The trade union movement in Thailand wants the ruling party Palang Pracharath (PPRP) to fulfill its election promise to raise the minimum wage. The Democrats, also a government party, are also pushing for this. The PPRP has promised before the elections that the minimum wage will be increased to an average of 400 baht per day.
According to former MP Attavit of the Democrats, they also want an increase in the minimum wage, but they want to see this realized in a different way: “The Democrats do not want to put the burden of the increase on the shoulders of employers. We guarantee a minimum annual income by having the government pay the difference if this is not met.”
Attavit wants a system like in Singapore where the lowest paid employees receive a supplement to their wages. This can be done in several ways, such as student finance for employees or their children, financial support for paying off debts, but also through expenditure on health care or as savings for retirement.
According to him, this is better because then there is no financial pressure on small and medium-sized enterprises when the economy is down.
The trade union movement does not want to wait for that and threatens to go to the administrative court if the PPRP-led government does not raise the minimum wage to 400 baht within its four-year term. As far as the trade unions are concerned, this can also be done in small steps.
Source: Bangkok Post
There is no money for that, the "government" has just purchased one (1) warship, which cannot come close to the coast because of the too great draft ( hahahah) and all the other plans in the pile ( which threaten due to their size to fall ) lie make the Know How completes ridiculous how they run a country. Anyway, often give the amen with less than 300 bath a day a little bit more with the promise that they will get more (again a little bit) next year. Oh yes, all those plans are not only based on realization but also on obtaining “tea money” for the builders, entrepreneurs and their cronies.
“The trade union movement does not want to wait for that and threatens to go to the administrative court if the PPRP-led government does not raise the minimum wage to 400 baht within its four-year term. As far as the trade unions are concerned, this can also be done in small steps.”
The government can therefore postpone the increase for 4 years minus 1 day, if I read this correctly.
Moreover, that increase means nothing anymore, because apparently it is an increase to 400 Baht in 4 years, so an average of less than 25 Baht per year.
Furthermore, the government will undoubtedly increase taxes, so that little or less than nothing remains of the increase in income.
Plunging even more poor people into misery??
Shopkeepers raise prices generously, while the employer only adds a very small amount.
What do you get then???
Even more people who can't handle it all and therefore (have to) borrow, because certain layers of the population still want to buy that new car or other bigger things.
And a very large group that has never received anything above the former 200 baht.
People in the Isaan, who have to bend over for a day for a little baht, to pay for the most important living items.
In those more than 30 years we have never seen so many shophouses, shops, food stalls empty.
And even then people dare to write the economy “up”.
Empty shops of any kind, bars that have to close, even the big real estate agents (chinese) in Bangkok are complaining bitterly and have their eye on condos around 3 million +, while this group used to deal in real estate which averaged 300.000 baht/m2.
Tourists who come less.
Well, you name it.
But as long as a certain group will and can fill the pockets in this way in a very crude way, nothing will change.
Until the Thai population gets enough of it.
Louise
The trade union movement does not want to wait for that and threatens to go to the administrative court if the PPRP-led government does not raise the minimum wage to 400 baht within its four-year term. As far as the trade unions are concerned, this can also be done in small steps.”
The trade union movement is already seeing the downpour, because with an increase of more than 20% at once, and additional burdens and even more risks for the employer, it will become increasingly easier to let the superfluous staff go and those who remain do better. to pay. That is a win/win for the benevolent employee and the employer.
The group that is allowed to be made redundant is part of the hidden unemployed and now often serve as a “service provider”. It can of course also go the way, such as at Big C and Tesco Lotus and then according to the Dutch supermarket method.
Install a conveyor belt and teach the customer to put the items in a bag he brought with him or teach the customer to put the hose in a petrol tank himself.
In 4 years in small steps could still be defended, partly to stimulate the economy. Not only the lowest paid would then benefit, but also the people in the scales above.
Up to say a salary of 15.000 baht p/p, relatively not much is saved anyway and that extra money is not expected to be saved all of a sudden, or it will go into the economy.
We all agree that it is not a fat pot for the minima in TH, but the minima in NL is not a fat pot either.
They can only dream of a salary increase of more than 30% in 4 years.
In NL that is only reserved for the top.
When you have to live on the minimum wage in NL, that is certainly not a lot of money, but absolutely incomparable with a Thai who has to survive on a few hundred baht.
Apart from the fact that a minimum wage in the Netherlands / Europe is also not a lot of money, this is really only about the Thai minimum wage.
If all minimum wagers from the Netherlands, who certainly don't have it easy, had to live in Thailand on 350 to 400 Baht p / day, most would be willing to crawl back to the Netherlands on all fours if they could.
in Thailand it is easier to live on 10000 baht than in the Netherlands on 1000 euros.
Thais live together and with the family, so no rent because the house is a family owned home.
Thais eat together, so a meal costs 20 baht per person.
1 fast internet connection shared with the neighbors costs 200 baht per month.
Do you have to go to the hospital as a Thai, no problem, the care is free.
I myself have already taken my Thai mother-in-law to the hospital 7 times, EEG,
lung photos all kinds of scans all over the body +2 months hospital Nongkhai
total cost none.
this is how thai people can make ends meet from nothing to something
now reply to John Chiang Rai; small comparison of the Thai and the Dutch who do not live with family.
thai rent simple apartment baht 2500 netherlands rent simple apartment baht 16000
Care baht 30 Care baht 4000
gas, water, electricity baht 1000. Gas water electricity baht 6000
Food 4000 baht Food 12000 baht
internet baht 399 internet min baht 1750
clothes + slippers baht 300 clothes + shoes baht 1750
===== ======
Thai living away from home ink 9000 baht 8229 Dutch min income 51750 41500
Conclusion Thais and Dutch people can survive on the minimum salary but do not have much left over.
In addition, in Thailand the weather is always nice and in the Netherlands from October to April fairly cold and often rainy weather, which has consequences for heating costs, clothing purchase and healthcare at a later age.
Unfortunately, retired Dutch people in Thailand often have to contend with high health care costs
more than 500 eur per month and such not to cough up in thailand.
As a result, people are forced to return to the Netherlands, or Spain, or Turkey, where the healthcare costs are reimbursed and there is also a pleasant climate.
As you can see, the Thai lives at home with the family and works much better than the Dutch in the Netherlands or the Dutch in Thailand.
This is what you say:
'In Thailand it is easier to live on 10000 baht than in the Netherlands on 1000 euros.'
And that's true. But in the Netherlands no one lives below 1000 euros, while in Thailand 10% are still below the poverty line of 3.000 baht per month (elderly, disabled), and at least 20-30% below 8.000 baht per month. (minimum wage 300 bath for 25 days). So your comparison is flawed.
And in the Netherlands you have the Sickness Benefits Act, the WAO and social assistance benefits. And surcharges and holiday pay. yes right?
dear Tina
As you can read, the elderly live with the young in the isaan.
of which the young people leave the children with the grandparents and often both (man woman) have an income of 10000 to 15000 baht total income of 20 to 30000 baht with 2 working children.
house is free so no rent has to be paid etc.
For Dutch Tip; make sure you marry a thai woman (no visa run)
only income of 40000 baht per month.
Make sure you can live with your Thai family = free and you also eat and drink together
so the two of you can live for a maximum of 4000 baht per month for food and drink.
so you have roughly 10000 baht per month 9thais income), 3000 baht left.
Dear Peter, With all those Dutch minimum wagers you want to talk to a Thai woman with your optimistic calculations, you forget to tell a few things.
The accommodation with a Thai family that you describe here as free, of course, is usually not.
Although most Thais smile every day, a Thai woman and her family also expect a financial return for this free living opportunity.
Moreover, most expats also have a different idea of their usually hard-earned old age, and certainly do not want to be dependent every day, and are forced to sit on the pot with the Thai family.
Furthermore, you forget in your calculations a usually very expensive health insurance, which all of your mentioned 40.000 Baht has to be paid.
I assume that if you don't have more to offer, that a Thai woman who is usually much younger would not look at most with the ass.
Living for free may be right in your case, but without financial compensation in my eyes it is nothing but schmarotzen, which every thoughtful person would eventually get into trouble with.
Dear Pete, I quote from your last sentence, as you can see, the Thai who lives at home with his family and works are much better off than those Dutch people who live in the Netherlands or in Thailand.
For many Thais who receive no or minimum wage, there is no other option to rely on the family community.
A Dutchman who would be prepared to share a house and a car with 4 or more other minimum wage earners from his family would also clearly do better.
Only which Dutchman, even with a minimum wage, wants and must do that, and would feel better off with this absurd situation for a Western thinking?
Even the Thai health care for 30 Baht is not so optimal everywhere as you describe it, that every minimum wage worker in the Netherlands would immediately agree with this.
I've seen state hospitals in Thailand, where apart from the good ones, I hope never to go.
I don't even want to talk about your further calculations and life wisdom, which are written very rosy and with rose-colored glasses.
rose-colored glasses or a realist when you don't know the person who lives alone with his wife and children among Thai family and people in a fairly large city and has never spoken to a farang in the last year.
Most rose-colored glasses wearers are those who live in walled compounds and think they can put life in Thailand into words.
As well as the Farang who live in large houses on a large walled area somewhere in a city or village in the Isaan or Pattaya and Chiangmay and every day take a round trip with the toyota land cruiser or mitsubitsi pajero to the shopping mall or to visit friends who are on stay in the same places as described above.
The answer to why the Dutch do not live in a house with 10 people is first and foremost the culture.
Last week you could also read about a conversation with Prime Minister Rutte in which he stated that in the Netherlands children are going to live away from home after their 21st year ????.
Hence the reduction of the mandatory minimum wage from 23 years to 21 years, so that this
young people can rent a room more easily, etc.
The most important point is of course The Climate.
In Thailand, people mainly live outside and have breakfast at a tent from 0600 in the morning
eat a noodle with employees of your company somewhere outside in the afternoon
in the evening with your wife or family eat outside at a diner if finances allow.
otherwise you eat together with the family at home.
in Thailand people also go in the morning from 0500 to 0800 with thousands of sports in the parks and in the evening from 1700 to 2100 again with free use of outdoor fitness equipment and shelter
volleyball field, soccer field, petanque, badminton all free.
In the Netherlands this is not possible due to the cold weather and people mainly live indoors and exercise mainly in the gym indoors.
think of a birthday in the Netherlands where you are inside with 20 people, this is probably not sustainable for long as the houses are usually relatively small.
but now you go on a sunny day in August just like last year in the Netherlands and celebrate the same birthday with the same 20 people in the garden of the house until late in the evening and which is very relaxed, so that is the Thai lifestyle.
You can live in the Netherlands with 20 people, rent or buy a farm with land and some cows, chickens, goats and a vegetable garden and be self-sufficient.
Everyone pays 400 eur monthly for all costs including food and drinks and you live spaciously in a farmhouse.
During the day everyone works or not, it doesn't matter because everyone gets at least 1000 euros.
so you see if you want you can live in the Netherlands just like in Thailand.
usual kettle music. No party can make promises that will be kept if they are not in control. At most you can say that you will strive for that.
If the employees' association say that they are going to the administrative court, everyone understands that it is nonsense.
Time and time again in Thailand, there is a commotion about nonsense.
Thailand should first address state pensions for the elderly, the disabled, child benefits, health care (particularly in case of an accident), and reduction of school costs.
Increasing the minimum wage makes large vulnerable groups even poorer and even more dependent on family members who do have an income. On balance, the lowest paid part of the population only becomes poorer after the minimum wage is raised.
The minimum wage has already been increased in April 2018: by 8 to 22 baht. Please note: not as an hourly wage, but as a daily wage. Repeat: An increase of 8 to 22 baht per day. https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws-uit-thailand/akkoord-verhoging-minimumloon-thailand-per-1-april/
The union also sputtered at the time, because it wanted to go to 360 baht per day. After which it became quiet. The TH trade union movement would indeed do well to hold the PPRP to its election promise.