At my expense my wife is helping out her cousin because her husband says he can only send 1000THB a week from his job in Taiwan. Farang arrives and everyone is suddenly dropping with malnutrition, can you spare a bob or two guv. Now no child will ever go hungry near me and I'll help with essential items like school uniforms but feeding them and abundant supplies of Hong Thong is pushing my tolerance.    Many people in this village have left to earn decent money abroad and many have found new partners for comfort, shall we say, temporary or permanent. 

Now migrant workers are wickedly exploited, I know, but I have my doubts in this case.  Taiwan I would consider a first world place so does anyone have any knowledge of the likely pay for a builder's labourer given a reasonable economic situation.

This recent article states that minimum wage in Taiwan is 21,000 TWD (TWD and THB are about equal).

http://checkinprice.com/average-and-minimum-salary-in-taipei-taiwan/

Thanks Chickenslegs.  At about 1000 baht a day, take off living expenses, rip off agents and one trip home a year, it doesn't leave much to send home.  No wonder we lost all our industries when companies can pay such a pittance. I maybe got it wrong here but so many people who leave their families find other partners while working abroad, there are two current examples within a stone's throw of our house and no end of past stories.  I'm glad I was born in a rich country.