Average Thai salary?

[mrtoad]

9,000 baht a month? Please enlighten me how with accommodation and food, along with possibly a telephone, laundry and medical insurance how one could do this?? Even without eating Farang food, drinking etc that's a real stretch.

There is living frugally, and then there is living under the poverty line. Sorry, I don't buy this living for less than 9k. I certainly wouldn't want to be in Thailand living on 180 quid a month.

[gazmat]

The Thais I know who live on low salaries are supported with accommodation, food and emergency (and even entertainment) costs by a network of friends and family, to one degree or another. I don't see how a lone white man could live here on sub 10k a month, however well they speak Thai or understand the culture.

[Soutpeel]

The Thais I know who live on low salaries are supported with accommodation, food and emergency (and even entertainment) costs by a network of friends and family, to one degree or another. I don't see how a lone white man could live here on sub 10k a month, however well they speak Thai or understand the culture.

As I commented earlier in the post, the Thai minimum wage is THB 300/day assuming someone has to work 6 days a week, which most would I would imagine, this equals THB 7200/m, at 9k/m only THB 1800 or THB 75/d above minimum wage, when you look at it this way, kinda puts a persepctive on how "good" a life you can live on THB 9k/m...

One really wonders how CanarySun pays for medical insurance or finances the costs for his visa runs or even has "emergency" funding then, forget about " you drink,visit bars,eat farang food and even have a " live in maid" type comments

As with other places in the world, getting minimum wage generally puts someone on the poverty line or maybe "slightly" above it

Seems to me CanarySun is a balloon chaser of the highest order...

[Ace of Pop]

Gazmat makes a good point. The Family help their lesser earners.

[ttthailand]

I live with my girlfriend in Bangkok.

We are currently in a studio apartment. I pay baht 6,000 That's a little over $180 USD. That's cheap! In New Jersey I would pay $700 easily.

Would both apartments be same ?

I did a year contract in America a few years ago. I paid $1000.00 a month for my apartment that was in Galveston TX. Beautiful 2 bedroom two bath apartment with view of Gulf, full kitchen including dishwasher, garbage disposal side by side frig, had central air and hardwood floors. The porch was huge and had a few small trees, table and 4 chairs on it. Swimming pool and great gym was in complex. This place was only a few years old and had parking for two cars and a lift from parking lot to floor. I could walk to beach in one minute, across the street.

I have looked at many places to rent in Thailand and have seen very few that would be as nice as this place. If found, the price on an island same Galveston would be twice that amount or more. Thailand is not cheap if you compare exact same.

People here look at a small apartment that is maybe nice but offers only the basics and try to compare it with an American apartment that is huge and offers everything.

There are a few places in the US that the cost of living is very high but that is only a few areas. 90% of America is cheap if you look at what you get for your money.

[StefanBBK]

I live with my girlfriend in Bangkok.

We are currently in a studio apartment. I pay baht 6,000 That's a little over $180 USD. That's cheap! In New Jersey I would pay $700 easily.

Would both apartments be same ?

I did a year contract in America a few years ago. I paid $1000.00 a month for my apartment that was in Galveston TX. Beautiful 2 bedroom two bath apartment with view of Gulf, full kitchen including dishwasher, garbage disposal side by side frig, had central air and hardwood floors. The porch was huge and had a few small trees, table and 4 chairs on it. Swimming pool and great gym was in complex. This place was only a few years old and had parking for two cars and a lift from parking lot to floor. I could walk to beach in one minute, across the street.

I have looked at many places to rent in Thailand and have seen very few that would be as nice as this place. If found, the price on an island same Galveston would be twice that amount or more. Thailand is not cheap if you compare exact same.

People here look at a small apartment that is maybe nice but offers only the basics and try to compare it with an American apartment that is huge and offers everything.

There are a few places in the US that the cost of living is very high but that is only a few areas. 90% of America is cheap if you look at what you get for your money.

Galveston is really value for money. Try that in NY or LA, no chance!

[apiwan]

I know people with degree earning 20K PM.

Others with degree but working all the hours.

40/60 K.

Best mate has a design construction company.

Earning. Well they employ 60+ staff. Their life is good.

Not white chinnese though.

Come from isan.

As they say

It's not what you know but who you know.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

9,000 baht a month? Please enlighten me how with accommodation and food, along with possibly a telephone, laundry and medical insurance how one could do this?? Even without eating Farang food, drinking etc that's a real stretch.

There is living frugally, and then there is living under the poverty line. Sorry, I don't buy this living for less than 9k. I certainly wouldn't want to be in Thailand living on 180 quid a month.

British pension, 400 quid a month.

Would you rather be living in the UK on 400 quid a month?

I've not tried either, but would guess Thailand on 180GBP/month would be preferable.

I'm assuming Canarysun is a Brit on the bread line.

Edited September 2, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[mrtoad]

I wouldn't call either living.

[Soutpeel]

British pension, 400 quid a month.

Would you rather be living in the UK on 400 quid a month?

I've not tried either, but would guess Thailand on 180GBP/month would be preferable.

I'm assuming Canarysun is a Brit on the bread line.

it would depend I guess on my circumstances, retired on 400 quid a month, with no medical insurance and existing health conditions, the UK maybe be a better bet, you can always come on holiday to Thailand to get your leg over, which is what its about for a lot of retiree's anyway.

400 quid a month with adequate medical insurance, no real pre-existing conditions, retired in Thailand why not, i guess its doable

180 quid a month, no medical insurance, no 'emergency" funding and possible pre-existing conditions, retired, living in Thailand, recipe for diasaster IMHO.

[ttthailand]

I live with my girlfriend in Bangkok.

We are currently in a studio apartment. I pay baht 6,000 That's a little over $180 USD. That's cheap! In New Jersey I would pay $700 easily.

Would both apartments be same ?

I did a year contract in America a few years ago. I paid $1000.00 a month for my apartment that was in Galveston TX. Beautiful 2 bedroom two bath apartment with view of Gulf, full kitchen including dishwasher, garbage disposal side by side frig, had central air and hardwood floors. The porch was huge and had a few small trees, table and 4 chairs on it. Swimming pool and great gym was in complex. This place was only a few years old and had parking for two cars and a lift from parking lot to floor. I could walk to beach in one minute, across the street.

I have looked at many places to rent in Thailand and have seen very few that would be as nice as this place. If found, the price on an island same Galveston would be twice that amount or more. Thailand is not cheap if you compare exact same.

People here look at a small apartment that is maybe nice but offers only the basics and try to compare it with an American apartment that is huge and offers everything.

There are a few places in the US that the cost of living is very high but that is only a few areas. 90% of America is cheap if you look at what you get for your money.

Galveston is really value for money. Try that in NY or LA, no chance!

Yes, NY, LA and some other places are expensive but that is only a very small part of America.

Most places are cheap enough and you can live very nicely on not so much.

[Halfie]

Gazmat makes a good point. The Family help their lesser earners.

Incorrect. Many Thai families could care less about their poorer relatives.

[beerBear]

coming back to OP's question (which also aligns with mine) a gross sal of 50k/mo is it underpaid, overpaid or so-so..? location being Bangkok and for an ex-pat who has a work experience of 4 years as a mobile software developer?

Its underpaid (for an ex-pat), I know a young Thai kid who was making 60-70k per month, Next month he is off to Japan to do his PhD.

but if work exp. requirements are taken into consideration and/or jobs @ jobsdb then I fall under the category of 35-60k/mo.

I din't negotiated..1st because..well as I thought 50k should be good enough as per the govt norms to get a work visa/permit for an expat having work exp. of ~4 years as to what my employer told me that acc. to new rules/regulations it's a min 5yrs of wrk exp. and 27yrs of age; am just 25 now :s

2ndly: am confident that I can get a hike the next year based on my hard/smart work

Edited September 2, 2014 by beerBear

[Spoonman]

coming back to OP's question (which also aligns with mine) a gross sal of 50k/mo is it underpaid, overpaid or so-so..? location being Bangkok and for an ex-pat who has a work experience of 4 years as a mobile software developer?

Its underpaid (for an ex-pat), I know a young Thai kid who was making 60-70k per month, Next month he is off to Japan to do his PhD.

but if work exp. requirements are taken into consideration and/or jobs @ jobsdb then I fall under the category of 35-60k/mo.

I din't negotiated..1st because..well as I thought 50k should be good enough as per the govt norms to get a work visa/permit for an expat having work exp. of ~4 years as to what my employer told me that acc. to new rules/regulations it's a min 5yrs of wrk exp. and 27yrs of age; am just 25 now :s

2ndly: am confident that I can get a hike the next year based on my hard/smart work

Your salary can be zero baht for all the government cares. if you qualify for a work permit you will get one.

If you want to apply for an extension based on employment though.... you will need to show the salary.

[huawei]

My budget in 1980 was 15000 baht. I struggled.

[Sandman77]

Read now 6 page of the topic

2000 baht in naklua I never found

Stayed there 1,5 years 6000 thb and overpriced electricity or water bill not include

Living thaistyle I can do for a half year

But after a half year I got problems with the cheap fat used in street kitchen

And a Chinese doctor advice me to stop eat cheap street food for a while

I also not belive that the salary in Thailand will always stay at the same level within 7 to next 10 years, if inflation runs on same level like now also the monthly income go up proberbly ASEAN will boost this process!

Are the times maybe over for cheap Asian country's when main world currency's loose value in 10 years and Asian economy booms because Europe and the industrialized country's transfer there workers to Asia to optimized the totall profit!

And then the economy of our home country's also go down, I see it coming!

[beerBear]

Your salary can be zero baht for all the government cares. if you qualify for a work permit you will get one.

If you want to apply for an extension based on employment though.... you will need to show the salary.

um...correct me here:

if my employer gets a work permit for me then again there will be a need to extend it (I guess on a yearly basis? or maybe 3 yearly?) if I continue my employment :3 ?

oh and I got to know recently that I would be required to get a work permit when am there (physically present) in TH :] and not before that..(was thinking that I can apply for the same at the time of applying for the non-imm B visa )

Edited September 2, 2014 by beerBear

[Soutpeel]

Your salary can be zero baht for all the government cares. if you qualify for a work permit you will get one.

If you want to apply for an extension based on employment though.... you will need to show the salary.

um...correct me here:

if my employer gets a work permit for me then again there will be a need to extend it (I guess on a yearly basis? or maybe 3 yearly?) if I continue my employment :3 ?

oh and I got to know recently that I would be required to get a work permit when am there (physically present) in TH :] and not before that..(was thinking that I can apply for the same at the time of applying for the non-imm B visa )

in almost all cases, with the exception of a few, WP's are issued for a year at a time, so annual renewal, there is a 2 year WP availible to certain "classes" of workers and entities.

You will only be issued a WP when you are physically present in Thailand and not before, the application can done before you arrive, but will not be issued until you are in country with the correct visa in your passport, in your case it seems a Non-imm B would be correct visa

[rgs2001uk]

coming back to OP's question (which also aligns with mine) a gross sal of 50k/mo is it underpaid, overpaid or so-so..? location being Bangkok and for an ex-pat who has a work experience of 4 years as a mobile software developer?

Its underpaid (for an ex-pat), I know a young Thai kid who was making 60-70k per month, Next month he is off to Japan to do his PhD.

but if work exp. requirements are taken into consideration and/or jobs @ jobsdb then I fall under the category of 35-60k/mo.

I din't negotiated..1st because..well as I thought 50k should be good enough as per the govt norms to get a work visa/permit for an expat having work exp. of ~4 years as to what my employer told me that acc. to new rules/regulations it's a min 5yrs of wrk exp. and 27yrs of age; am just 25 now :s

2ndly: am confident that I can get a hike the next year based on my hard/smart work

Correct me if I am wrong, I think its fairly safe to assume you are new to the world of expating and overseas contracting.

I would pay no attention to anything written on jobs r us or any other website.

You didnt negotiate, theres your first mistake, dont worry, we have all been there and learned from it.

I can assume based on the salary offered, nothing has been mentioned concerning an accomodation allowance, never mind education allowance.

What about at least one return ticket per year back to your home country?

What medical insurance package will be provided?

What annual bonus will be paid (at least 2 months salary)?

Take it no mention was made of transportation package, I know for a fact you wont be provided with a car and driver.

What are your promotion prospects, will further education and personal development be provided and paid for?

What would you earn per month if you stay where you are, and why would you take a pay cut to come here?

If you want to experience an overseas country and workplace, fine.

If you want to try a different way of doing things fine?

If you want something to put on a CV for use at a later date fine.

Dont sell yourself short, accept no less than the going rate for the job.

[beerBear]

Correct me if I am wrong, I think its fairly safe to assume you are new to the world of expating and overseas contracting.

I would pay no attention to anything written on jobs r us or any other website.

You didnt negotiate, theres your first mistake, dont worry, we have all been there and learned from it.

I can assume based on the salary offered, nothing has been mentioned concerning an accomodation allowance, never mind education allowance.

What about at least one return ticket per year back to your home country?

What medical insurance package will be provided?

What annual bonus will be paid (at least 2 months salary)?

Take it no mention was made of transportation package, I know for a fact you wont be provided with a car and driver.

What are your promotion prospects, will further education and personal development be provided and paid for?

What would you earn per month if you stay where you are, and why would you take a pay cut to come here?

If you want to experience an overseas country and workplace, fine.

If you want to try a different way of doing things fine?

If you want something to put on a CV for use at a later date fine.

Dont sell yourself short, accept no less than the going rate for the job.

yep it's my first time out of my country and this is my 3rd job (2nd job switch) and so the negotiation *facepalm* :|

well..trust me the given no. of work ex. (part/full time) I have 3-4 def. falls in a range of 40-60/mo. so I guess 50/mo is neither insanely great/great nor a totally bad pkg either..it's just that I could've negotiated for more...

aahh..well it's the work environment, work permit, crowd am more looking forward to :] having an exp. such as this is considered a great opportunity in my country where people are still struggling to get decent jobs..and even considering current pkg this is not a loss to me..it's just allright like I said above^ and isn't a price cut in any way.

this sal. is gross sal. so it'll include all the allowances; insurance is being provided namely dental and some kind of group health insurance :|

it's an MNC so am sure that future prospects will be like any 3 companies out of 5 that they'll fund me for further studies depending on some ifS and butS.

@all

can you guys suggest me a condo/1 room place to rent out near pathumwan/watthana/victory monument? preferably next to BTS as I would need to travel to pathumwan area and my max. budget including elec./water bill is 10k/mo. looking for hot water, tv(nice to have), washing machine, wifi(a decent connection), guarded entrance/security, an allright neighbourhood :]

Edited September 5, 2014 by beerBear

[BKKdreaming]

Do most jobs get paid once a month or every 2 weeks ?

7-11 , McDonalds etc

and office workers the same ?

[Seekingasylum]

The lower ranking civil servant salary here in Thailand ranges between 10 - 13,000 per month including their cost of living allowance. Retail staff in department stores and catering wait staff seem to be averaging between 9 - 12,000 per month. Hairdressing salon staff get around 12,000 per month but maybe more with commission as indeed do other service staff.

Salaries of university staff lecturers are in the order of up to 35,000 per month including housing allowance, teachers less.

Generally, an income of 25,000 per month would be viewed as a reasonable median salary but it's probably less when one considers the numbers employed in blue collar, manual and lower ranked office staff etc.

Folk claiming they know of unqualified office staff receiving 35,000 per month are talking gibberish which of course is not unusual here.

[RT85]

the company i work at employs about 300 + staff.. almost all the local staff are paid about 15k+ onwards.. so...20k onwards are usually for those with more experience or speak good english etc.

[Soutpeel]

Folk claiming they know of unqualified office staff receiving 35,000 per month are talking gibberish which of course is not unusual here.

Well I had better tell our HR department they are talking gibberish then, as we have guys working for us as "helpers" doing not much more than sweeping the the floors and cleaning up and they are earning THB 30k in hand and food and accomadation is taken care for them, so if we considered the "full package" for them, must be 35-40k/m in value.

and some of these guys never even finished high school, they where employed because they are grafters and work quite har physically....

BTW i am not claiming to "know of this"... I know this as a fact...

so once again we have an all knowing farang, making sweeping statements about things they not know what they talk about....

[chiang mai]

The lower ranking civil servant salary here in Thailand ranges between 10 - 13,000 per month including their cost of living allowance. Retail staff in department stores and catering wait staff seem to be averaging between 9 - 12,000 per month. Hairdressing salon staff get around 12,000 per month but maybe more with commission as indeed do other service staff.

Salaries of university staff lecturers are in the order of up to 35,000 per month including housing allowance, teachers less.

Generally, an income of 25,000 per month would be viewed as a reasonable median salary but it's probably less when one considers the numbers employed in blue collar, manual and lower ranked office staff etc.

Folk claiming they know of unqualified office staff receiving 35,000 per month are talking gibberish which of course is not unusual here.

Actually I was going to challenge your numbers but Soutpeel has already done so, he's right, your numbers are way off, pretty much all of them I reckon.

[Seekingasylum]

Well, apart from speaking to all my contacts etc I'm not sure what I can add to my posts. The local embassies are quite a good guide in reflecting salaries when they advertise for locally engaged staff. The rate for clerical assistants at full time rates in the visa sections, management office or in the consular section etc in the Aussie, Brit and US embassies all offer salaries around the 28 - 40,000,per month mark. The Brit embassy were seeking a full time visa officer in 2013 and were offering a salary of. 72,000 Bt.per month. Given a home based civil servant on a posting would receive a salary with allowances of up to three times that figure and would also receive free housing etc, I rather think the perspective has been established.

Quite why a Bangkok based company would wish to pay an unqualified Thai person who has not completed tertiary education 40,000 bt per month is really quite incomprehensible and certainly without precedent in my experience and those of others.

The notion that my figures are not valid, simply because someone has " challenged " them, perhaps speaks fpr itself .

[Seekingasylum]

On checking the current US embassy jobs website I see they are advertising for warehouse clerks and chauffeurs among myriad other categories both in Bangkok and Chiang Mai offering annual salaries of 240,000 bt or thereabouts.

These jobs are of course much sought after and competition will be fierce. Proves my point I think.

I shall await responses, hopefully rather more informed than the arse chatter up until now.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

The lower ranking civil servant salary here in Thailand ranges between 10 - 13,000 per month including their cost of living allowance. Retail staff in department stores and catering wait staff seem to be averaging between 9 - 12,000 per month. Hairdressing salon staff get around 12,000 per month but maybe more with commission as indeed do other service staff.

Salaries of university staff lecturers are in the order of up to 35,000 per month including housing allowance, teachers less.

Generally, an income of 25,000 per month would be viewed as a reasonable median salary but it's probably less when one considers the numbers employed in blue collar, manual and lower ranked office staff etc.

Folk claiming they know of unqualified office staff receiving 35,000 per month are talking gibberish which of course is not unusual here.

I'm with you on this one.

[chiang mai]

What a surprise that is!

[chiang mai]

Well, apart from speaking to all my contacts etc I'm not sure what I can add to my posts. The local embassies are quite a good guide in reflecting salaries when they advertise for locally engaged staff. The rate for clerical assistants at full time rates in the visa sections, management office or in the consular section etc in the Aussie, Brit and US embassies all offer salaries around the 28 - 40,000,per month mark. The Brit embassy were seeking a full time visa officer in 2013 and were offering a salary of. 72,000 Bt.per month. Given a home based civil servant on a posting would receive a salary with allowances of up to three times that figure and would also receive free housing etc, I rather think the perspective has been established.

Quite why a Bangkok based company would wish to pay an unqualified Thai person who has not completed tertiary education 40,000 bt per month is really quite incomprehensible and certainly without precedent in my experience and those of others.

The notion that my figures are not valid, simply because someone has " challenged " them, perhaps speaks fpr itself .

Too silly to even contemplate, have you ever left the confines of your farang enclosure and ventured out into Thailand!