Daily minimum wage to rise by 5% from Oct 1

Thailand’s daily minimum wage, frozen since January 2020, is set to rise by an average of 5% from Oct 1 to help workers cope with inflation that is near a 14-year high.

The increase will help workers deal with the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Boonchob Suthamanaswong, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Labour.

Current minimum wages vary depending on the province. The highest rate is 336 baht per day in Chon Buri and Phuket, while the lowest is 313 baht in the three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala. The new rates will range from 328 to 354 baht.

The national wage committee, representing employers, labour groups and the government, agreed unanimously to raise the minimum daily wage by 5.02%. Workers in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces will receive the biggest increment, at 22 baht. The smallest increase, 8 baht, will apply in Udon Thani and Nan. The highest rate overall will be in Chon Buri, Rayong and Phuket, at 354 baht.

Members of the committee met for five hours on Friday before coming up with the final wage range, said Mr Boonchob, the chairman of the committee.

The new rates will be effective from Oct 1, pending approval by the cabinet next week, he said.

Nine groups of provinces are covered by the new rates, as follows:

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