Median (NOT AVERAGE) salary for a 30 year old male and female Thai?

[sidjameson]

How much do you think it is?

I guess we should say in Bangkok or out.

[Neeranam]

I doubt many know what median is. I do but i did pure maths at Uni.

Why do you want the median?

[12DrinkMore]

I have often wondered about how much is earned in Thailand.

If only salaried employees are involved, I would guess that the median is 9,000 Baht, as it is the lowest the large businesses can get away with paying. And a lot of smaller businesses pay less, but then it is all cash in hand and if you have an issue don't come back tomorrow.

Then there is the noodle stand just down the road run by a young nice Isaan couple. I eat there several times a week. For very little capital investment, a good simple product and popular, I reckon they clear 20,000 to 40,000 profit every month, no taxes.

[12DrinkMore]

I doubt many know what median is. I do but i did pure maths at Uni.

Why do you want the median?

As you studied maths then you should know what the implications are.

The median says what 50% of the salaried population are earning.

In Thailand, indeed most countries, to take the arithmetic average you will arrive a figure much higher, due to a small number earning a huge amount.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Median is the figure where 50% of earners above, and 50% below.

Little bit of a problem in Thailand where 80% of the officially employed get 9k, and only10% get more.

But the median wage is certainly somewhere in the region 9k to 14k.

(with the mean around 30k, and the mode 9k)

Edited September 28, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[12DrinkMore]

I doubt many know what median is. I do but i did pure maths at Uni.

Why do you want the median?

As you studied maths then you should know what the implications are.

The median says what 50% of the salaried population are earning.

In Thailand, indeed most countries, to take the arithmetic average you will arrive a figure much higher, due to a small number earning a huge amount.

On reflection I want to retract that last sentence.

In terms of salaried workers the guys earning a huge amount are not paid a salary.

[Lukecan]

In bangkok? 20-25

Mean is probably around 40k

Mode 10-12 k

[jbaldwin]

The government processes quarterly figures for average wage. Nationally the average is 13,238 baht/month. As the minimum is 9,000 baht my guess is the median is also 9,000. For Bangkok only I would guess average 18,500 baht - median 11,500.

[danbradster]

Isaan:

12k for common jobs like staff at Yayoi/MK/Oishi chain restaurants.

15-30k for university lecturers.

20k for average hospital staff.

30k for foreigner English teacher.

Some will get more.

[danbradster]

If only salaried employees are involved, I would guess that the median is 9,000 Baht, as it is the lowest the large businesses can get away with paying. And a lot of smaller businesses pay less, but then it is all cash in hand and if you have an issue don't come back tomorrow.

To say that 9k is the minimum and also median means that >50% of people are on minimum wage. Is that really true?

[rayinkrabi]

Some misleading stuff here but all quite interesting as I've also wondered about Thai wages. Since the median is simply the middle number in a range of numbers it could be anything at all, the mode (most occurring number) on the other hand (which I agree is probably the minimum wage) would be more useful. I agree with Neeranam's question as to why the median is required because in my book it serves no purpose at all.

Surely the best way to get to the bottom of this is to categorise Thai workers, unskilled, tradesmen, proffesionals, etc. and obtain the stats from as large a sample of figures as possible from somewhere (?). Only then I reckon we can get a better idea of the wages situation here.

Having said this, I'm sure this has all been done before.

[Upset]

What a vague question. One would need details like Education Qualifications and also The Industry and also The Specific Job Position.

Or else its so vague.

[chris2004]

The government processes quarterly figures for average wage. Nationally the average is 13,238 baht/month. As the minimum is 9,000 baht my guess is the median is also 9,000. For Bangkok only I would guess average 18,500 baht - median 11,500.

If 9,000 is the minimum it can not be the median. Maybe you mean (sorry for pun) the mode.

[Zlabermacht]

The government processes quarterly figures for average wage. Nationally the average is 13,238 baht/month. As the minimum is 9,000 baht my guess is the median is also 9,000. For Bangkok only I would guess average 18,500 baht - median 11,500.

If 9,000 is the minimum it can not be the median. Maybe you mean (sorry for pun) the mode.

Of course it can be, in fact the minimum is 0 baht. "Minimum" in this context was intended as a legal, not a mathematical one.

But also mathematically it could be, take this sample of 100 workers: (9,000 * 85) , (50,000 * 10) , (100,000 * 3) , (1,000,000 * 2). The minimum is 9,000, the median is still 9,000.

(Sorry for the approximative notation, I hope it still is understandable)

About the OP question, I think that most of the workers are without a proper contract. Many small businesses in fact do not even pay taxes, they just give something to the local officers to turn a blind eye. So the 9,000 legal minimum, per se, counts so and so. Also, the most of the people just help in the family business, so they are not given a proper salary.

I honestly can't have a proper clue, but I would guess that yes, around 9-10 thousand being the median, the median income being a little more.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Zlabermacht

[AnotherOneAmerican]

If 9,000 is the minimum it can not be the median. Maybe you mean (sorry for pun) the mode.

Of course it can,

More than 51% on 9k would make it the median.

[Bullie]

Having said that, the median income in Thailand could still not be compared to anything in the west. One would have to factor in family income, communal use of vehicles, land, houses etc.

Looking at Northern Europe urban situations, where more than 50 % of the population live alone in an appartment, and then look at disposable income, you would come up with a completely new sum. As an example: my mother needs constant care, she spends almost half her income on professional caregivers. In Thailand, usually, your extended family would provide for free.

In other words: Not easy to draw conclusions on income without context.

[ldnguy]

What a vague question. One would need details like Education Qualifications and also The Industry and also The Specific Job Position.

Or else its so vague.

The question is very clear. It's not vague at all.

[thailiketoo]

What a vague question. One would need details like Education Qualifications and also The Industry and also The Specific Job Position.

Or else its so vague.

The question is very clear. It's not vague at all.

The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers. The "median" is the "middle" value in the list of numbers. To find the median, your numbers have to be listed in numerical order, so you may have to rewrite your list first. The "mode" is the value that occurs most often. If no number is repeated, then there is no mode for the list.

To understand the number one would ideally have all three. I guess that's why the OP has not come back on the thread.

[starfish]

Median = average = mean = middle, no ?

[starfish]

What a vague question. One would need details like Education Qualifications and also The Industry and also The Specific Job Position.

Or else its so vague.

The question is very clear. It's not vague at all.

"The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers".

I´ll better turn around and leave this forum quickly . . Don`t worry, I won`t let the door hit me.

[rayinkrabi]

True to form, TV members, including myself, digress and tend to wander from the point, seems to me we're all fixating on the words 'median', mode and mean average. I've always found statistics can either be very helpful or very misleading so it's clearly important to focus on what is required from them.

There is lots of info on the web about this such as: http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?&loctype=1&loc=215, but I'm always cautious as to their actual usefulness or validity, this one for example states the ave monthly wage as being nearly 94k p.m. and the median as over 66k ! and this site, http://www.payscale.com/research/TH/Country=Thailand/Salary, states very high median wages for managers, yea, I don't believe it either. Anyone know of better or more believable links ?

Edit: seems these links concentrate on ex-pats / non-Thai so can be discounted from this discussion I guess.

Edited September 30, 2014 by rayinkrabi

[rayinkrabi]

A couple of threads from way back on good ol' Thaivisa make interesting reading plus a number of links that may or may not give up to date info (?) although over 7 yrs old many of the comments are still relevant imo so may be helpful to the OP.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/104961-whats-the-average-thai-salary/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/77206-wages-in-thailand/

[thailiketoo]

"The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers".

I´ll better turn around and leave this forum quickly . . Don`t worry, I won`t let the door hit me.

I worte, "The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers. The "median" is the "middle" value in the list of numbers. To find the median, your numbers have to be listed in numerical order, so you may have to rewrite your list first. The "mode" is the value that occurs most often. If no number is repeated, then there is no mode for the list.

To understand the number one would ideally have all three. I guess that's why the OP has not come back on the thread."

Before you edited my post to change it's mean ing.

[starfish]

"The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers".

I´ll better turn around and leave this forum quickly . . Don`t worry, I won`t let the door hit me.

I worte, "The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers. The "median" is the "middle" value in the list of numbers. To find the median, your numbers have to be listed in numerical order, so you may have to rewrite your list first. The "mode" is the value that occurs most often. If no number is repeated, then there is no mode for the list.

To understand the number one would ideally have all three. I guess that's why the OP has not come back on the thread."

Before you edited my post to change it's mean ing.

Ok, sorry. But the OP has not come back, because his head is "spinning" now, like mine. He didn´t expect, that he would open such a can of worms with his question. Does he have a simple, useable answer now ? No.

Edited September 30, 2014 by starfish

[thailiketoo]

"The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers".

I´ll better turn around and leave this forum quickly . . Don`t worry, I won`t let the door hit me.

I worte, "The "mean" is the "average" where you add up all the numbers and then divide by the number of numbers. The "median" is the "middle" value in the list of numbers. To find the median, your numbers have to be listed in numerical order, so you may have to rewrite your list first. The "mode" is the value that occurs most often. If no number is repeated, then there is no mode for the list.

To understand the number one would ideally have all three. I guess that's why the OP has not come back on the thread."

Before you edited my post to change it's mean ing.

Ok, sorry. But the OP has not come back, because his head is "spinning" now, like mine. He didn´t expect, that he would open such a can of worms with his question. Does he have a simple, useable answer now ? No.

How so? The OP asked, "How much do you think it is?" Many people have told him. He didn't ask how much is it? He asked, "How much do you think it is?" And since other posters have replied how much they think it is, his question is answered.

[umbanda]

I have often wondered about how much is earned in Thailand.

If only salaried employees are involved, I would guess that the median is 9,000 Baht, as it is the lowest the large businesses can get away with paying. And a lot of smaller businesses pay less, but then it is all cash in hand and if you have an issue don't come back tomorrow.

Then there is the noodle stand just down the road run by a young nice Isaan couple. I eat there several times a week. For very little capital investment, a good simple product and popular, I reckon they clear 20,000 to 40,000 profit every month, no taxes.

Absolutely!

I just posted responding what I like about Thailand, saying that self employed opportunities for low income people is a reality here. And I have the proof. I adviced a very young just married uneducated Thai couple here in Chiang Rai, months ago. Finally they rented a new mix use commercial townhouse close to the university with 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom upstairs, and shop downstairs with kitchen, 1 bathroom and garage for 2 cars. Monthly rent 6000thb with 12000thb deposit. Spending on installation to sell farang grilled food, 30000thb. Mainly for students and in the 60thb meal price range. Their families helped with the installation expenses, I helped just with ideas and recipes. After just 2 months in business their NET income with free housing is 30000thb/month and going strong. Where in the world you can create a lucrative business in this way?

They are very happy. I am too. Now...we are talking in start a franchise....just to never...never..stop dreaming. The sky is the limit!

Edited September 30, 2014 by umbanda

[thailiketoo]

I have often wondered about how much is earned in Thailand.

If only salaried employees are involved, I would guess that the median is 9,000 Baht, as it is the lowest the large businesses can get away with paying. And a lot of smaller businesses pay less, but then it is all cash in hand and if you have an issue don't come back tomorrow.

Then there is the noodle stand just down the road run by a young nice Isaan couple. I eat there several times a week. For very little capital investment, a good simple product and popular, I reckon they clear 20,000 to 40,000 profit every month, no taxes.

Absolutely!

I just posted responding what I like about Thailand, saying that self employed opportunities for low income people is a reality here. And I have the proof. I adviced a very young just married uneducated Thai couple here in Chiang Rai, months ago. Finally they rented a new mix use commercial townhouse close to the university with 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom upstairs, and shop downstairs with kitchen, 1 bathroom and garage for 2 cars. Monthly rent 6000thb with 12000thb deposit. Spending on installation to sell farang grilled food, 30000thb. Mainly for students and in the 60thb meal price range. Their families helped with the installation expenses, I helped just with ideas and recipes. After just 2 months in business their NET income with free housing is 30000thb/month and going strong. Where in the world you can create a lucrative business in this way?

They are very happy. I am too. Now...we are talking in start a franchise....just to never...never..stop dreaming. The sky is the limit!

You are so right. My wife wants a small business when she retires and I'm setting her up in a field that I know a lot about for 10% of what it would cost in the West let alone the hassle of the regulations and inspections are almost unbearable for the small business person. Make your franchise inexpensive and instead of copy cats you will have franchisees. Thailand is at now where the West was in 1918 in terms of rules and regulations. It is a small business person's paradise.

[hhgz]

"Median = average = mean = middle, no ?"

In an unperturbed statistically normal distribution, the mean, median, and mode are the same number. Skewed data can change that relationship.

"I would guess that the median is 9,000 Baht, as it is the lowest the large businesses can get away with paying."

Clearly, you do not understand what the "median" represents.

Edited October 2, 2014 by hhgz

[innerspace]

Unless 51% are on minimum wage or less making it the median... as already clarified earlier