Labor policy and administration
Minimum wage
Better deal for workers
As Thailand marks Labour Day today, parties are busy campaigning for the upcoming election on May 14. Many parties are proposing policies to support workers, with a key highlight being an increase in daily minimum wages. However, questions have been raised about this proposal, as ...
Bangkok Post Reporter
Labour Ministry agrees to hike minimum wage from Bt336: source
The government is set to approve a sharp rise in the minimum wage from Bt336 to a flat rate of Bt492, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.Coming just two years after the previous raise, the expected hike would mainly benefit labourers. However, ...
The Nation Reporter
Minimum wage waive floated to sustain SMEs
The government is being advised to waive the daily minimum wage requirement for six months to help entrepreneurs maintain employment during the pandemic.Thanit Sorat, vice-chairman of the National Labour Development Advisory Council, said the council estimated that the country’s total unemployed could reach 9-10 million ...
Chatrudee Theparat
Workers to feel pinch of grinding economy
Workers’ wages won’t stretch very far this year amid a protracted economic slowdown that will hit pockets hard, say experts and labour leaders.“Save wages to pay off debts and work overtime to make ends meet”, is advice that sums up the outlook for workers this ...
Penchan Charoensuthipan
Wage hike offers only small relief
The new minimum daily wage rate, with a few baht increase depending on location, will take effect as of Wednesday in what is dubbed a tiny new year’s gift for labourers.The new structure which is announced in the Royal Gazette on Friday will see minimum ...
Editorial
SMEs push back on wage hike
Smaller firms may delay investment and recruitment next year because of the recent minimum wage increase of 5-6 baht per day, says the Federation of Thai SMEs.Last Friday, the national wage committee agreed to hike the daily minimum wage from 308-330 baht to 313-336 baht. ...
Lamonphet Apisitniran
No adverse impacts on businesses from minimum wage hike, says expert
An increase in the minimum wage by Bt5 to Bt6 will neither hike the cost liability for entrepreneurs nor increase inflation, Anusorn Tamajai, the director of the Economic and Business Research Centre for Reform at Rangsit University’s Institute of Economics, said yesterday (December 8).“An increase ...
The Nation Reporter
Minimum wage to rise next month
The national wage committee agreed on Friday to increase the minimum daily wage by 5-6 baht, from 308-330 baht to 313-336 baht, and will propose the rise to cabinet for effect from Jan 1.Unskilled workers in most provinces will be entitled to 315-320 baht a ...
Penchan Charoensuthipan
Has the minimum wage outlived its usefulness?
The minimum wage was introduced to Thailand in the mid 1970’s as a way to protect against basic labour being taken advantage of and provide a guaranteed minimum wage for all workers. However, it was never applied to “all workers”. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) ...
Thailand Says Slowing Economy Dims Outlook for Minimum-Wage Hike
The Thai government’s pledge to boost the country’s minimum wage is foundering because of an economic slowdown.U.S.-China trade tension and its impact on Thailand is one of the risks to monitor, according to Labor Minister Chatumongol Sonakul. An official report due Aug. 19 may show ...
