Thai salary - how can they survive?

[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...

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!

I don't live in Sukhumvit or Farang ghettos

I have mostly Thai friends.

I can speak Thai passable.

I don't eat farang food here.

I cook by myself and eat Thai food.

I can't live in the suburbs where it is definitely cheaper.

Your 1200€ are 48,000 Baht.

If course anyone can live a good life in Thailand with that.

[freebyrd]

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...

It's all relative in the end. How do earthquake survivors in Nepal eke out any sort of life?

Salaries in Asia in general are not good, but there is always someone, somewhere far worse off.

[ksamuiguy]

70 million Thai's seem to be able to live, are happy, prosper and survive with no problems.

They all have food to eat, a phone and the "things" they need.

No one is poor in Thailand (Thai's) They may not have everything they want, buy than neither do any of us.

They are happy ans live a life that may be hard but evidently satisfying.

I remember when LBJ was President of The United Sates and he went to see the coal mining areas of West Virginia after his visit he told the People in that area they "were poor". The comment from the populace was, they didn't know they were poor until he told them.

Just leave the Thai's alone they are happy, healthy and content.

Whats wrong with that?

For you Trolls and do-gooders yes there are exception out there and look at the mess they have caused.

The Thai's will sort it out, just leave them alone!

[AdamRich]

Bill Gates is saying the same thing about me and you!

[CLW]

70 million Thai's seem to be able to live, are happy, prosper and survive with no problems.

They all have food to eat, a phone and the "things" they need.

No one is poor in Thailand (Thai's) They may not have everything they want, buy than neither do any of us.

They are happy ans live a life that may be hard but evidently satisfying.

I remember when LBJ was President of The United Sates and he went to see the coal mining areas of West Virginia after his visit he told the People in that area they "were poor". The comment from the populace was, they didn't know they were poor until he told them.

Just leave the Thai's alone they are happy, healthy and content.

Whats wrong with that?

For you Trolls and do-gooders yes there are exception out there and look at the mess they have caused.

The Thai's will sort it out, just leave them alone!

And many in debt which they never can pay back in their life time

[Khon Kaen Dave]

i dont know how long you have been here,but i would guess you are an European,living in a city,and you dont have money problems.As the other OP said 'stop thinking like a Euro'.You mention cars and food and the costs of other commodities.Low paid Thais cannot even contemplate these things.They also work as a family unit where what ever money comes in,is pooled.7/11 staff dont have condo's,or a night life.And also the guy who said "thats why so many of them come to the resorts and work the bar's" is absolutely correct..It would seem that your Marie Antoinette attitude needs to be cured by you taking the time to actually get around the country and see how these people live in reality.

I also assume that your country has social security where benefits for the unemployed can be claimed.here,there is no such thing.You have no money you either starve or get into career crime.If it was the same thing in your country,i truly wonder how many of the bottle blond,overweight,women could get off their <deleted> and do the thing's that some of the women here have to do to survive.

I live in a village in rural Thailand,and i see them,up every day at 5 am going to work in the fields,Its bloody hard.i know because i have done it And indeed, there are some beautiful young women here who will grow old here,and age sooner than they should,get trapped by some somchai who will never give them anything but shit,drink all day,and when he gets tired of his wife and 3 kids,will piss off and find a Mia Noi.

When you ask 'how do they live? They dont! They survive!.

[Berkshire]

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

It's all a matter of perspective. For instance, I cannot live on a tight budget as you do. I probably could not survive on your meager income. But that's just me.

[little mary sunshine]

As a Foreigner, you pay 20-50% more for things

At a market than the Thais who know the vendors,

Also lots of vegetables,and fruits are grown by family

Members and they share and barter. 200gms of gai

Can feed a family of six Thais in a delicious stir fry.

[Suradit69]

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.

"amazes me how expat westerners know so much"

The same could be said about their apparent expertise regarding police procedure, medical diagnoses, the running of everything from major corporations to the humblest of family buinesses and all to do wifh government/politics.

The same farang who rarely emerges in the daylight except to restock his supply of Chang or Leo, who is neither able to speak a few words of Thai nor able to eat Thai food, who has no Thai acquaintances other than those he met in a bar, who still doesn't understand his own immigration status, is somehow an expert in all things Thai. I'm guessing it's from watching Thai soaps, CSI and some of the medical documentaries on television and swallowing all the nonsense posted on TV ... the blind misleading the blind.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Suradit69

[user82374298374]

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

Yes indeed, thank heavens!

[BookMan]

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

I see how they exist on 10k month in Bkk but it isn't a great life. No way would I want to do it.

Small room, 3-4k, perhaps slightly larger and shared with a friend..maybe 2 friends or living with family. I went around with a Thai friend last week to look at some apartments with her, within striking distance of the MRT. That was depressing. Most were small, dirty, poorly furnished, depressing and in the 3400-5400 baht range.

Transport wise, the BTS & MRT are not cheap, especially living on the outer ring and coming in further to work, where it might be 40 baht each way. The non air con buses are considerably cheaper (or free), but throw in a few moto sai taxis and the transport costs must add up

[Don Mega]

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.

Thats a bit rough mate, not all of us are that skint that we have to resort to living in condo's.

[Robm579]

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

Damn you're a genius ... !

[Krataiboy]

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.

When I was a kid growing up in the late Thirties and early Forties, a lot of Brits lived on the breadline in a similar way to Thais today. Now millions of Thais can afford smart phones, cars and houses and, as the capitalist wheel of fortune has turned, the only growth industry in Britain is food banks..

Makes you think, eh?

[StatlerandWaldorf]

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

The BTS is beyond the reach of people working in blue collar jobs. Forget that.

If you are more than one person, it is cheaper to take a taxi. The BTS is there for middle class people to use until they can afford a car.

[Suradit69]

70 million Thai's seem to be able to live, are happy, prosper and survive with no problems.

They all have food to eat, a phone and the "things" they need.

No one is poor in Thailand (Thai's) They may not have everything they want, buy than neither do any of us.

They are happy ans live a life that may be hard but evidently satisfying.

I remember when LBJ was President of The United Sates and he went to see the coal mining areas of West Virginia after his visit he told the People in that area they "were poor". The comment from the populace was, they didn't know they were poor until he told them.

Just leave the Thai's alone they are happy, healthy and content.

Whats wrong with that?

For you Trolls and do-gooders yes there are exception out there and look at the mess they have caused.

The Thai's will sort it out, just leave them alone!

And many in debt which they never can pay back in their life time

"And many in debt which they never can pay back in their life time "

Which is also true of most westerners back in Farangland as well as their free-spending governments. Thus the financial crises during the past decade in the US and Europe and much worse to come.

The student loan debt alone in the US stands at $1.3 Trillion and is growing at nearly $3000 per second (yes per second) and over 7 million of those who borrowed that money are already in default.

Watch America’s student-loan debt grow $2,726 every second

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/every-second-americans-get-buried-under-another-3055-in-student-loan-debt-2015-06-10

[kennypowers]

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.

Even som tum has gone up to 40-50 Baht in Bangkok from most street vendors.

The answer is they survive, and never thrive.

[ToS2014]

someone is donating a short time c'mon get with the program.

[mesterm]

OP are you thinking of "saving" one of these poor Thai girls? If you are, I suggest you tread carefully, and avoid going anywhere near condo balconies.

[krobert6]

Some of the egg farm workers near me get 4-5000 - they do get free accommodation (if you can call it that) and that is with 1 day off a month

Edited April 28, 2016 by krobert6

[ToddinChonburi]

Try 1800 baht for rent, 4 on a motorbike , picking leaves from the vacant lots vines for soup mix. You need to get out and look around this perfect world the Thai"s really live in. The animals in your home country have nicer places to live than a lot of Thai people. Very sad.

[1BADDAT]

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!

I don't live in Sukhumvit or Farang ghettos

I have mostly Thai friends.

I can speak Thai passable.

I don't eat farang food here.

I cook by myself and eat Thai food.

I can't live in the suburbs where it is definitely cheaper.

Your 1200€ are 48,000 Baht.

If course anyone can live a good life in Thailand with that.

So if everything above is true, why don't you just ask your Thai friends. They probably know a little more about this than posters here.

[Petchou]

Quite amazing.

Farangs living in meegre pensions, who would be considered poor back home throwing generalizations about Thais. There is definitely poverty here, but there are middle and upper class Thais living better than all those writing here. There are lot of young and less young people who are processionals, educated, they earn good salaries, travel, buy houses and condos, have businesses. Only stupid farangs who knows everything can't see this obviously.

[rodcourt49]

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

The BTS is beyond the reach of people working in blue collar jobs. Forget that.

If you are more than one person, it is cheaper to take a taxi. The BTS is there for middle class people to use until they can afford a car.

...you can choose to ride up in the clouds on a train or drive up on a freeway high above the chaos below...or get around on the ground below with the rest of us 'ants'...all relative....I know of one family who need to travel great distances each day in Bkk... and once a week treat themselves to what they call 'sky travel'...escaping from the drudgery and misery briefly...bless 'em.

[losworld]

Yes many here so disconnected from the reality. I think it must be incredibly difficult for these people. The policies of the Fed and its Central Banks and its nfluence on so many lives with inflationary pressures coupled with what has largely been a Wall Street created bubble in commodities the last years has driven food prices through the roof. I laugh when posters support the government inflation figures. Food prices have increased dramatically with no substantial increase in salaries. Very difficult times. Unrest is inevitable.

[PaDavid]

What an interesting thread, and some enlightening replies. I have been living with my girlfriend in a small village in Isaan for a year now. At the time I moved in she lived alone and was a teacher at a state kindergarten earning 15,000 baht per month. Because she was a state employee she was able to borrow money cheaply and had a small Honda Click which she owned and a car and small house which she was paying for on the never never. Since moving in, I paid off the loan on her house which amounted to 500,000 baht.

Our neighbours are all farmers, some obviously with lots of land that they employ people to work on it, although they do get stuck in themselves sometimes. Generally speaking, their size reflects their affluence. The majority, though have either little land or none. They mostly work from dawn to dusk, and has been said many times here, they usually have several jobs. They don't seem to work every day. That appears to depend upon the weather, and presumably if they have been able to pick up work. They mostly live in large houses, either as gangs of workers, or as extended families. I don't like to talk about money with them as this would make me stand out, though I know our nearest neighbours and best friends are happy if they earn 600 baht a day. Unusually, they live on their own in a smaller house made of wood with a tin roof. They now proudly sport our old wooden windows which we gave them when we replaced ours with upvc. They both have parents living locally who I assume they help to support. They grow a little fruit and veg, and as with most villagers, they are great foragers. They know what fruit is coming into season and where to find it. They share, so someone who grows bananas gives them for free to their neighbours and receives, for example, garlic when it has been harvested. They live a simple life but seem to be happy and there is usually a little money left over to buy a bottle of whisky for 55 baht to wash down the evening meal. Drinking, though, is a problem amongst the minority (exclusively men) and it is not unusual to see some staggering around even early in the morning. My gf tells me these are bad people and we try to steer clear of them. Mostly, they are happy drunks, though a few can sometimes be fractious.

If you live in Isaan, I guess most of this is common knowledge, and those of you living with or near your partners family will have a much clearer idea of the way society works than I do. However, those of you living in Bangkok or gated estates inhabited mostly by farangs might find some of my observations enlightening.

[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

The BTS is beyond the reach of people working in blue collar jobs. Forget that.

If you are more than one person, it is cheaper to take a taxi. The BTS is there for middle class people to use until they can afford a car.

And you're stuck in an endless traffic jam. No thanks

[CLW]

OP are you thinking of "saving" one of these poor Thai girls? If you are, I suggest you tread carefully, and avoid going anywhere near condo balconies.

No, thanks. I have a girl who is self sufficient.

[CLW]

Some of the egg farm workers near me get 4-5000 - they do get free accommodation (if you can call it that) and that is with 1 day off a month

And eggs for free. [emoji57]

[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...

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!

I don't live in Sukhumvit or Farang ghettos

I have mostly Thai friends.

I can speak Thai passable.

I don't eat farang food here.

I cook by myself and eat Thai food.

I can't live in the suburbs where it is definitely cheaper.

Your 1200€ are 48,000 Baht.

If course anyone can live a good life in Thailand with that.

So if everything above is true, why don't you just ask your Thai friends. They probably know a little more about this than posters here.

I'm studying so my friends are students.

It's international Programme so you have to pay.

Therefore the students come from middle class to Hi-So.

Would be awkward to ask them