Wages in Thailand, as used here, includes all compensation paid by an employer to an employee for work done, whether based on hours worked, piece work, or fixed salary. Since wage labour is the predominant form of work, the term "wage" here refers to all forms of employee compensation. Wages are the major source of household income in Thailand,:32 although wage income distribution varies by region: Almost three-quarters of the population in Bangkok are in households that receive wage income, compared with less than half in the northern region.:30-31 During the period 2007–2014, wage income grew markedly, and then began to drop starting in 2015. (As of 2020) wage growth stagnation afflicts most occupations. Wage growth was negative in urban areas, but positive in rural areas. In the period 2007–2013, wages, farm incomes, and remittances contributed to poverty reduction; in the period 2015–2017 these were sources of rising poverty.:65
1. Minimum Wage
In December 2019, the National Wage Committee recommended that the minimum daily wage for unskilled labour be increased by five to six baht, from 308–330 baht to 313–336 baht, effective 1 January 2020.[1] The cabinet approved the proposal on 11 December.[2] The move will impose 10 new minimum wage levels, depending on the province. The highest, 336-baht a day, will be for Chonburi and Phuket Provinces, and the lowest rate of 313 baht for the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala. Bangkok's minimum wage will be 331 baht.[1] The wage hike drew immediate criticism for being so modest, and below what the ruling government party had earlier promised.[3]
(As of January 2020), the average wage in Bangkok was 20,854 baht per month according to the National Statistical Office (NSO).[4] Real wages in Thailand as a whole have dropped from 19,107 baht per month in the fourth quarter of 2016 (4Q2016) to 15,337 baht in 4Q2019.[5]
2. Covid-19 Government Intervention
Widespread economic disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand prompted the Thai government to intervene to support workers wages. Those assisted must be registered with the Social Security Fund (SSF), leaving Thailand's casual workforce to be helped by other programs.[6] Under a scheme to help farmers, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives (BAAC) will pay up to 10 million farmers eligible for the program a 5,000 baht monthly stipend for three months.[7] At the end of May 2020, 5,000 baht subsidies, worth 35.51 billion baht, were transferred to 7.1 million farmers.[8]
3. Wage Data Points
- Amulet frame maker: A former drugs convict who left Kanchanaburi Prison after spending seven years behind bars, was granted a 20,000 baht loan by the Department of Corrections to buy equipment and tools needed to craft amulet frames. He earns 30,000 baht a month on average from crafting amulet frames, which are sold at the Tha Phra Chan amulet market in Bangkok.[9]
- Army general: A two-star general earns around 60,000 baht (US$2,000) a month.[10] Despite the relatively low pay, 81 Royal Thai Army generals who were once members of the National Legislative Assembly showed in their mandatory asset declarations that they averaged 12.7 million baht per year in income and had assets ranging up to 78 million baht.[11]
- Attorney-General of Thailand: Effective 1 October 2018 the wage of the attorney-general was raised to 81,920 baht per month[12] with an allowance[13] of 50,000 baht.[14]
- Auto parts worker: A 45-year-old worker at an auto parts company in Chonburi said his firm entered Section 75[15] operation in September and cut overtime. "Before September, I took home about 18,000 baht a month, including overtime [OT]. Now, I'd be lucky to make 8,500 baht a month, and no OT," he said.[16]
- Bar girl: A 17 year-old sex worker at the Jittra Karaoke Bar told the press she was hired to sit and drink with customers. She earned 50 baht for each drink ordered by the client. "Clients can buy sex for Bt1,500 a time or Bt3,500 for a whole night," she said. "They can either use massage rooms in the back or bring the girls to other hotels of their choice."[17]
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- "In the Bangkok Bunnies go-go bar in Nana Plaza, two servers who called themselves Bill and Bells said they relied on their £11-16 [445–648 baht] daily tips to supplement their £130 [5,264 baht] monthly wage."[18]
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- Praew, is a 29 year old Lao sex worker in a karaoke bar in Det Udom District, Ubon Ratchathani Province. Praew and her coworkers at the karaoke bar are not salaried, but receive from 5 to 15 baht commission for each soft drink they sell. They make about 10,000 baht (US$315) a month with the lion's share coming from providing sexual services to customers, mostly locals. The average monthly wage in Thailand is more than double the average wage of 900,000 Lao kip (3,500 baht, US$110) in Laos.[19]
- Barber: A convicted robber who was freed after having been in prison for eight years, received a 25,000-baht grant to start a barber shop in Kanchanaburi's Tha Maka District. "I learned to cut hair in prison," he said. "After leaving, I obtained funds to pursue this career. I now earn 30-60 baht per haircut."[9]
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- "Most ... barbers make between 25,000-30,000 Thai baht per month, about ten times the national minimum wage."[20]
- Beach vendor: A 45 year old female rents beach mats and sells handmade seashell ornaments on the shore in Pattaya or Bang Saen. Prior to Covid-19 she earned at least 200 baht per day.[21]
- Beer promoter: Young ladies, known as "pretties", are employed by beer brands to promote their products at larger bars. Part-time work nets one such worker about 14,000 baht per month (US$460), plus an additional 1,000 baht a week in tips on average.[22]
- Beekeeper/rubber tapper: In Rattaphum District, Songkhla Province, the 46 year old male owns 2.5 hectares of rubber trees. He earns an annual income of 150,000 baht or 12,500 baht per month from the latex he collects. He also harvests honey from 116 beehives. His honey sales provide him with an annual income of 218,000 baht or 18,200 baht per month.[23]
- Beggar: A Bangkok beggar who posed as deaf admitted to police that he earned 2,500 baht per day for 10 hours of begging.[24]
- Burmese migrant worker: "In Thailand, a worker can earn between 250,000–300,000 Burmese kyat [6,082–7,298 baht] a month [or] K10,000 a day [243 baht]..." [25]
- Bus staff, Bangkok: A driver of Bangkok's Bus No. 8, reported that the company paid drivers a daily wage of about 100 baht, plus a 10% commission on ticket sales. Bus ticket collectors brought home a daily wage of 50 baht in addition to a five percent commission. On average, a driver is able to drive the route about four times a day, selling an average of 5,000–6,000 tickets per day. A 48 year-old ticket collector on Bus Line 8 and has worked there for six years. She receives a monthly salary from the business and is able to get a commission on tickets according to the rate that the company sets, which means that she has a monthly income as well as a daily one. Drivers and ticket collectors receive about 28,000 baht and 15,000 baht, respectively, each month, working 10–12 hour shifts. A 48 year-old female ticket collector on Bus Line 29 has been a bus employee 20 years. She reported that drivers and ticket collectors on her line receive a wage of about 300 baht per day, but drivers and ticket collectors have to make at least four rounds each day to get full payment. The starting monthly wage for a bus driver or ticket collector is low: only 6,080 baht or 4,880 baht, respectively. Another ticket collector on Bus Line 522 (Rangsit to Victory Monument) reports that her income is about 27,000 baht each month, consisting of wages and a five percent commission on ticket sales. After she sells 4,500 baht worth of tickets, the commission falls to one percent.[26]
- Cabinet minister: The 35 Thai cabinet ministers earn from 113,560 to 115,740 baht per month (2014).[27]
- Catering foreman, Thai Airways: His salary is 24,000 baht per month, but he earns an average of 80,000 baht per month due to overtime and extra work as a document checker for the Thai Airways Employee Savings Cooperative.[28]
- Celebrity brand ambassador: Aed Carabao serves as "brand ambassador" for Carabao Group. He has a five year contract that can be "automatically extended" for five years. [Aed's] remuneration for the first five years is 10 million baht and for the subsequent five years is 12 million baht.[29]
- CEO, TMB Bank: Annual salary, 20m baht, annual bonus 32,414,494 baht (2014).[27]
- Chairman, BTS Group Holdings: 60,000 baht per month plus director's bonus. In FY2016–2017, the chairman was paid 3,844,261 baht for his service on the board of directors (not counting his remuneration as CEO).[30]:130
- Chinese tour bus driver: Bus drivers earn about 30,000 baht a month.[31]
- Conscript: The government spends about 12 billion baht every year in salaries for new draftees, each of whom receives 10,000 baht a month plus food and lodging.[32][33] Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the living conditions of conscripts now are much better off than they were in the past, with each now being paid 8,000-9,000 baht a month—equivalent to the daily minimum wage of 300 baht—with better living condition and better food.[34]
- Constitutional Court: The court president earns 83,090 baht monthly[12] with an allowance[13] of 55,000 baht. Court judges earn 81,920 baht monthly[12] with an allowance[13] of 50,000 baht.[14]
- Cook: Sixty-four year old Prasert Mhendang has been a cook at Wat Sam Phraya in Phra Nakhon District of Bangkok for 20 years. She earns 7,000 baht a month.[35]
- Copilot, Lion Air: A first officer with about four years experience earns from US$6,000–8,000 per month.[36]
- Cosmetics salesperson: A 44 year-old trader earns 30,000 baht a month selling cosmetics.[37]
- Data analyst: According to a report by Robert Walters plc, data analysts earn from 1.2 to 2.4 million baht per year (2019).[38]
- Director, BTS Group Holdings: Remuneration is 30,000 baht per month plus meeting allowances if applicable and director's bonus. In FY2016–2017 the 14 directors were paid a total of 27,016,402 baht.[30]:130
- Director, Thai Airways: For the year ending 31 December 2018, Thai's 15 directors were paid a total of 14.4 million baht. Each director is paid 50,000 baht per month, plus 30,000 for each meeting attended (capped at one meeting maximum). Individual directors remuneration ranged from a low of 605,000 baht to 1,730,000 baht. Directors are not entitled to free flights.[39]
- Deputy Commissioner-General, Royal Thai Police: In 2014, the incumbent declared an annual salary of 810,720 baht, 509,400 baht in allowances, and a "secret fund" of 720,000 baht[40].[27]
- Deputy prime minister: "Gen Prawit's total salary and position allowance as deputy prime minister is about 110,000 baht while the highest salary of a four-star army general is about 76,000 baht."[41] On Facebook, some questioned how General Prawit Wongsuwan could afford a multi-million baht wristwatch on his salaries totaling 240,000 baht (119,920 baht as deputy prime minister and 119,920 baht as junta deputy).[42]
- Durian farmer: A durian farmer in Yala Province, earns about 200,000 baht a year by selling durian for 60–65 baht per kilogram.[43]
- Elephant trainer: Mahouts earn about US$350 a month.[44] Burmese mahouts in northern Thailand earn 200 baht (US$6) per day, less than the Thai minimum wage, not including tips from tourists.[45]
- English teacher: At a Rajabhat University in Isan, an instructor is paid 27,000 baht per month for five classes of 30–60 students and eight-hour workdays.[46]
- Executive, BTS Group Holdings: The top eight executives were paid a total of 84.3 million baht in salaries in FY2016-2017.[30]:131
- Executive, Thai Airways: Thai's 2018 Annual Report shows that 15 executives received wages for the year ending 31 December 2018. The fifteen were compensated a total of 61 million baht. Thai executives and their families were entitled to flight privileges during that year.[39]
- Executive driver: Male 35 years of age or more. Industrious and punctual. Experienced driving executive. 18,000 and up per month.[47]
- Fish filleter: Lin Na, a Cambodian left her two hectare rice farm in Prey Veng Province with her husband due to crop failures she attributes to climate change. She emigrated to Chonburi where she works for a Thai seafood distributor filleting fish. She earns four baht per kilogram of decapitated fish. Her daily output averages 50 kg.[48]
- Fish net weaver: Mae-yor Latae of Nong Chik District in Pattani Province earned 60 baht per day weaving fishing nets before joining a local fishers' cooperative and increasing her salary.[49]
- Fish packer: A worker at the Orang Pantai Community Enterprise, told The Nation that her quality of life had had improved since she began work at the venture. Before joining the enterprise, Amino said she had earned between 25–50 baht per day from packing fish in a factory. But after learning how to process seafood products in the community operation, she now takes home between 250–350 baht a day.[50]
- Food delivery driver: Platform-based (LINE, Grab, Food Panda) food delivery riders earn between 15,000 to 40,000 baht per month (2020).[51]
- Garment worker: A 30-year-old factory worker works from 08:00–17:00 every day plus three hours of overtime. She and the 57 other workers in the garment-cutting department have a daily target to meet. They must spread and cut around 20,000 metres of fabric that will make 30,000 sport shirts for an international brand. If she meets the daily target, she gets double the payment of the regular daily wage. If she does not, she earns 305 baht per day. Over the past four years has received one five baht raise added to her daily wage. When calculating the time spent not only working but commuting from home to the factory, she estimates that she spends an average of 14 hours working every day.[52]
- Government officials: Chiefs and members of constitutional organizations of Thailand: the Election Commission (EC), the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), the Auditor-General (OAG), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had their pay increased in September 2018. Chiefs of these bodies earn 81,920 baht per month with an allowance[13] of 50,000 baht. Ordinary members earn 80,540 baht per month with an allowance[13] of 42,500 baht. These wage levels are retroactive to 1 October 2014 with the exception of the NHRC, whose new compensation is retroactive to 1 October 2005.[14]
- Highway stall vendor: Researchers from the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), looking into the state of Thailand's 38 million-strong informal workforce—the largest single component of Thailand's working population—studied those who sell goods from stalls alongside roadways. They found that vendors earn an average of 1,774 baht per day before expenses. Work weeks for roadside vendors average about 10 hours a day, or about 70 hours per week, in violation of Thai labour laws.[53]
- Hitman: Hitmen in Thailand are relatively easy to find and fairly cheap. The starting price for a "hit" is about 50,000 baht.[54] Warut Satchakit paid two men 50,000 baht to kill his sister and her Scottish husband in Chiang Rai.[55]
- Hotel housekeeper: The average housekeeper in Phuket earned US$2,590 per year (2017).[56]:24 Lae Lae, a Burmese migrant, earns 10,000 baht per month plus tips. As the work is seasonal, she works six months a year in a noodle shop.[56]:7 Employers in Thailand are not required to sign written contracts with workers. Thus, salary agreements are verbal. Migrant workers are not entitled to vacation or sick days.[56]:10 Less than three percent of Thai hotels are unionized, mostly five-star hotels.[56]:18 The six top-earning hotel CEOs make CAD44,084 per day. It would take a Phuket hotel housekeeper 4,964 work days to earn that sum.[56]:10 Phuket has 60,000 hotel rooms for 9.1 million annual visitors.[56]:7 The Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) calculates that the Thai floor wage—the level that no wage in Thailand should drop below—is 13,359 baht per month.[57]
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- Hotel worker: A 28 year old female employee of Bangkok's Asia Hotel "...earns more than 10,000 baht per month,..."[58]
- Judge: Thai judges in 2018 earn, on average, 662,049 baht per year. They are overpaid, according to researchers at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). They arrived at this conclusion by researching judge's average salaries in the US (US$97,882) and the UK (₤50,215) and comparing them to each country's GDP per capita. Thai judges are paid three times Thailand's GDP per capita (220,431 baht) while judges are paid on average 1.7 times GDP per capita in the US (US$57,467) and the UK (₤29,346). The study also pointed out that judges in the US and UK handle a larger caseload than Thai judges.[59]
- Long-tail boat operator: Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park has 500–600 long-tail boats that run day trips and take visitors to the bay. Each makes around 2,500–3,000 baht per day.[60]
- Lottery ticket vendor: San Jaan and Thor, now 12, work together selling lottery tickets on the street near the major tourist hub Central World in downtown Bangkok for an income of what Sang Jaan says is usually around 10,000 baht (US$300) per month.[61]
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- "...lottery vendors used to earn at least 1,000 baht each day,..." prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, but that figure dropped to 80 baht per day mid-pandemic.[62]
- Migrant worker in Thailand: The majority are from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. Laborers on rubber plantations work the longest hours, with 87% of respondents working more than eight hours per day and 40% working more than 12 hours. Almost no workers on corn, cassava, and palm oil plantations reported working more than 12 hours a day. A survey found that 46% of the workers on corn farms received less than 4,500 baht (US$144) per month, 10% did not receive owed wages and 8% had their passports kept by the employers, or were not allowed to leave the farm. In addition, 82% reported having to purchase their own safety equipment (rubber boots, safety helmets, rubber gloves, masks, goggles). The farm workers' pay averaged about 150 baht per day, less than half the nation's 330 baht minimum wage. Win Soe of Myanmar, who works in Tak Province, said that most workers received little pay. "Workers who work in corn, cassava and sugar cane fields receive very low wages of 100 to 150 baht (US$3.20–4.80) per day. Workers can make 200 baht (US$6.40) a day if they can drive a truck," Win said.[63]
- Metal sorter: A worker at an e-waste recycling factory makes US$10 per day.[64]
- Motorcycle taxi driver: A female motorcycle taxi driver in the Ari neighborhood of Bangkok earns about 1,200 baht per day.[65]
- Muai Thai boxer: Tawin Puensopa, a 12-year old muay Thai boxer makes up to 1,500 baht per fight or even more with tips. Another young boxer in Udon Thani earns about 6,000 baht per month from the sport. The money helps support his family.[66] A veteran fighter of over 400 bouts, Phayak Samui, recalls that at the age of six he earned 150 baht per fight. Later, fighting in bigger cities, he was able to earn 6,000 to 8,000 baht per fight.[67]
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- Muai Thai champion Sarawut Prohmsut is "...used to earning 20,000-30,000 baht a month (US$600-900) from tournaments..."[68]
- NCPO Constitution Drafting Committee: Its 36 members were not paid a salary, in lieu of which each received 6,000–9,000 baht per session. Between November 2014 and August 2015 the committee held 140 sessions.[27]
- National Artist: National artists receive a monthly salary of 20,000 baht and a lifetime healthcare allowance of up to 100,000 baht.[69]
- National Legislative Assembly delegate: (As of 2018) the 200 members of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) were paid 113,560 baht per month minimum plus a meeting allowance of 1,500 baht. This payscale also applied to the 250 members of the National Reform Council.[70]
- Office worker (contract employee): About 4,000 non-civil service staff members work for the Thai Social Security Office (SSO) alongside civil service employees. The average age of non-civil servants is 40 and their maximum monthly salaries are capped at 26,900 baht.[71]
- Park ranger: A park ranger at Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary earns 9,000 baht per month.[72] In early-2018 Wichien arrested Premchai Karnasuta, President of Italian-Thai Development, for poaching animals in his park. Premchai's monthly remuneration was 580,000 baht in 2016. As a member of the Board of Management he made another 5,595,258 baht in 2016 (estimated) and as a member of the Board of Directors he made another 5,666,328 baht (estimated) in 2016, for a monthly remuneration totaling 986,799 baht.[73]
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- The Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) manages conservation forests covering 80.88 million rai (129,408 km2); national conservation forests of 53.80 million rai (86,080 km2); and mangrove areas of 1.534 million rai (2,454 km2).[74] It employs roughly 20,000 forest rangers from three departments of MONRE: the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation; the Royal Forest Department; and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.[75] Their work is dangerous: (As of August 2018) ten forest rangers were killed in the line of duty over the previous 12 month period. They are temporary workers on one or four year contracts. The one-year rangers earn from 7,500 to 9,000 baht per month. The four-year contract rangers can earn "...more than 10,000 baht salary per month."[75] As temporary workers they are not eligible for government health coverage.
- Personal assistant for foreign investor: "25 or older, 3 yrs exp, fluent in English spoken and written. 35k baht/month plus benefits".[76]
- Plastic waste recycler: People in the northeast provinces of Kalasin, Ubon, and Buriram are at risk as they dispose of "electronic garbage" without proper safety gear. The do it "...due to the lure of high monthly incomes,..." of 20,000 to 30,000 baht.[77]
- Police officer: The average Thai police officer makes between US$200 to US$300 per month.[78]
- Prison beautician: Earns 4,000–5,000 baht per month.[79]
- Prison laborer: Some inmates stitch clothing. They earn five baht per item of clothing. Others receive 80 baht per month for doing paperwork. Some who do janitorial work are unpaid. Pay can be as high as 2,000 baht a month, but job allocation is controlled by prison authorities.[80]
- "Promoter" (salesperson): "At Suvarnabhumi Airport and Phuket Airport. Female, 20-30 years old. Good command of English or Chinese. Flexible. Start 22,000 baht per month. Eternal State (Thailand) Ltd."[81]
- Retired CEO of a PTT company: Meeting fees and annual bonus, 27,550,720 baht (2014).[27]
- School director: The school director earned "more than 30,000 baht a month".[82]
- Sea-based worker: Wages for sea-based workers reported to the NGO Verité averaged less than US$10 per day for junior crew members. Senior boat leaders reported slightly higher wages. According to one boat leader: "My pay is about 11,000 baht US$300 per month and then I have to apportion the pay to the rest of my crew. But food and drinking water are provided while workers are out at sea."[83]:9
- Security guard: Security guards earn about 350 baht per day. There are between 3,000–4,000 security companies in Thailand employing 400,000–500,000 security guards.[84]
- Sex worker: Kam, a 24-year old independent sex worker, usually waits for clients at her usual spot in Bangkok from early evening until 03:00. On a good day, she earns between 3,000–4,000 baht.[85]
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- The sex industry hires women who come from surrounding countries, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, to work and make at least double—and sometimes 10 times as much—the minimum daily wage of 325 baht, or almost US$11.[86]
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- A 15 year-old Lao teen was rescued from a karaoke bar-massage shop in Nong Khai that doubled as a brothel. Three Thais were arrested for managing the bar. The girl allegedly said the bar's management told her not to have more than five clients a day. Clients paid 500 baht, with 300 baht going to the bar and the rest to her.[87]
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- Transgender sex worker, Bangkok: "I used to make decent money—sometimes US$300-600 a week,..."[88]
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- Sex worker, Pattaya: Anna, transgender, 33 years of age, "For short time [sex service] I used to charge 2,000 [baht]. That's for one to two hours. If it's longer than five hours, I charge 5,000 [baht],...”[89]
- Senator:" A member of the Senate of Thailand earns 113,560 baht monthly.[90] Senators earn "...71,230 baht as their base salary, with an additional 42,330 baht as the allowance."[91]
- 7-Eleven workers: 7-Eleven employees earn from 9,000-20,000 baht per month, depending on position, shift work, and also whether their employer is the Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) or a CP franchisee.[92]
- Silk dyer/weaver: In Buntharik District Ubon Ratchathani Province at a 522 person collective called Silpacheep Centre, members earn more than 20,000 baht per month, up from 5,000 before forming the collective. Each member was awarded a dividend of 16,300 baht in 2017.[93]
- Silversmith: Narong Pimjaiprapa, a Lua silversmith in Mae Hong Son Province earns 100,000 baht per month from his creations.[94]
- Street food vendor: Before Tanyachon started her business selling mu ping, she worked as a secretary for a garment export company in Bangkok. Her job had uncertain hours, often forcing her to work late. The job paid 8,000 baht per month. Her new business had high up-front costs, including the price of meat, sticks, and rice. Supplies range from 7,000 to 8,000 baht per day. Tanyachon usually takes home a daily profit of 2,000 to 3,000 baht.[95]
- Taxi driver, Bangkok: Bangkok taxi drivers earn 300–400 baht per day after expenses (2018) according to researchers at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).[96] One taxi driver reported earning as much as 1,000 baht per day.[97]
- Teacher: Thai teachers employed by the government are paid according to the Ministry of Education's table of salaries for teachers and educational personnel (2015). Thai teachers frequently complain that they are underpaid. The Secretary-General of the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission (OTEP) says that teacher's salaries are not low at all and, in fact, are higher than many other professions.[98]
- Monthly salaries are:
- Assistant teacher: 15,050–24,750 baht per month
- Teacher: 15,440–34,310 baht
- Experienced teacher: 16,190–41,620 baht (plus "extra allowance" of 3,500 baht)[99]
- Highly experienced teacher: 19,860–58,390 baht (plus extra allowance of 12,000 baht)
- Expert teacher: 24,400–69,040 baht (plus extra allowance of 19,800 baht)
- Specialized teacher: 29,980–76,800 baht (plus extra allowance of 32,200 baht)
- Thai casino worker (Macau): Macau-based Sands China Limited is looking to hire 70 workers to work in its hotel and gaming businesses for about 40,000 baht a month.[100]
- Thai farm worker (Israel): A total of 24,746 Thai workers now work in Israel, working mostly in the agricultural sector, in which the minimum pay is about 47,000 baht a month.[101]
- Thai masseuse (Korea): Increasing numbers of Thai women are drawn to illegal massage work and other service jobs in Korea according to the Justice Ministry. The ministry estimates that the number of illegal Thai residents rose from 68,449 in 2017 to 122,192 as of August 2018. Of the 60,000 who are women, some 50,000 are believed to be working in massage parlors. One such worker paid 2.5 million won to a Korean broker she met in Thailand and flew to Korea on a 90-day visa waiver. She has no employment contract since she is working here illegally and lives in a room near the massage parlor and goes to work whenever she gets a phone call. She says she earns three million won (87,948 baht) a month, whereas in Thailand she made just 300,000 won (8,795 baht) a month working in a restaurant.[102]
- Thai migrant workers overseas: {{asof|2020)), Israeli farms employ 26,000 Thais. One, a 43 year old male apple picker, earns US$2,000 (60,000 baht) per month. In South Korea, where there are 22,000 legal Thai workers and 150,000 undocumented Thais, a 45 year old female working on strawberry farm earns US$1,620 (48,600 baht) per month plus free room and board.[103]
- Tour guide: Two Thais who worked as employees of Romantic Samui Co, a Chinese-owned tour company, received monthly salaries of 10,000 baht.[104]
- Traffic police: Bangkok's 3,000 traffic police earn an average of £500 a month.[105][106]
- Train drivers: : A State Railway of Thailand (SRT) train driver now in his sixth year as a driver, following 13 years as a mechanic said, "...I've been working here for 19 years and my salary is only around 25,000 baht [per month]." One 55 year-old driver earns 60,000 baht per month. A driver who earns 25,000 baht wage, says he receives around 56 satang per kilometre driven.[107]
- Tuk-tuk driver (Bangkok): "Before the virus, I would usually make 1,000 baht, sometimes as much 2,000 baht.[108]
- Vegetable vendor, Simum Muang Market: "She used to make, pre-Coronavirus, up to 500 baht in profit a day. Now, on a good day she might make 100 baht."[109]
- Web pretties: Social media celebrities, known as "web pretties" are recruited to promote online gambling. To promote the gambling site, the promoter uses pen or lipstick to write the domain of the online casino on their cleavage or elsewhere on her body. She then posts the videos or photos on social media. One girl who was caught earned 4,000 to 8,000 [baht] (US$125-250) weekly to promote a gambling site.[110]
- White-collar worker: The Thailand Board of Investment publishes a list of estimated white collar worker wages by occupation.[111]
- Yacht craftsman: A 67 year-old yacht craftsman from Phetchaburi said he has worked on yacht maintenance in Phuket for nearly two decades. "Going back 20 years my daily wage was less than 200 baht, but today [2018] I earn 600-700 baht a day."[112]
The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Finance:Wages_in_Thailand