The daily minimum wage will remain unchanged at 300 baht for now, permanent secretary for labour Nakorn Silpa-archa said yesterday.
Mr Nakorn said after reviewing available information, the wage committee found the overall cost of living had not increased, while fuel prices were declining and the inflation rate remained low.
Mr Nakorn, the committee chairman, said some labour groups had discussed a plan to ask the panel to raise the minimum wage to 321 baht a day, but no formal proposal had been submitted.
The panel also dismissed concerns by labour groups that consumer prices could rise after the government decided to raise the living cost allowance for two groups of civil servants.
Mr Nakorn said any increase would not be substantial.
The government recently decided to raise living cost payments for civil servants earning less than 9,000 baht a month and those earning less than 13,000 baht a month.
The government has also asked the Commerce Ministry to ensure prices are not marked up without good reason, Mr Nakorn said.
The wage committee will meet again on pay proposals towards the end of next year, Mr Nakorn said.
Chalee Loysung, chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, said if the cost of living did not rise, then there would be no problem with the minimum daily wage.
But when living costs increase, the daily wage should be lifted to keep up, he said, urging the panel to schedule an earlier meeting should costs rise.
Mr Chalee also called for a cut in public transport fares, arguing that fuel prices have fallen significantly.
A survey should be conducted in Bangkok and surrounding provinces from January to March to find whether lower fuel prices have caused living costs to drop, he said.
If the survey shows consumers are still struggling to cope, the panel should consider raising the minimum wage, Mr Chalee said.