Workers in Thailand Seek Minimum Wage of 360 Baht

[halloween]

I will hope they soon develop robots for you to use then you can get rid of all those pesky workers that deserve a decent living. Its profiteers like you will soon ruin the world. You will produce all those great and glorious products but nobody sadly will be left with money to buy them. For the few people like you its a race to the top of the profits pile and finding places where you can operate cheaply and increase said profits even more. Nobody cares about the rest of humanity its just a case of using people as cheaply as possible and then disposing of them with little or no pension. We no longer care about our fellow man all we care about is how cheap we can get him to work and how long he will last before being discarded. Free trade has killed the whole world from a workers standpoint.

The old concept of a perfect world saw full employment with every worker taking home a pay packet. The new concept of a perfect world is machines doing all the work and no need for people to work. During the changeover period, things are tough.

If you think that here, or anywhere, employers should have some deep concern about their employees welfare beyond what is forced on them by legislation or union coercion, you are fooling yourself. Do you recall ANY legislation, other than inflationary pay-rises, concerning workers' welfare in the last 10 years?

[zaphod reborn]

Give them the increase.

I moved manufacturing to Vietnam 2 years ago. We cannot satisfy the Clients wanting design, tooling and manufacturing in Vietnam that once manufactured in Thailand.

Primary reason is cost. Thailand is at least 20-30% more expensive, but also quality and manufacturing times are better in Vietnam.

Thailand is complacent, expensive and slowly losing business to other countries.

...so, let's speed it up and grant the increase.

I will hope they soon develop robots for you to use then you can get rid of all those pesky workers that deserve a decent living. Its profiteers like you will soon ruin the world. You will produce all those great and glorious products but nobody sadly will be left with money to buy them. For the few people like you its a race to the top of the profits pile and finding places where you can operate cheaply and increase said profits even more. Nobody cares about the rest of humanity its just a case of using people as cheaply as possible and then disposing of them with little or no pension. We no longer care about our fellow man all we care about is how cheap we can get him to work and how long he will last before being discarded. Free trade has killed the whole world from a workers standpoint.

Vietnam has welcomed us at every level - from Investment and tax break levels, to local Governments and local communities where we give hundreds of people technical training and jobs and lift their standard of living and provide education and healthcare to the local communities. In short, they really value us and want us. Don't blame me for Vietnam investing in the right areas.

So, thanks for your backhanded concerns, but frankly, you don't have a clue what you are talking about.

I repeat, give Thailand the increase to give them a "decent living"...and see what your misguided and ignorant decision does for Thailand.

I'm real torn about this issue as I am closely involved in both sides of the equation. When BKK minimum wage was increased to 300 baht/day, a lot of factories closed up and either relocated or outsourced their production. For instance, footwear manufacturers Nike, Adidas and Ecco moved to Indonesia and Vietnam. Thailand actually began to record a measureable unemployment rate.

At the same time, 8000 baht/mo is very difficult to live on. Most workers at minimum wage work 6 days/week and often as much as 68 hours/week to bring their income up to close to 12,000/mo. It's not good for the physical and mental health of the workers to be working this much.

If the minimum wage were to be raised again (the last raise was 2 years ago) I am pretty sure the next industry that will flee Thailand will be garment manufacturing. Most garment workers are at or close to minimum wage.

Other industries like auto, energy, semi-conductors and plastic injection have a larger number of skilled workers, so a minimum wage increase doesn't hurt them as bad.

The loss of unskilled jobs would be a big blow to the economy. The end result would be higher unemployment, but some unskilled workers in heavy manufacturing or tech being paid a more liveable wage.

Edited April 1, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[SoilSpoil]

Oh, the irony!!

Thaivisa posters spending their whole day at the keyboard are calling Thai workers for lazy and discussing if they are worth 300/360 baht a day!!

As for the ones claiming, that Thailand is losing its competitiveness and inflation will spin out of control, may I suggest a little experiment:

Empty your wallet, leave only 2100 baht and report back in a weeks time on how you have enjoyed life!!

(2100 is even generous, because no bills or rent)

Are you trying to convince us that Thai laborers are not lazy? Have you ever wondered why so many Cambodians and especially Burmese are doing all the hard labor here. Have you ever compared the work ethics of the Vietnamese and the Thais. Why do you think so many Thai farmers grow rice? It's known to be the lazy men's crop.

And your experiment makes no sense, Thais live in packs, they rent rooms together, eat together and share basically everything.

[jacky54]

Labour unions do not read. They did not know Thailand is already facing losses in industry due to relocating to neighbouring countries.

Typical mentality when cutting down forests. Realisation only comes when the whole mountain is bald, like in Petchabun.

Yes,

How dare the workers demand a wage they can live on and support their families.

Good grief, next thing you know they'll be asking for a standard of living that is above the poverty line.

Do these people have any grasp on reality?

You are the poor, the minions, shut up and do what you are told.

Tell that to LG who just shut down TV production here and moved to Vietnam

That still does not justify paying appalling wages.

If a companies profit margin depends on keeping it's labour force in poverty then something is wrong.

Both in terms of efficiency and morality.

I'm sure a moralist like yourself would never buy anything made in China then, where workers are paid even less and exploited even more.

[trogers]

Labour unions do not read. They did not know Thailand is already facing losses in industry due to relocating to neighbouring countries.

Typical mentality when cutting down forests. Realisation only comes when the whole mountain is bald, like in Petchabun.

Yes,

How dare the workers demand a wage they can live on and support their families.

Good grief, next thing you know they'll be asking for a standard of living that is above the poverty line.

Do these people have any grasp on reality?

You are the poor, the minions, shut up and do what you are told.

Tell that to LG who just shut down TV production here and moved to Vietnam

That still does not justify paying appalling wages.

If a companies profit margin depends on keeping it's labour force in poverty then something is wrong.

Both in terms of efficiency and morality.

I'm sure a moralist like yourself would never buy anything made in China then, where workers are paid even less and exploited even more.

Probably not. He would buy US-made toilet paper to support those US workers earning Bt300 per hour.

[Bluespunk]

Yes,

How dare the workers demand a wage they can live on and support their families.

Good grief, next thing you know they'll be asking for a standard of living that is above the poverty line.

Do these people have any grasp on reality?

You are the poor, the minions, shut up and do what you are told.

Tell that to LG who just shut down TV production here and moved to Vietnam

That still does not justify paying appalling wages.

If a companies profit margin depends on keeping it's labour force in poverty then something is wrong.

Both in terms of efficiency and morality.

I'm sure a moralist like yourself would never buy anything made in China then, where workers are paid even less and exploited even more.

Certainly do try to avoid it if I can.

Do you?

[Bluespunk]

Labour unions do not read. They did not know Thailand is already facing losses in industry due to relocating to neighbouring countries.

Typical mentality when cutting down forests. Realisation only comes when the whole mountain is bald, like in Petchabun.

Yes,

How dare the workers demand a wage they can live on and support their families.

Good grief, next thing you know they'll be asking for a standard of living that is above the poverty line.

Do these people have any grasp on reality?

You are the poor, the minions, shut up and do what you are told.

Tell that to LG who just shut down TV production here and moved to Vietnam

That still does not justify paying appalling wages.

If a companies profit margin depends on keeping it's labour force in poverty then something is wrong.

Both in terms of efficiency and morality.

I'm sure a moralist like yourself would never buy anything made in China then, where workers are paid even less and exploited even more.

Probably not. He would buy US-made toilet paper to support those US workers earning Bt300 per hour.

Feeble.

[JOC]

Oh, the irony!!

Thaivisa posters spending their whole day at the keyboard are calling Thai workers for lazy and discussing if they are worth 300/360 baht a day!!

As for the ones claiming, that Thailand is losing its competitiveness and inflation will spin out of control, may I suggest a little experiment:

Empty your wallet, leave only 2100 baht and report back in a weeks time on how you have enjoyed life!!

(2100 is even generous, because no bills or rent)

Are you trying to convince us that Thai laborers are not lazy? Have you ever wondered why so many Cambodians and especially Burmese are doing all the hard labor here. Have you ever compared the work ethics of the Vietnamese and the Thais. Why do you think so many Thai farmers grow rice? It's known to be the lazy men's crop.

And your experiment makes no sense, Thais live in packs, they rent rooms together, eat together and share basically everything.

And your experiment makes no sense, Thais live in packs, they rent rooms together, eat together and share basically everything.

Have you ever considered that some Thais live that way, because they don't have a choice??

[Local Drunk]

The solution is simple... Abolish the tax on domestically brewed beer and cigarettes. That will put more into the pocket of any workingman in Thai that I know of.

[DLock]

Give them the increase.

I moved manufacturing to Vietnam 2 years ago. We cannot satisfy the Clients wanting design, tooling and manufacturing in Vietnam that once manufactured in Thailand.

Primary reason is cost. Thailand is at least 20-30% more expensive, but also quality and manufacturing times are better in Vietnam.

Thailand is complacent, expensive and slowly losing business to other countries.

...so, let's speed it up and grant the increase.

I will hope they soon develop robots for you to use then you can get rid of all those pesky workers that deserve a decent living. Its profiteers like you will soon ruin the world. You will produce all those great and glorious products but nobody sadly will be left with money to buy them. For the few people like you its a race to the top of the profits pile and finding places where you can operate cheaply and increase said profits even more. Nobody cares about the rest of humanity its just a case of using people as cheaply as possible and then disposing of them with little or no pension. We no longer care about our fellow man all we care about is how cheap we can get him to work and how long he will last before being discarded. Free trade has killed the whole world from a workers standpoint.

Vietnam has welcomed us at every level - from Investment and tax break levels, to local Governments and local communities where we give hundreds of people technical training and jobs and lift their standard of living and provide education and healthcare to the local communities. In short, they really value us and want us. Don't blame me for Vietnam investing in the right areas.

So, thanks for your backhanded concerns, but frankly, you don't have a clue what you are talking about.

I repeat, give Thailand the increase to give them a "decent living"...and see what your misguided and ignorant decision does for Thailand.

I'm real torn about this issue as I am closely involved in both sides of the equation. When BKK minimum wage was increased to 300 baht/day, a lot of factories closed up and either relocated or outsourced their production. For instance, footwear manufacturers Nike, Adidas and Ecco moved to Indonesia and Vietnam. Thailand actually began to record a measureable unemployment rate.

At the same time, 8000 baht/mo is very difficult to live on. Most workers at minimum wage work 6 days/week and often as much as 68 hours/week to bring their income up to close to 12,000/mo. It's not good for the physical and mental health of the workers to be working this much.

If the minimum wage were to be raised again (the last raise was 2 years ago) I am pretty sure the next industry that will flee Thailand will be garment manufacturing. Most garment workers are at or close to minimum wage.

Other industries like auto, energy, semi-conductors and plastic injection have a larger number of skilled workers, so a minimum wage increase doesn't hurt them as bad.

The loss of unskilled jobs would be a big blow to the economy. The end result would be higher unemployment, but some unskilled workers in heavy manufacturing or tech being paid a more liveable wage.

In a perfect world, I would like to see the average Thai earn more than 300 baht per day. Most people would.

But it's not a perfect world. Neighboring countries offer better incentives, easier administration and much lower salaries. And it should be noted that the technical people are equal to or better than Thailand and they actually want to work.

So, as much as I like Thailand, why would I make it harder, more expensive, endure people that are not motivated and pay more for the privilege just to give the Thai's a 20% increase?

I'm really not sure how a 20% minimum salary increase would tip a lot of companies to move elsewhere, but my gut feel from those I speak to, is quite a few.

All the emotion that 300 baht is not enough to live on, is just that...emotion, from people that don't own businesses and can't see the big picture....

Be careful what you wish for.

[Nick167]

Why stop at Bt 360......give them what they want....Bt 1,000 or whatever a day as a minimum wage. Let all the factories close and move to Vietnam, Cambodia , Sri Lanka. Myanmar or even elder brother China. Let the service industry also suffer and let the prices start to rise. Will be fun to watch. These things do not understand productivity or having a better skilled and educated workforce...all they want is easy handouts. They do not even know how to live within their means and to work hard to improve their lives and credit to them means not important to service the debts they easily take.

God! Thailand is beyond salvation.

[joskeshake]

My wife is working as cassiere in hotel, but managment wont take more people, so she has to do overtime 3 hours every day on 29,50 BHT/hour.I find this crazy.Not even 1 euro/per hour overtime.

[trogers]

My wife is working as cassiere in hotel, but managment wont take more people, so she has to do overtime 3 hours every day on 29,50 BHT/hour.I find this crazy.Not even 1 euro/per hour overtime.

She has the option to change jobs. Why stay for crazy pay?

[swissie]

A 20% wage increase? That seems a hell of a lot to be asking.

I cannot see them getting it.

I would raise that to a thousand. That should teach them that a thousand or ten thousand has no meaning to one who cannot get a job.

Also it won't make any difference to those who have no idea about budgeting They will still burn it like paper on crappy purchases..

Please enlighten us on how to support a family on 300 baht a day

Asked my Thai Neighbor about this. = Family of 4.

- No mortgage on the house................. no cost

- Utilities ................. no cost (below minimum monthly usage rate)

- Food (per day) ................. 100 Bht

- Fuel Motorbike " .................. 15 Bht

- Extras " .................. 50 Bht

---------

165 Bht 300 - 165 = 135 Bht (Net take home pay daily) = 45 %.

Ask someone, working in the low income segment in Germany (for example), if he/she can pocket a daily net take home pay of 45 %.?

So, in witch country would you rather be employed, having to work in the low income segment?

Cheers.

[trogers]

Give them the increase.

I moved manufacturing to Vietnam 2 years ago. We cannot satisfy the Clients wanting design, tooling and manufacturing in Vietnam that once manufactured in Thailand.

Primary reason is cost. Thailand is at least 20-30% more expensive, but also quality and manufacturing times are better in Vietnam.

Thailand is complacent, expensive and slowly losing business to other countries.

...so, let's speed it up and grant the increase.

I will hope they soon develop robots for you to use then you can get rid of all those pesky workers that deserve a decent living. Its profiteers like you will soon ruin the world. You will produce all those great and glorious products but nobody sadly will be left with money to buy them. For the few people like you its a race to the top of the profits pile and finding places where you can operate cheaply and increase said profits even more. Nobody cares about the rest of humanity its just a case of using people as cheaply as possible and then disposing of them with little or no pension. We no longer care about our fellow man all we care about is how cheap we can get him to work and how long he will last before being discarded. Free trade has killed the whole world from a workers standpoint.

Vietnam has welcomed us at every level - from Investment and tax break levels, to local Governments and local communities where we give hundreds of people technical training and jobs and lift their standard of living and provide education and healthcare to the local communities. In short, they really value us and want us. Don't blame me for Vietnam investing in the right areas.

So, thanks for your backhanded concerns, but frankly, you don't have a clue what you are talking about.

I repeat, give Thailand the increase to give them a "decent living"...and see what your misguided and ignorant decision does for Thailand.

I'm real torn about this issue as I am closely involved in both sides of the equation. When BKK minimum wage was increased to 300 baht/day, a lot of factories closed up and either relocated or outsourced their production. For instance, footwear manufacturers Nike, Adidas and Ecco moved to Indonesia and Vietnam. Thailand actually began to record a measureable unemployment rate.

At the same time, 8000 baht/mo is very difficult to live on. Most workers at minimum wage work 6 days/week and often as much as 68 hours/week to bring their income up to close to 12,000/mo. It's not good for the physical and mental health of the workers to be working this much.

If the minimum wage were to be raised again (the last raise was 2 years ago) I am pretty sure the next industry that will flee Thailand will be garment manufacturing. Most garment workers are at or close to minimum wage.

Other industries like auto, energy, semi-conductors and plastic injection have a larger number of skilled workers, so a minimum wage increase doesn't hurt them as bad.

The loss of unskilled jobs would be a big blow to the economy. The end result would be higher unemployment, but some unskilled workers in heavy manufacturing or tech being paid a more liveable wage.

In a perfect world, I would like to see the average Thai earn more than 300 baht per day. Most people would.

But it's not a perfect world. Neighboring countries offer better incentives, easier administration and much lower salaries. And it should be noted that the technical people are equal to or better than Thailand and they actually want to work.

So, as much as I like Thailand, why would I make it harder, more expensive, endure people that are not motivated and pay more for the privilege just to give the Thai's a 20% increase?

I'm really not sure how a 20% minimum salary increase would tip a lot of companies to move elsewhere, but my gut feel from those I speak to, is quite a few.

All the emotion that 300 baht is not enough to live on, is just that...emotion, from people that don't own businesses and can't see the big picture....

Be careful what you wish for.

I am sure what is being discussed here was hotly debated in the early '80s in the US and EU, when China first opened.

Somehow, toilet seats are now made in China. Wonder why not in the US and Europe?

[Sealbash]

Why are there so many Myanmar and others working here.

Because they work!

It is quite obvious you have never done business in Myanmar

[Sealbash]

When one looks at minimum wages in fully developed nations, they appear much higher than Thailand's minimum wage. The majority of posters here prefer to keep the wages low.....but that is only of benefit to them. Why else require Thais be kept at poverty level? Most of us settled in Thailand because it was economical. Thailand is moving forward. If police receive a fair wage, it may reduce corruption. Comparing Thailand to Cambodia or Myanmar is unfair. Why not compare to Malaysia or Singapore? Again, it is most likely that it affects our lifestyle if Thai wages increase. God forbid that the Thai middle class earns the same as we do. As for Thai labor being inefficient, that is only a statement made by people who are employing uneducated Thais. There are many honest, hard working ethical Thai people working in various professions. And for common labourers, people who tout Myanmar have absolutely no experience or knowledge of working with the common labourers. Again, Myanmar has many capable, honest, ethical people working in various professions, and it is only a matter of time until their wages rise, much to the chagrin of foreigners who wish to be richer, live cheaper, and feel superior to their adopted countrymen.

[tonbridgebrit]

Higher wages will force businesses to operate more efficiently.

And to relocate to cheaper wage areas such as Mayamar Cambodia and Veitnam

Relocate to Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam ? Only some companies will be willing to go to those countries, not many. Cambodia has poor infra-structure, and Pol Pot still gives Cambodia an image of a nation that was murdered by the dictator.

Myanmar, yes, Burma. They've got no democracy and freedom of speech there, that counts against them. Very few foreign companies want to go there. Some Chinese firms have tried to get into Burma, but the military regime in Burma doesn't like the Chinese that much. I don't think they're going to like Europe or America anymore.

And Vietnam. They had some serious riots there when the Chinese ships approached whatever oil or gas rig in the sea near Vietnam. A load of Chinese factories and offices in Vietnam were damaged and burnt during that time. But, other companies also had factories and offices burnt, companies from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Basically, the riots might have been linked to Vietnamese people being angry about foreign companies in Vietnam. They might regard foreign firms in Vietnam are there to tap into the cheap labour, yes, exploitation.

So, there you have it. Thailand is the favoured location for foreign firms in South East Asia. Why not increase the minimum pay, after all, the companies aren't really going to move. And Thailand's hotels. Thailand is being flooded by Chinese tourists. The tourists, Chinese or not, want Thailand as their holiday destination. They don't want Cambodia, Myanmar(Burma), Vietnam and Laos. Well, not in great numbers anyway. So those tourists are not going to switch from Thailand, well, why not increase minimum pay in Thailand ? For Thai hotel workers and other places ??

[trogers]

Why are there so many Myanmar and others working here.

Because they work!

It is quite obvious you have never done business in Myanmar

Wrong. Was there for the construction of Traders Hotel in 1995.

[Tomtomtom69]

No way! How could the likes of Toyota, Cargill and Ford pay employees $11 per day, up from $10 per day. Greedy workers!

I'm pretty sure assembly line workers get paid MUCH MORE than the minimum wage.

When I was working for Thailand's largest real estate developer, the minimum wage paid to a Cambodian cleaner was 350 Baht (Jan 2014), while the more senior Thai lady got 380 Baht per day. And being a cleaner is the least skilled profession out there.

I can guarantee you no assembly worker would be getting out of bed for less than about 500-600 Baht per day minimum, or probably even more.

[DLock]

When one looks at minimum wages in fully developed nations, they appear much higher than Thailand's minimum wage. The majority of posters here prefer to keep the wages low.....but that is only of benefit to them. Why else require Thais be kept at poverty level? Most of us settled in Thailand because it was economical. Thailand is moving forward. If police receive a fair wage, it may reduce corruption. Comparing Thailand to Cambodia or Myanmar is unfair. Why not compare to Malaysia or Singapore? Again, it is most likely that it affects our lifestyle if Thai wages increase. God forbid that the Thai middle class earns the same as we do. As for Thai labor being inefficient, that is only a statement made by people who are employing uneducated Thais. There are many honest, hard working ethical Thai people working in various professions. And for common labourers, people who tout Myanmar have absolutely no experience or knowledge of working with the common labourers. Again, Myanmar has many capable, honest, ethical people working in various professions, and it is only a matter of time until their wages rise, much to the chagrin of foreigners who wish to be richer, live cheaper, and feel superior to their adopted countrymen.

You are wrong on many levels.

If Thailand can sustain a higher minimum daily salary, and still attract investment in manufacturing and retain or grow employment in that sector, then I fully support it...but I have already seen and experienced what higher salaries do if they are not coupled with technical training and skills transfer that will be needed when those minimum salary, low skilled roles disappear over the borders.

What do you propose when all the jobs disappear because Thailand prices itself out of the market and unemployment is 15 - 20%?

Thailand is not Singapore, and importing smart foreigners to train locals and skill transfer is almost non-existent.

Simply saying "raise the minimum wage" in isolation of where Thailand is located is ignorant.

If you want to pay your staff more, go ahead and pay it. No one is stopping you...

[Fat Haggis]

Oh, the irony!!

Thaivisa posters spending their whole day at the keyboard are calling Thai workers for lazy and discussing if they are worth 300/360 baht a day!!

As for the ones claiming, that Thailand is losing its competitiveness and inflation will spin out of control, may I suggest a little experiment:

Empty your wallet, leave only 2100 baht and report back in a weeks time on how you have enjoyed life!!

(2100 is even generous, because no bills or rent)

Are you trying to convince us that Thai laborers are not lazy? Have you ever wondered why so many Cambodians and especially Burmese are doing all the hard labor here. Have you ever compared the work ethics of the Vietnamese and the Thais. Why do you think so many Thai farmers grow rice? It's known to be the lazy men's crop.

And your experiment makes no sense, Thais live in packs, they rent rooms together, eat together and share basically everything.

Sounds very much like what the Polish and Romanians di when they get to the UK !!

[Tomtomtom69]

Give them the increase.

I moved manufacturing to Vietnam 2 years ago. We cannot satisfy the Clients wanting design, tooling and manufacturing in Vietnam that once manufactured in Thailand.

Primary reason is cost. Thailand is at least 20-30% more expensive, but also quality and manufacturing times are better in Vietnam.

Thailand is complacent, expensive and slowly losing business to other countries.

...so, let's speed it up and grant the increase.

Last year I got some parts made in Vietnam much more quickly, cheaply and efficiently than in Thailand. The parts were still way cheaper than Thailand even after transporting them through Cambodia into Thailand.

I speak, read and write fluent Thai, but I couldn't get any company interested in the parts that I wanted manufactured. Any company that even responded to me, either over the phone or via email (in Thai) claimed they couldn't do it. One unenthusiastic workshop in Ratchaburi gave me a sky high price and very poor production times, so I knew I had to get to Vietnam as I couldn't wait 2-3 months for something that can be made within 1-2 weeks. Within weeks, I find the best possible source (a company that makes these parts for Vietnam's largest manufacturer of a particular type of processing equipment) and the rest is history. It literally took them only 1-2 weeks to supply my order, they were able to communicate with me via email and then when the order was finished, I picked it up at the Thai-Cambodian border. Although I found a good Thai factory to assemble my finished product, that was only possible through a personal connection of mine.

I will only be dealing with Vietnam in future for any such work.

[trogers]

When one looks at minimum wages in fully developed nations, they appear much higher than Thailand's minimum wage. The majority of posters here prefer to keep the wages low.....but that is only of benefit to them. Why else require Thais be kept at poverty level? Most of us settled in Thailand because it was economical. Thailand is moving forward. If police receive a fair wage, it may reduce corruption. Comparing Thailand to Cambodia or Myanmar is unfair. Why not compare to Malaysia or Singapore? Again, it is most likely that it affects our lifestyle if Thai wages increase. God forbid that the Thai middle class earns the same as we do. As for Thai labor being inefficient, that is only a statement made by people who are employing uneducated Thais. There are many honest, hard working ethical Thai people working in various professions. And for common labourers, people who tout Myanmar have absolutely no experience or knowledge of working with the common labourers. Again, Myanmar has many capable, honest, ethical people working in various professions, and it is only a matter of time until their wages rise, much to the chagrin of foreigners who wish to be richer, live cheaper, and feel superior to their adopted countrymen.

You are wrong on many levels.

If Thailand can sustain a higher minimum daily salary, and still attract investment in manufacturing and retain or grow employment in that sector, then I fully support it...but I have already seen and experienced what higher salaries do if they are not coupled with technical training and skills transfer that will be needed when those minimum salary, low skilled roles disappear over the borders.

What do you propose when all the jobs disappear because Thailand prices itself out of the market and unemployment is 15 - 20%?

Thailand is not Singapore, and importing smart foreigners to train locals and skill transfer is almost non-existent.

Simply saying "raise the minimum wage" in isolation of where Thailand is located is ignorant.

If you want to pay your staff more, go ahead and pay it. No one is stopping you...

Need an office boy at Bt600/day? I am an expert with the copier...

[DLock]

When one looks at minimum wages in fully developed nations, they appear much higher than Thailand's minimum wage. The majority of posters here prefer to keep the wages low.....but that is only of benefit to them. Why else require Thais be kept at poverty level? Most of us settled in Thailand because it was economical. Thailand is moving forward. If police receive a fair wage, it may reduce corruption. Comparing Thailand to Cambodia or Myanmar is unfair. Why not compare to Malaysia or Singapore? Again, it is most likely that it affects our lifestyle if Thai wages increase. God forbid that the Thai middle class earns the same as we do. As for Thai labor being inefficient, that is only a statement made by people who are employing uneducated Thais. There are many honest, hard working ethical Thai people working in various professions. And for common labourers, people who tout Myanmar have absolutely no experience or knowledge of working with the common labourers. Again, Myanmar has many capable, honest, ethical people working in various professions, and it is only a matter of time until their wages rise, much to the chagrin of foreigners who wish to be richer, live cheaper, and feel superior to their adopted countrymen.

You are wrong on many levels.

If Thailand can sustain a higher minimum daily salary, and still attract investment in manufacturing and retain or grow employment in that sector, then I fully support it...but I have already seen and experienced what higher salaries do if they are not coupled with technical training and skills transfer that will be needed when those minimum salary, low skilled roles disappear over the borders.

What do you propose when all the jobs disappear because Thailand prices itself out of the market and unemployment is 15 - 20%?

Thailand is not Singapore, and importing smart foreigners to train locals and skill transfer is almost non-existent.

Simply saying "raise the minimum wage" in isolation of where Thailand is located is ignorant.

If you want to pay your staff more, go ahead and pay it. No one is stopping you...

Need an office boy at Bt600/day? I am an expert with the copier...

We pay our office staff way more than minimum wage, so I can pay you more than that... . Can you do double sided copies? I bugger it up.

I pay my house maid 500 baht a day, just because she does a good job and because I travel so much, I need someone I can rely on and she won't leave for an extra 50 baht per day. My Gardener gets 600 baht a day...and 5 day week, and a small house and a motorbike.

So don't misunderstand. I value Thai staff and happy to pay what it takes to maintain good staff. Do I think they work any harder for it? Not really, but they aren't going anywhere else and they are reliable and loyal.

My point is purely from a business perspective where salaries are the highest fixed monthly cost...and I report to shareholders, so it's my responsibility to give shareholder value. A 20% increase in minimum wage, and keep in mind this is the lowest wage, so most other wages will also increase by something as well, is painful when it does not guarantee increased performance, quality or care.

...but I'll say it again, if the market can sustain it, I support it, as it does not really impact me anymore...and I know Vietnam wages will creep up over time as well.

[ikke]

<A recent study shows that 90% of workers are currently supporting another person that has no income>

I would call this unemployment, but the current gov wants to keep the unemployment number at 1.5 % however it should be about 35%

[inquisitive lobster]

Hahaha....Another wage increase....This is just silly.

On 300 baht per day one can more than survive and live happily....they just need to actually go to work and make the money.

Comparing Thailand to lets say another 3rd world country like Trinidad, where the minimum wage is about 400baht/day, people are able to survive just fine, despite have 3x Cost of living. When you compare the two, Thailand is in fact a paradise.

What people concentrate too much on is the actual figure that people get paid, when really and truly its the PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) they should be focused on. At 300Baht/day, they can afford to eat out (32 baht for a full plate of food) every day. In Trinidad the cost of living is 3x as high as it is in Thailand, yet people are able to live comfortably in Trinidad.

I think (and believe it or not I could be very wrong) this is some kind of scheme cooked up by the corrupt politicians (the "corrupt" is silent) to sway people over to their side. Manipulate the media to publish this story, convince others to support it,(I mean come on that is the easiest part, higher wages mean I only have to work 4 days a week instead of 5, lets do it!!), and slowly allow people to be swayed and assimilate into the "new" way of things.

Speaking as someone from a 3rd world country, I can honestly say Thailand is an incredibly easy place to get by.

Too bad they don't allow "Farang" to work normal jobs here.... Instead of hiring 4 Thai to screw in a light bulb, they can save the money and pay a Farang to do it while he/she fixes your cable box, cooks dinner and mops the floor....

Edited April 1, 2015 by inquisitive lobster

[NeverSure]

-snip-

If police receive a fair wage, it may reduce corruption.

Increasing the pay of a criminal will not change his behavior. Many low paid workers are not criminals. Many rich people in Thailand are still criminals, especially those in government including military and police. The opposite might be true in that the more they have the more they want.

Did you ever see a billionaire who didn't want more money?

Increasing pay will not increase employee loyalty or productivity. Those are moral issues that many people lack. You can't pay someone to have morals including a work ethic.

Thailand reeks with a lack of morality in so many ways. It also thinks it is superior and entitled, but it doesn't earn it. It just expects and demands it.

It's too bad that everyone in the world can't be prosperous, but with Thailand's mindset, it's a long way from leading the pack.

[NeverSure]

It costs a lot of money to build and maintain factories and to move raw and finished materials around. It costs a lot to have foreign management on site. A good example would be Toyota or Ford shipping things to Thailand through customs, building a car, and then shipping it all back out. There's a lot of slippage there.

This is why so many auto manufacturers build cars in the US. It's a huge market, the raw materials are there, the workforce is there, and the car is sold there. I'll put a list of US car manufacturers at the bottom of this post. It's surprising, showing that labor isn't everything.

Robotics will soon replace a lot of labor, and as labor prices increase in places like China and Thailand, the manufacturers just get more motivated to improve and deploy robots.

For the past few decades China has made much of the clothing for the US and elsewhere. It's expensive to ship cotton to China, process it into clothing and then ship it back. The US has developed robots which can make clothing without human intervention. Now let's see what happens when a robot which doesn't demand overtime and benefits competes with that Chinese worker, and no shipping is involved.

Car manufacturers in the US:

1 General Motors Company

2 Ford Motor Company

3 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

4 Tesla Motors

5 Toyota Motor Corporation

6 Honda Motor Company

7 Nissan Motor Company

8 Fuji Heavy Industries

9 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

10 Volkswagen Group

11 Hyundai Motor Company

12 Kia Motors

13 BMW Group

14 Daimler AG

[NeverSure]

I'm sorry if I made my post look like it's about the US.

The US is Thailand's largest trading partner LINK and Thailand relies on exports to drive a good chunk of its economy. Many jobs in Thailand including hi tech etc. may not long exist because they can be automated or sent to where it's more economical.

Please understand the reasons for my examples I chose.

Cheers.

Edited April 1, 2015 by NeverSure