Thai salary - how can they survive?

[CLW]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

[Gonsalviz]

It is almost never a single person. The family collectively survives. In Isan, people don't have one job, they have many.

[Lannig]

I don't know where you're living, but decent housing can be found for 1,500-2,000B/month around me.

Most lower-class Thai people don't need 50B for every meal.

50B for transportation seems a bit high too, depending on where you live and how you get to work.

[CLW]

I don't know where you're living, but decent housing can be found for 1,500-2,000B/month around me.

Most lower-class Thai people don't need 50B for every meal.

50B for transportation seems a bit high too, depending on where you live and how you get to work.

Talking about Bangkok centre.

Food including drinks and snacks

50B is a short ride with BTS/MRT + Bus + Motorcycle

Edited April 27, 2016 by CLW

[bubba1]

You need to stop thinking like a European. Do you think people working at Big C take holidays and have insurance?

[saakura]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

Family. This concept may be alien to you.

[thrilled]

Your not thai living my friend.Also many have side jobs they do to get more money.Also 2 incomes.If more family s living there then there is more income to pay the bills.Many have mopeds.They are so cheap on gas.The ones that do have A car they have A

bigger income.Like one guy said,housing is low for A Thai.You can't rent A house the same price as A Thai does.

[CLW]

You need to stop thinking like a European. Do you think people working at Big C take holidays and have insurance?

Point for you.

We have a saying, if you translate literally it says:

For dying to much, for living to less.

In my opinion it's modern slavery.

Just living to survive, what a hard life...

[CLW]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

Family. This concept may be alien to you.

In European culture you're supposed to be independent.

I don't know anyone who pays his parents, grandparents or sisters some money. It's more the opposite way, the older give to the younger.

Edited April 27, 2016 by CLW

[stoneyboy]

You will find the people who comment on here sit comfortably in their Issan mansions or Bangkok /Pattaya condos living nothing like the people they know so much about,it amazes me how expat westerners know so much about the living habits of the less fortunate Thai folk.

[CLW]

Your not thai living my friend.Also many have side jobs they do to get more money.Also 2 incomes.If more family s living there then there is more income to pay the bills.Many have mopeds.They are so cheap on gas.The ones that do have A car they have A

bigger income.Like one guy said,housing is low for A Thai.You can't rent A house the same price as A Thai does.

More than one job is part of this whole misery.

Of course you're tired and exhausted if you work 10 hours, 7 days.

Ergo that means company has to employ more staff with lower individual salary.

[saakura]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

Family. This concept may be alien to you.

In European culture you're supposed to be independent.

I don't know anyone who pays his parents, grandparents or sisters some money. It's more the opposite way, the older give to the younger.

Well, who is to say which culture is more superior? Generally in Asia, they support their parents, grandparents and if need be, the siblings too! The younger take care of the older.

[lostinisaan]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

Family. This concept may be alien to you.

In European culture you're supposed to be independent.

I don't know anyone who pays his parents, grandparents or sisters some money. It's more the opposite way, the older give to the younger.

"You're supposed to be independent", wow.

Have you ever heard about very poor European countries ( former East block) with the Euro as their new currency, where people even have a lower income? Google what Deichmann,, a well known shoe factory pays them. ( 180 Euro/month= about 7,200 baht)

Have you ever heard about war widows in Germany who can/could only afford to eat dog food?

Have you ever seen a homeless in any European country in winter, covered in newspapers as a protection against the cold?

If you Google it and get back here, we can start to talk about Thailand.

Edited April 27, 2016 by lostinisaan

[Merylhighground]

Our neighbours in our condo live four to a large room divided down the middle by a sheet, two men, two ladies though not couples, just colleagues (though one night we heard noises which suggested things had certainly 'moved to a new level' for two of them)

All used to earn around 12000B a month at a nearby factory.

They would chip in 2K each a month to cover rent, service charge, electric, cable TV, internet and water.

They would sleep on simple mats on the floor which they would roll up 'bed pack' style every morning into a neat roll, to be unrolled each evening.

They would split the cost of any object bought for the 'common' good such as a kettle, rice cooker etc. Should one of them move on, they would get their share refunded with the new incoming 'tenant' paying for that share on arrival.

Food was usually supplemented from a large sack of rice which they would each pay an equal share for.

Most evenings they would roll in with food and fruits from the market which was simply shared 'Thai style' as was the cost.

The choosing of pre-cooked food or fruits from the market was left to one of the women who had a 'good nose' for a bargain and good quality.

Once or twice a week (usually to coincide with whatever was 'big' on TV that week) they would chip in and buy the makings of a 'big meal' and all help buy the ingredients, to prepare and then clean up after their meal.

In all the time we spent at our condo or knew them we never once heard them bicker or dicker over money. Indeed quite a few times they had enough left to enjoy a bit of a night out.

When I asked about pensions, savings and the like, they weren't too fussed (as explained far better than I could elsewhere in this thread) they all said they'd have kids to look after them in their old age as according to Thai culture. Thay all would have money left at the end of the month. OK while not enough to retire on, it was enough to bung in the bank for a 'rainy day', one suspects).

The only true luxury item they had was a motorbike for which they all shared the payments and the fuel costs. Made me think I can tell you.

I guess it was a simple case of living a good comfortable life with friends and well within your means.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Merylhighground

[Jim walker]

Thais often share a rented room with a fee others so this reduces the rent and family money same as Dingles it just goes in the pot

[BKKdreaming]

Our neighbours in our condo live four to a large room divided down the middle by a sheet, two men, two ladies though not couples, just colleagues (though one night we heard noises which suggested things had certainly 'moved to a new level' for two of them)

All used to earn around 12000B a month at a nearby factory.........

I guess it was a simple case of living a good comfortable life with friends and well within your means.

I think this is common sharing , and not so common that all of them earn a pretty good wage of 12k each

But most Thais have never lived alone , do not want to and many are scared to for safety and "ghosts"

Also many jobs are 6 days a week so not so much time other than sleep - work - eat

Plus many "borrow" from each other , or worse from loan sharks....

It works for them and they think we are weird wanting to live alone !

[Merylhighground]

Don't get me started on the 'Ghosts' and 'safety' thing!!!!

The first time I had to travel abroad after we were married my missus managed about an hour or two alone in the brand spanking new house we had just been moved into on a gated estate, she called me to tell me she was at her sister's because of the 'ghosts', spirits' 'weird looking men in the neighbourhood' then 'the security guards looking funny at her' etc....

She hated being alone there for a couple of years after we were married. As I had to travel a lot around the region for a few days at a time typically and she was studying for her MSc, her coming with me wasn't an option so instead we bought the cruddy 'condo', as she 'felt safer' there having people around even if most were total strangers....

[BKKdreaming]

with every Soap Opera full of Ghosts what do you expect

But most have been living like this all their lives , for us too many in a small area , for them normal !

I wonder what they think when they are in the West in a BIG house with just 2 people , must scare them ,

But then you can see Thais sleep anywhere , we want a soft quiet place , if they waited for that they would never sleep !

[Traxster]

The Thai salary is quite possibly the reason you see sooo many girls working at the local bars......better money ??

[ukrules]

They live in absolute poverty so it's quite easy for them really.

[darren84310]

I don't know where you're living, but decent housing can be found for 1,500-2,000B/month around me.

Most lower-class Thai people don't need 50B for every meal.

50B for transportation seems a bit high too, depending on where you live and how you get to work.

Talking about Bangkok centre.

Food including drinks and snacks

50B is a short ride with BTS/MRT + Bus + Motorcycle

Have you never seen those dilapidated buses (about 6-12 baht) running around BKK?..... Do you think they spend 150 baht a day on food?..... rent is usually 3-4000 for a decent enough place but they share 2-4 persons.

[torpedo1970]

Rent is not 3000 alone..... they would share with 5 others, so rent would maybe be 500....

Food is 30 baht a pop,

no luxury but they do survive, and they usually have another job or a farrang ATM or three

[BritManToo]

I don't know where you're living, but decent housing can be found for 1,500-2,000B/month around me.

Most lower-class Thai people don't need 50B for every meal.

50B for transportation seems a bit high too, depending on where you live and how you get to work.

Talking about Bangkok centre.

Food including drinks and snacks

50B is a short ride with BTS/MRT + Bus + Motorcycle

You are mistaking your lifestyle for their lifestyle.

They can live 10 to a room. Reducing accommodation costs to almost nothing.

They can walk or bicycle to work. Not everyone is a commuter.

[TungnaaTom]

If you wait for a bus long enough in Bangkok, you may notice that some Thais will not get on the orange aircon bus, but instead wait longer for the exact same bus number in the red/cream version. These buses have no aircon, and cost about 1/3 the price of the orange bus (about 7 baht, unlimited number of stops). And some will wait even longer for the free bus available on some routes in BKK:

Street food is a luxury for them. For 20 baht they can put together a meal in the electric wok & rice cooker using ingredients bought at the local market. Amazing how they can cook just about any kind of food short of baking a cake in an electric wok.

Thais can be very frugal and creative when forced to do so by circumstance.

[1FinickyOne]

Thing is that they rarely live alone and don't want to - fear of ghosts... so, a Big C cashier will either be living with family or sharing a 2000 baht room with 2-3 or more other girls.. they will be taking the bus not the skytrain... they will be either sharing meals or eating very inexpensive street food... and from this, they will be saving money and sending it home to family... possibly/probably keeping expenses under 5,000 baht per month..

[1FinickyOne]

You need to stop thinking like a European. Do you think people working at Big C take holidays and have insurance?

Point for you.

We have a saying, if you translate literally it says:

For dying to much, for living to less.

In my opinion it's modern slavery.

Just living to survive, what a hard life...

Isn't that the situation world wide for any working person? Most people spend near to their salary and are somewhat metaphorically enslaved to their pay check, job and boss...

[CLW]

Okay I see. It's another level, culture or whatever how they can survive. I call it survive because it's not a living.

Even for me living on a tight budget I wouldn't do certain things and also could probably not survive with that 10k

[vukovar77]

You need to stop thinking like a European. Do you think people working at Big C take holidays and have insurance?

Point for you.

We have a saying, if you translate literally it says:

For dying to much, for living to less.

In my opinion it's modern slavery.

Just living to survive, what a hard life...

I think you do not know much about Thailand and you are not socialized at all.For sure you do not speak Thai and you do not live with Thai people!I am foreigner with Thai wife and we live in Bkk suburb !We need for decent life there less than 15.000 baht per month and we live very good.My wife cook delicious food every day and she has motorcycle.I pay mortgage every month 2300 baht for condo of 34m2.She work for 10500 baht +overtime too.I have much better monthly income,but we do not need more than 14000 baht per month.Food is about 150 baht per day,transport about 100 baht per month.Water 100baht,electricity(we have air con.)500-750 baht per month,internet 749 baht!We can travel each month too on the seaside or elsewhere on this amount!I live much better here than I can live in Europe with maybe 1200-1500 Euro per month.You live maybe in Sukhumwit,eat foreign food and can not speak language!

[rodcourt49]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

Family. This concept may be alien to you.

In European culture you're supposed to be independent.

I don't know anyone who pays his parents, grandparents or sisters some money. It's more the opposite way, the older give to the younger.

Well, who is to say which culture is more superior? Generally in Asia, they support their parents, grandparents and if need be, the siblings too! The younger take care of the older.

...all about taking care on a virtually non-existent welfare system...certainly puts the pressure on those who are lucky to have a job at the 'C' for eg...I bet she still collects plastic bottles, paper and cardboard to get that extra 8 baht per kg = 1 pack of 'Mama'...we indeed have had it easy

[neeray]

Recently saw a job offer at Big C for cashier.

Monthly salary 10,500 Baht + overtime.

How can someone (let me say a single person) survive with that?

Rent 3000

Transportation

50 each working day 1000

Food

3 meals each day for 50

4500

Phone 300

Things for daily life

Nothing left over for:

Savings

Support family

Health care / insurance

Car

Motorcycle

Hobby, going out

Travel or holidays

How they can living?

Family. This concept may be alien to you.

In European culture you're supposed to be independent.

I don't know anyone who pays his parents, grandparents or sisters some money. It's more the opposite way, the older give to the younger.

Welcome to Thailand. The family unit is very strong. They all help each other to survive.