Have salaries gotten lower in Thailand?

**Teachermark** · 28th March 2012 08:59

I would have ... until I read this ...

Originally Posted by jonny danger

i double dare you

**Milkman** · 28th March 2012 09:19

Originally Posted by Teachermark

I'd replace that with "stagnated"

They declined, not stagnated.

I using real Baht, not nominal. Inflation, cost of living.

**Teachermark** · 28th March 2012 09:26

Originally Posted by Milkman

Inflation

That involves both wages and prices going up. Only half the equation exists in this situation.

1991 -30k
2012-30k

No change, no rise, not lower ... stagnation.

You can't use the same yardsticks and logic you would use in the "West". TIT. There is no logic.

**jonny danger** · 28th March 2012 09:32

For once we agree. Doesn't mean we're engaged tho.

**Milkman** · 28th March 2012 09:47

Originally Posted by Teachermark

1991 -30k
2012-30k

No change, no rise, not lower ... stagnation.

That is not stagnation - it is a decline.

As I stated, I'm talking real money, not nominal money.

**Thaitanium** · 28th March 2012 10:02

I'm happy here in Thailand and it's got very little to do with the money I make...

If your priority is money I'm afraid you'll never be happy anywhere...

**Milkman** · 28th March 2012 10:10

Originally Posted by Thaitanium

I'm happy here in Thailand and it's got very little to do with the money I make...

I feel the same way, and I live the same way.

If your priority is money I'm afraid you'll never be happy anywhere...

Spot-on.

I personally seen this with friends and one person in my family.

Salaries from time to time however, are worthy of discussion.

**Teachermark** · 28th March 2012 10:21

Originally Posted by Thaitanium

If your priority is money I'm afraid you'll never be happy anywhere...

Just ask Hugh Heffner. His priority was poon-tang ... and he seems happy. Could we draw a parallel with LOS somehow?

**jonny danger** · 28th March 2012 10:22

Originally Posted by Milkman

I personally seen this

I seen it in a number of countries. Who in their right mind would want to become a teacher in the Third World and never consider what it pays.

SIGN UP TODAY AT DE VRY COLLEGE, LAND A CAREER IN LUCRATIVE SOCIAL WORK. OR BE A TELEMARKETING BOT, A PROVEN SUCCESS RATE.

**8ball** · 28th March 2012 10:24

Originally Posted by jonny danger

You can manage on a Spartan life style can't you?

Yes,,, hav dun in the past wen I had to

but now,,,, Y wud anyone want to by choice?

they wudn innit,,

**jonny danger** · 28th March 2012 10:32

Maybe you'd have to consider just how long the average teacher stays in Thailand .. Two years maybe? It's a working vacation for most people, or maybe a wife hunting trek.

**8ball** · 28th March 2012 10:59

Yeah,,, mostly transients

I see em cum n go

such is life wen ur an Xpat ,,

**Bird71** · 28th March 2012 11:01

Originally Posted by 8ball

I see em cum n go

... and some are stuck here, happily ever after ...

**haltest** · 28th March 2012 11:32

The idea that they start off in office jobs on 15K is absolutely ludicrous

That's based on six years experience working for one of the biggest Thai companies. Yes it was in Bangkok and that will skew the numbers somewhat! Thai salaries have risen a lot in the time I have been here but so have the costs of food and the general cost of living.

I guess it all comes down to what you compare yourself to and what your aspirations are. As a young person (unmarried and without kids?), you don't need much to get by. Once you get into a relationship and have kids or get older and start to have to think about healthcare (and its costs) and retirement etc, even 50,000 is not going to go far. I would think you need to save about 30,000 per month in order to give yourself a reasonable cushion as things can go wrong in the blink of an eye here and especially as there is no safety net

**MDJase** · 28th March 2012 12:22

Originally Posted by haltest

I guess it all comes down to what you compare yourself to and what your aspirations are. As a young person (unmarried and without kids?), you don't need much to get by. Once you get into a relationship and have kids or get older and start to have to think about healthcare (and its costs) and retirement etc, even 50,000 is not going to go far. I would think you need to save about 30,000 per month in order to give yourself a reasonable cushion as things can go wrong in the blink of an eye here and especially as there is no safety net

Completely agree with what you said. It also depends on how much your partner is making too and how much money you throw away every month. When I first came to Thailand, 55K a month was enough between my girlfriend and I. But nowadays, we easily go through that long before the month is over. IMO, how much you earn makes little difference compared to your spending habit. You can live very happily on 30k a month, but you can also go broke before the month is over on a 100k salary. For some people, it doesn't matter how much they make, it'll never be enough.

Originally Posted by haltest

That's based on six years experience working for one of the biggest Thai companies. Yes it was in Bangkok and that will skew the numbers somewhat! Thai salaries have risen a lot in the time I have been here but so have the costs of food and the general cost of living.

I can see how your assumptions came about now. As you said, you were working for one of the biggest Thai companies. Not everyone in Thailand works for a company, let alone one of the biggest Thai companies. And people working in the government sector earn far less than people working in the private sector.