Burmese Maids' Heading Back Home?

[gb33]

I wonder how many TV users are seeing what I am? Within my network of expat friends, several of them have received notice from their Burmese maids or nannies. Each one of them are headed home to Burma in June or July of this year. My maid of 4 years hasn't specifically mentioned anything but, I can see the writing on the wall.

Is there something going on? Are the Burmese freaked out over the Generals unrelenting grip? Do they see more opportunity in Burma? Has anyone heard anything of value from their staff?

gb33

[stat088]

If all of her paperwork is in order maybe she found a better job elsewhere in Thailand. Thats what my last maid did.

[bkkgooner]

how much does a decent burmese maid cost these days?

[stat088]

Mine was getting 7k a month. She had her own room and food provided.

[Rooo]

Moved to Myanmar forum.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Because...

[Beetlejuice]

Mine was getting 7k a month. She had her own room and food provided.

Thai live in housekeepers are demanding 15000 baht per month, some even more. The days of cheap domestic labour have long gone in Thailand.

If the OP is also paying 7000 per month or similar, is probably why his maid is seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

[gb33]

My maid is on 14k, live in, I pay for 1/2 of her work permit provide rice and fridge space. She's got a good deal but, she spends one day per week cleaning my 100sqm factory and is happy to dog sit when we travel.

Seems like nobody is seeing the exodus I am.

[gb33]

I don't know anyone paying less than 13k.

[stat088]

I don't know anyone paying less than 13k.

You guys must be in Bangkok.

Down south alot of maids are getting between 4-6k a month.

[stat088]

Mine was getting 7k a month. She had her own room and food provided.

Thai live in housekeepers are demanding 15000 baht per month, some even more. The days of cheap domestic labour have long gone in Thailand.

If the OP is also paying 7000 per month or similar, is probably why his maid is seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

My maid was with us for 5 years. She was part of the family. My kids really miss her but we still keep in touch. She got a job in in prawn factory and earns up to 12k per month.

[maidee]

my wife's sister, living in a 30 million mansion, is claming her maid only cost 6k per month, live in

priorities you know ... probably what she spends on an average meal in a hiso resto

[DGS1244]

I don't know anyone paying less than 13k.

You guys must be in Bangkok.

Down south alot of maids are getting between 4-6k a month.

Agreed, up North 13k would be incredible, more like 5-7k, anyone paying 13k plus needs their head examined and most likely American. Even when I lived in Bangkok never paid anything like that.

[lust]

My maid is on 14k, live in, I pay for 1/2 of her work permit provide rice and fridge space. She's got a good deal but, she spends one day per week cleaning my 100sqm factory and is happy to dog sit when we travel.

Seems like nobody is seeing the exodus I am.

I have a maid that spends 1 day per week cleaning my condo as well. Except, I don't provide rice and accommodation lol. I pay 1200baht a month....

[RigPig]

I am paying 500 Baht for a 6 hour day (day labour when I call), she does it on her days off from her full time employment, so basically once a week.

[Just1Voice]

Mine comes 2 days a week. Wednesdays for cleaning, Saturdays for a ton of ironing. Pay her 700 a week and she's happy. Also, sweet, funny, and an all round good person.

[BarnicaleBob]

I live in the Chiang Mai area and my wife employs a live in maid. Over the years she has always had a Burmese maids and provides a nice room with TV, nice bed and furniture as well as free meals. She has always started them off at between 5,000 and 5,500 baht a month topping out at about 6,000 or a little more after they have been there a while. From what I hear from my friends that is about average in this area.

[robertson468]

My Housekeep who is in her late 40s and does not live in (has a Husband working locally), is getting 9,000 per month plus one day off. She has a host of other jobs, which she does outside our working hours. Shortly she will have been with us a year and we are going to give her a 500 baht pay rise (she doesn't know yet). She has a free lunch, coffee in the morning and any clothes/shoes we don't want, she has first refusal. We also like to take her out for a meal maybe once a month. We have three dogs, who she absolutely adores, especially the baby one who is a 10 month old Great Dane - she Mothers him like a child and she gets quite miffed if we tell him off!! She is an absolute pearl and we will continue to give her annual pay rises of about 500 baht, which hopefully will act as a good incentive for her to stay with us. Oh she has to go back to Issan for a few days to sort out some land deal and we have paid for her flight from Surat and back. Over 10 years we have had a whole host of Myanmar Housekeepers, whom I am sorry to say were largely unreliable. They would work for a month, pick up their pay and then be off. No bye your leave or anything. We even had 2 who virtually did a mid-night flit! We live on Koh Samui, where it can be quite difficult to get house staff due to the plethora of hotels who pay well above the average household rate. Getting a good'un seems to be very much Hobson's choice.

[Katipo]

More opportunities are arising in Myanmar (please do some research as to why you shouldn't refer to the country in it's entirety as 'Burma'). now that it is opening up. Maid and other workers have been saving for a long time awaiting this very time. Now they can go back, start a small business, and be with their families.

[nazree360]

Im malaysian living in Pattaya since Jan 2015, last Oct when my wife and me applied for a maid from myanmar we were told by our agent myanmar female are not allowed to work in malaysia as maids or even in a restaurant so perhaps the ruling applys for thai as well.....

[nazree360]

But honestly the rentals are ridiculous in myanmar as i hd to pay upfront for a year upon signing the contract sorry out of topic hehe cheers guys

[Petchou]

Those who are paying 6, 7 k should check their deep down values of respect to human being dignity. Ask yourself what you can do with this amount of money? Strange enough these people will talk about justice, democracy and humanism while their actions are far from that.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Petchou

[samuibruno]

12,000 is about average for good staff [full time ][8 hour days ]

we pay 15,000 for a pool and garden guy

for us anyway Burmese have been more successful than thais

havent heard about Burmese leaving en mass , but they are all having to register around march for new identity papers /passports

dont know if this will make some up and leave or not

[DGS1244]

Those who are paying 6, 7 k should check their deep down values of respect to human being dignity. Ask yourself what you can do with this amount of money? Strange enough these people will talk about justice, democracy and humanism while their actions are far from that.

Another useless quote from a Troll with no understanding on Thai lifestyles.

[Petchou]

Those who are paying 6, 7 k should check their deep down values of respect to human being dignity. Ask yourself what you can do with this amount of money? Strange enough these people will talk about justice, democracy and humanism while their actions are far from that.

Another useless quote from a Troll with no understanding on Thai lifestyles.

Would you please explain what is Thai lifestyle for you? Keep focus on subject not me ....

[muffy]

Do your own work or give them a big raise .

[Donnie Brasco]

In Bangkok, a full-time, live-in maid should be getting between 12K and 15K a month depending on her job description.

Her job description may include keeping the house spotless, this includes windows and shoe care.

She is responsible for child care, laundry, market shopping and most food preparation.

She should be able to use all the household appliances.

No driving.

She is expected to wear clothing suitable for performing her duties.

She retires to her own quarters after work. She has her own TV and her own phone which stays OFF during working hours. No texts. No Facebook. No chatting. And she sees her friends outside of working hours and outside the house/condo. Except in genuine emergencies you are not to bother her after the dinner cleanup.

Start with two days off per month. If it's working out after three months you'll soon be quite ready to give her a day per week.

That's a maid.

A cleaning lady is just that. She lives out and she cleans according to an agreed upon schedule. There is little meal preparation, no grocery shopping and aside from the occasional babysitting there is no child care. Good cleaning ladies are fully aware of "scope creep".

If there are kids, then the nanny things has to be specified.

People who call their cleaning ladies "my maid" or "the maid" to impress their friends and acquaintances aside from appearing laughably pretentious are confusing the rates of pay between two or even three different jobs.

This blurring and scope creep has also led to the current confusion regarding pay rates among both foreigners and (yes) Thais.

These people are human. Heavy-duty "scope creep" in households who haven't worked out the details of employment can result in theft, pilfering, leakage and worse.

Maids leave their employers for any number of reasons.

Better jobs, more money and family matters being the most common.

You have a stranger in your house.

Jewelry cash and valuables should be handled accordingly.

Think carefully before you hire a servant.

It's an intrusive arrangement.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Donnie Brasco

[new2here]

I pay 15,000 live in.. 1.5 days off (usually on Wednesday she either leaves at lunch or comes in around late afternoon) .. I cover food (she eats so minimally I wonder sometimes) and she pretty much has access to the condo (ie fridge space, washing machine, etc)

She's been wonderful.. Each quarter we sit down and do an evaluation ... And I must say, she has been more critical of her work than I was of it.. I give a bonus of up to 10% and it usually equals about 7%

I don't have pets, but when my mother comes to town she gets red carpet treatment from her and even when I have guests (friends)

So for me, the quality is there.. reliability and integrity too.. so.. While in sure Im paying high(er) end salary- for me, she's worth every bit.

She's extremely attentive and when she first started, she took copious notes about how I liked things etc etc .. So now, there's never an unpleasant surprise.

As an end-of-year bonus (totally discretionary on my part) I pay for a ticket for her to go back Myanmar and return ..

[smotherb]

I don't know anyone paying less than 13k.

You guys must be in Bangkok.

Down south alot of maids are getting between 4-6k a month.

Agreed, up North 13k would be incredible, more like 5-7k, anyone paying 13k plus needs their head examined and most likely American. Even when I lived in Bangkok never paid anything like that.

You're insinuating Americans aren't as cheap as Eurps or Aussies, or that Americans get paid more money?

[Petchou]

In Bangkok, a full-time, live-in maid should be getting between 12K and 15K a month depending on her job description.

Her job description may include keeping the house spotless, this includes windows and shoe care.

She is responsible for child care, laundry, market shopping and most food preparation.

She should be able to use all the household appliances.

No driving.

She is expected to wear clothing suitable for performing her duties.

She retires to her own quarters after work. She has her own TV and her own phone which stays OFF during working hours. No texts. No Facebook. No chatting. And she sees her friends outside of working hours and outside the house/condo. Except in genuine emergencies you are not to bother her after the dinner cleanup.

Start with two days off per month. If it's working out after three months you'll soon be quite ready to give her a day per week.

That's a maid.

A cleaning lady is just that. She lives out and she cleans according to an agreed upon schedule. There is little meal preparation, no grocery shopping and aside from the occasional babysitting there is no child care. Good cleaning ladies are fully aware of "scope creep".

If there are kids, then the nanny things has to be specified.

People who call their cleaning ladies "my maid" or "the maid" to impress their friends and acquaintances aside from appearing laughably pretentious are confusing the rates of pay between two or even three different jobs.

This blurring and scope creep has also led to the current confusion regarding pay rates among both foreigners and (yes) Thais.

These people are human. Heavy-duty "scope creep" in households who haven't worked out the details of employment can result in theft, pilfering, leakage and worse.

Maids leave their employers for any number of reasons.

Better jobs, more money and family matters being the most common.

You have a stranger in your house.

Jewelry cash and valuables should be handled accordingly.

Think carefully before you hire a servant.

It's an intrusive arrangement.

A military camp treatment with suspicious attitude of being a thief. What a pitty.