keep them under the new minimum wage? The only people who benefit from a minimum wage increase are the people who already have minium wage jobs. And that is only until the higher costs of living catch up with them. As for the pol;iticians who pushed this, if the poll in the article is at al accurate, the people might just be wising up to the negatives of minimum wage increases.

[DeeMaiDee]

Short time populist policies will not save Thaksin, who knows time is running out hence the "I want to come home" desperate pleas' in the press. The economy is going to hit the wall soon...

[MRJOHNNY]

300 bht per day!! i went to buy a simple buffing cloth for my drill to polish some brass the other day. 500 bht it was. This works out at roughly 1 and a half days wages for a buffing cloth. When you look around at the day to day prices in Thailand these people on the minimum wage need to live like animals. Example, the minimum wage in the UK is £6.31 an average working day is 8 hours thats 50.48 per day. 1 and a half days is approx 75.00 pounds. Not including any tax, Can you imagine going to B&Q for a bit for your drill to polish some brass and they tried charging you 75.00 quid for it.

Dear Equalizer, wishful thinking for some, I think you will find that the minimum wage in the U.K. is £6.19 at present and the figure you quoted of £6.31 does not actually come into being until October 2013, not that it will make much difference to the lives of the people getting it.

[Dr Wanchai]

The ones who claimed there has been no affect have not seen where at this point. Fuel higher, food higher, manufactured goods higher - they just aren't smart enough to work it out.

Seems you think you are smarter than most people ?

[indyuk]

Welcome to new world, become more effective or lose your job. everyone around the world continually working to make themselves more productive, by working smarter, harder and longer

Wrong! Thailand needs higher productivity to pay for the higher wage bill. Most business' have achieved. such. A consequence of that has been to make job search more competative for the Thai people, especially in Bangkok. This is also good. With businesses already achieving higher productivity with less overtime purchased and in some cases fewer employees the oportunity arises to expand the now more productive operation without much new investment..

[ginjag]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

Hairdressing salon in Udon--FACT lady working there gets 4,000 bht per month-and 1 day off a week. Yes less than 150 bht a day. any complaint about money---out of a job.

who Is in charge of enforcement ????? government department / local ???

[Robby nz]

Was wondering if the uni grads were getting the 15,000 b per month min they were promised or has that been forgotten?

[hellodolly]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

I never doubted it for a minute. It was all about getting votes. 15% in Bangkok still getting under 300 baht a day. Wait until they poll Issan.

The only problem I have with the poll is Thai polls are so unreliable.

[hellodolly]

Was wondering if the uni grads were getting the 15,000 b per month min they were promised or has that been forgotten?

Great question and if they are what about the ones who worked up to that wage over a 5 year period are they still getting the same as the new untried graduate?

[hellodolly]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

Hairdressing salon in Udon--FACT lady working there gets 4,000 bht per month-and 1 day off a week. Yes less than 150 bht a day. any complaint about money---out of a job.

who Is in charge of enforcement ????? government department / local ???

You will have to Skype Dubai. No decisions allowed here with out his permission.

[ginjag]

I notice a third said their wages were below 300 baht. To be honest I'm not that surprised. I wonder how much effort is put into enforcement. I'm still suspicious that the 300 baht minimum was just to get votes and not to raise wages.

Hairdressing salon in Udon--FACT lady working there gets 4,000 bht per month-and 1 day off a week. Yes less than 150 bht a day. any complaint about money---out of a job.

who Is in charge of enforcement ????? government department / local ???

Central plaza Udon-sports department, salesperson wage 6,000 a month. 1 day off per week, hours of work Dep store opens 11am, closes 9-30 pm 1 hour for lunch.

Have an idea Yingluck sends her team into Issan-( who voted her in office) and do some field checks,

[hellodolly]

Welcome to new world, become more effective or lose your job. everyone around the world continually working to make themselves more productive, by working smarter, harder and longer

Wrong! Thailand needs higher productivity to pay for the higher wage bill. Most business' have achieved. such. A consequence of that has been to make job search more competative for the Thai people, especially in Bangkok. This is also good. With businesses already achieving higher productivity with less overtime purchased and in some cases fewer employees the oportunity arises to expand the now more productive operation without much new investment..

Are you including the fry cooks and waiters at McDonald's and other fast food outlets. How about the 7/11 clerks. Are you suggesting prices on foot massages so high that people will stop getting them?

Do you really believe the rice scheme is going to allow farmers to pay those kind of wages? What about the Ma and Pa operations?

In general are you suggesting increase the unemployment rate.

Hell man are you even talking about Thailand?

[Robby nz]

Was up at the 3 pagodas pass recently and the Mrs got talking to a Burmese lady on the song tau on the way up.

She was told that the Burmese girls who come across every day to work in the small clothing factories there get 90 b per day.

But then they are not Thais so I don't suppose they matter.

[hellodolly]

The ones who claimed there has been no affect have not seen where at this point. Fuel higher, food higher, manufactured goods higher - they just aren't smart enough to work it out.

Seems you think you are smarter than most people ?

Well he is definably smarter than them.

Or they are rich enough that there maid does the shopping and driver pays the gas.

All they do is pay the bills and not even think about the size of them.

No the higher prices would not have any effect on them.

Double my pensions and I wont notice the inflation either.

[kimamey]

Was up at the 3 pagodas pass recently and the Mrs got talking to a Burmese lady on the song tau on the way up.

She was told that the Burmese girls who come across every day to work in the small clothing factories there get 90 b per day.

But then they are not Thais so I don't suppose they matter.

Legally I don't think they do. As far as I know the minimum wage only applies to Thais. This is all part of the policies that look good scheme. You tell voters that if you're elected you will make it illegal to pay them less than 300baht a day which is I believe a big increase particularly in the north east where a lot of the potential PTP voters where and still are. You also apply this to only Thais so you're looking after them and not the immigrants. All seems good so far.

It's very difficult to enforce the minimum wage. Even in the UK and I'm sure elsewhere they have problems even though the minimum wage increased slowly rather than in one big increase and of course they have much stronger enforcement practices there. Whether this will have an impact at future elections I don't know. The PTP may just blame it on the rich and promise to sort it out if they're elected again. The nationalist angle of only benefiting Thais sounds good but has problems as you've pointed out.I know that some companies are moving closer to the borders so they can take advantage of being able to pay lower wages. Then of course there's the problem that there's probably no legislation to stop workers being sacked if they complain.

[Robby nz]

Legally I don't think they do. As far as I know the minimum wage only applies to Thais. This is all part of the policies that look good scheme. You tell voters that if you're elected you will make it illegal to pay them less than 300baht a day which is I believe a big increase particularly in the north east where a lot of the potential PTP voters where and still are. You also apply this to only Thais so you're looking after them and not the immigrants. All seems good so far.

The poll was in BKK so does not apply to the Issan area, however I wonder Kimamey what percentage of people in the north east are actually affected by the wage rise?

There would be those who work at the bottom of local or national Govt departments and shop assistants but I hear of young people leaving Issan to get work in factories which would point to there not being much of that kind of work there.

Farmers and those with their own small businesses would not be affected and I would think they would make up a majority.

[ginjag]

Summing up on posts so far.

This 300 bht a day minimum, is a load of codswallap, "all my eye and Betty Martin" as the English say.

If this sort of bull##T is to carry on sooner or later their will be a thundring great uprising here, Near every topic on here is government Bull, The Thai will only stand it for so long and you know what they are like when they really get pigged off- they don't know when to stop. Corruption is so bad and OBVIOUS that it sticking in peoples gullets. coffee time