The tripartite wage committee has stood firm on its earlier agreed plan to raise the average daily minimum wage by 2.37%, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
However, it left the door open to another increase for workers in April or May, following a review sought by the government.
The committee, comprising government, employer and employee representatives, agreed to raise the pay threshold range to between 330 and 370 baht, effective from Jan 1, Pairoj Chotikasathien, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Labour, told reporters.
The current range is 328 to 354 baht, depending on the province, so the increases will be between 2 and 16 baht a day.
“The wage hike is based on current economic data and is considered appropriate with equality, fairness and reliability,” Mr Pairoj told a press conference.
Asked about Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn’s remark that the wage rate calculation was unfair because it included the low economic growth in 2020 and 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the committee agreed to consider adjusting the formula, which would be applied over six years.
Mr Pairoj, who chairs the wage committee, said he would appoint a panel to study the formula on Jan 17.
The panel would consider adjusting the way wage increases are set, which is expected to lead to another wage hike in April or May, he added.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said earlier that the wage hike averaging 2.37% was too low, adding that wage increases would “not be a disaster” for business owners.
His ruling Pheu Thai party wanted to raise the threshold to 400 baht, among its raft of populist promises to woo the working classes, but faced opposition from businesses worried about pushing up operating costs during a weak economy.
Pheu Thai also promised during the election campaign to lift the wage to 600 baht by the end of its four-year term.
The last increase approved by the national wage committee was 5%, in October 2022.