The Labour Ministry is expected to approve a rise in Thailand's daily minimum wage from 336 baht to a flat rate of 492, according to a Nation Thailand report. The sharp increase comes just 2 years after a previous hike and is expected to mainly favour labourers. It's understood that 2 agencies representing workers in the Tripartite Wage Committee have proposed the increase and approved it in principle.
The Tripartite Wage Committee consists of employers, worker representatives, and government officials. The government is represented by the Labour Ministry, workers are represented by the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee and State Enterprises Workers' Relations Confederation, and employers are represented by the Employers' Confederation of Thailand.
In proposing the rate, the committee cited various expenses workers have to meet, including daily expenditure such as 3 meals and transport costs and monthly expenses such as rent, utility bills, car repayments, and various other expenses to cover for family members.
According to the Nation Thailand report, an unnamed source says the Labour Ministry has pledged to increase the daily minimum wage but has not yet confirmed if the proposed 492 rate will be approved. However, it's expected to do so imminently. It's not known if employer representatives have discussed the proposed new rate with those representing workers.
The current rate of 336 baht has been in place in Chon Buri and Phuket since January 2020, but drops to 335 baht in the southern province of Rayong and 331 baht in Bangkok and 5 other provinces. The provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala, in the far south of the country have the lowest daily rate at 313 baht.
If approved, this will be the first time a flat minimum wage has been implemented in Thailand. The report goes on to say that its implementation is expected to lead to a rise in prices for general goods and services, affecting all consumers, including salaried workers.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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