Call to hike minimum wage

[Cake Monster]

If the true figure of debt owed to Financial Institutions is 40% of the total amount owed, and that debt is close to 90% of GDP ( as previously reported ), then the total debt including the 60% of debt owed to loan sharks, has to be 225% of Thai GDP.

A totally horrendous figure if correct, where the loan sharks are surely out of control.

Many Thais today, will not even get off there <deleted> for less than 400 baht a day, so a minimum wage becomes a nonsense in a society dominated by the greed of a few unscrupulus people and their peers.

[willyumiii]

I sincerely feel sorry for the Thai people, especially anyone working for 300 baht/day. Prices everywhere are going up, especially food, so I just don't know how they survive. Here in Canada, one could say the minimum wage is very good compared to Thailand, but if you don't own your own house or condo fully, rent and heat costs alone could almost take away all your months wages. Many people here are in the same situation in that they owe a lot of money to the banks. On top of that Winters are very long and there is no beach or sunshine to cheer you up.

Thai minimum wage workers are no different to other countries minimum wage workers.

The only difference is a large number of minimum wage workers in other countries take a second job to earn more, while in Thailand, its hard to get them to do OT let alone work on day off with extra pay.

Most min wage jobs in Thailand require the worker to work 12 hours per day , 6 days per week.

That does not leave a lot of hours for a second job, or overtime , or even to spend a little time with your family...does it?

[willyumiii]

Maybe putting restriction on the institutions who lend money to those without the means to pay it back is as big an issue as the wages being paid?

[willyumiii]

Let's be honest.

A lot of the TV Thai bashers here are in Thailand because their pensions, savings,or income from outside Thailand " go further " here allowing you to live better here than in your home country.

Many of you who live pretty well in Thailand would be living much closer to the poverty line in your home country.

The fact that you live better than the average working Thai adds to your false sense of superiority over those you love to look down on and constantly bash on this forum.

If Thais were paid better and could live as well as you, would you leave the country and look for another place to boost your egos?

If the answer is yes, that's one more reason to raise the wage.

[impulse]

A lot of the TV Thai bashers here are in Thailand because their pensions, savings,or income from outside Thailand " go further " here allowing you to live better here than in your home country.

Many of you who live pretty well in Thailand would be living much closer to the poverty line in your home country.

And you're forgetting that a lot of the pensioners here never had to save a dime in their lifetimes. All they had to do was put in the necessary time, and they had a guaranteed, defined benefit at retirement.

So it's not just about geo-location, it's about timing. Workers today (at least where I come from) have seen defined benefit pensions disappear in favor of managed investment plans which are at the mercy of the banksters to loot, like they did in 2000 and 2008.

We're in an era where safe investments are earning interest at far less than inflation, as opposed to today's geezers who recall a world where they could count on seeing their bank account grow if they just left it alone.

So, yes. A lot of smugness from guys who never had to walk in the shoes of the people they're constantly bashing.

Edited May 2, 2015 by impulse

[Thaddeus]

I think 500 B is a livable figure considering I, infrequently, spend that much for breakfast for 2.

Two 99B fry-ups and a 302B tip?

Obviously, unlike you, Kubasa doesn't breakfast at "Crazy Daves".

Wow, that's a pretty wild assumption.

And you couldn't possibly be more wrong if you tried.