Minimum Monthly Salary to Live in Thailand
(updated September 2018)
A lot of people want to know what the minimum monthly salary to live in Thailand is so here is an article which looks at what you really need to survive. We will look at different levels and see the comparison between them. I have had experience living at the lower to mid-end salary levels and will share my views. I also know people who live here from the Philippines, China and India who live on the salaries of local Thai national so will provide some information from them.
To start with you should have a look at our Why You Shouldn’t Live on a Shoestring , cost of living in Thailand and accommodation in Thailand pages to get a rough idea of different costs you will have. It is also fair to say that people will be coming to Thailand with different expectations and the minimum monthly salary to live in Thailand will be less for some people than others. Most people do chose to come here to improve their own quality of life whilst others come so they can save money to send back to family. This report is aimed more at the first group who plan to live here to improve their own life. We should also consider that living in Bangkok or another tourist destination will have a much higher cost and outside these areas you can have the same standard of living for maybe 20-30% less salary.
Thai Wages
Just to give you an idea on local wages we will look at typical salaries for Thai nationals. Whilst the incomes for Thai nationals varies greatly (I see more super-cars here than in the UK) most people live a fugal life on a modest salary. The minimum wage is currently 300 Baht per day – less than 10,000 Baht a month, although this may change soon. This is for unskilled workers but the jump for university graduates in entry level jobs is only an extra 5,000 a month. Even for doctors and engineers in their early years they tend to earn around 35- 50,000 Baht a month. It is true that after getting more experience and qualifications people can get higher paying jobs around 80,000 Baht. However the average Thai salary is closer to 20-25,000 a month but only with good education and connections.
As such many people have to survive on 300-400 Baht a day. They can do this by eating street food, living with family or sharing cheap apartments and having to avoid many activities most people in the West take for granted. It is true that those earning over 20,000 Baht live a good quality of life but that is mainly down to knowing how to live cheaply and getting good deals.
Foreigner wages under 20,000 Baht
So you see a job paying sub 20,000 Baht a month and want to know how you will live. Well I think this wage is typical to those offered to many non-native English teachers from the Philippines, India or Africa.I have many friends from these countries who seem to get along just fine. In comparison to their home countries this is a good wage and they often have some spare to send home to their family. You will be living in a small apartment and eating mainly street food but can maybe have a couple of nights out a month and maybe have the odd shopping splurge. If you live in remote towns or villages this wage would be more than enough if you weren’t looking to save money and just wanted to survive. And I think survive is the key word. You can look after yourself and maybe have the odd treat but its not a long term winning plan.
Foreigner wages 20,000 – 35,000 Baht
This salary range , typically 28- 33,000 Baht is the salary paid to government school English teachers. Outside of tourist spots it will provide a decent standard of life and for the many people who come here for a year or so it is acceptable for them as they often have some savings to help too. However, In Bangkok and other big cities it will often mean cutting back for many people. An apartment at 5,000 Baht, a few Western meals a week and a night out partying every week and there will be surprisingly little left over. Again for those here just for a year it is not a problem but if you have long term plans to stay here you will struggle to pay for a flight home to visit family or if your laptop breaks etc.
This is also the base salary for many non-teaching jobs in media, advertising and sales – often with added commission payments. People in these jobs rely heavily on commission but a month or so without it can be hard.
Foreigner wages 35,000 – 50,000 Baht
In this range you will start to get more financial freedom, especially outside of Bangkok. If living in Bangkok or other tourist spots this will often be a teacher who is doing some part time work to supplement their earnings. A 30,00 Baht salary plus around 10,000 Baht extra from private tuition. This means a few more nights out, the chance to save 5 – 10,000 Baht a month and not having to count the pennies all the time. You will be able to afford a few nice trips a year and be able to eat out a few times a week. Personally I feel around 40,000 Baht is the minimum salary to live a full life outside of Bangkok and 50,000 in Bangkok. Many people do it for less but when I reached this salary bracket my life became easier and a lot more stress free. I was able to save more money and paid for a Condo.
Foreigner wages 50,000 – 100,000
With this salary you will have a comfortable life as long as you don’t get too stuck into Thai nightlife. This salary is normally paid for high level teachers and mid level jobs in international companies. You will be able to save a fair chunk of your salary whilst still having a very high standard of living. The flight home to see your family wont be difficult to save for and when you’re back you will even be able to buy a few drinks for them! However with higher wages people tend to spend them on buying things they don’t need.
With this salary you will be living in a very nice condo or renting a house. You will have a swimming pool, fitness room and be close to transport links. You can also look at making bigger purchases such as a car.
Foreigner wages 100,000 + Baht
Earning over 100,000 Baht you will live a great life. You will be able to buy almost anything you want and will most likely live a better quality of life than in your home country. This wage is reserved for teachers at international schools and direct recruitment for international companies. Often at this level people will also have a benefits package including flights, accommodation and maybe even a private driver. There will be a nanny for the children, amazing holidays and ample opportunity for saving.
My Verdict
There are a lot of different views on this matter but in my opinion for a single person wanting to live a good standard of living they need to be earning at least 50,000 Baht in Bangkok and other popular areas and at least 35,000 Baht in rural towns. Of course with a family a higher salary is needed to support them. In general I have found a higher standard of living in Bangkok than in the UK but I have also come to appreciate the smaller things and don’t have the desire to waste money like I did in the past.
Please feel free to give your opinions in the comments section below!
Thailand is a developing country with hatred
Interesting point – I don’t agree that it is full of hatred – I guess you just had a bad experience.
I dont know why your figures does not make sense to me. I have never been in Thialand but the differnce between a person who lives in a big city Bangkok (at least 50,000 Baht) and rural town (at least 35,000 Baht) should be much higher.
Hi Eddy,
To be honest Bangkok, Pattaya and Chinag Mai are more expensive than the rural areas but there are many costs in the rural areas which can be higher such as transportation and the need to sometimes visit other towns for immigration / eating / shopping. 35,000 is the salary for a standard government school English teacher which is another reason for choosing this figure.
When you come to Bangkok you will see these figures are about right for the average person.
I lived in the rural area and spent around 38,000 a month and now I live in Bangkok and I do spend more than 50K but this article is about the minimum salary, my lifestyle is above average which is why I spend more.
Hope this helps
Richard
I am looking for job in Thailand .
Is there anyone who can guide or help me regarding same
What type of job are you looking for? for English teaching look at http://www.ajarn.com or non teaching jobs check out http://www.monster.co.th/ or craigslist
Ive read alot of articles about this topic and i think u nailed it…I’m coming to Thailand in early October and going to be living on around 80000b per month….Im just going to be traveling at first and checking things out….I’m 43 and single and hoping to find an area i like… I do have a teaching degree and thought maybe i should teach and meet people that way….? What do u think? Teach and use that money for rent, and live in that 100,000b bracket? or just travel and relax on 80000 baht bracket?
Maybe better to have a deluxe vacation once a month and save money and live like high roller and work every day??????
Hi Pete,
I live on around 75K a month and it suits me fine. 80,000 will be perfect to live in a nice condo and head out to enjoy the city. However, as a tourist you can quite easily spend your money quickly on heading out and eating every night and shopping etc.
When you visit the islands your can very easily spend 3/4K a day for average accommodation and eating out at decent restaurants.
One option you have is to work part time at a language center – I know it is probably not the type of teaching you are used to but it will give you the flexibility of working only a few days a month and getting a work permit to stay here without border runs etc. You can just do weekend work or a couple of evenings a week and, with your education, you can work at one of the better centers and make around 500-700 Baht an hour. 10 hours a week will get you up to 100K no problems.
If you use your degree to work in a school you will probably have to work full time and leaving after a month for a big vacation probably isn’t possible.
I’ve met most of my friends here through work but I live outside the city center so it is harder to meet other foreigners. If you are in the city there are lots of meet ups and clubs you could join.
I want to leave in bangkok & i want to worked in any company
My name is rajan kumar pathak i am from india & i want to leave in bangkock & i want to worked there &i with a friend his name is salim we want to leave there
Hi Rajan,
Take a look on one of the job sites and you can find work here if you have the right qualifications!
rajan has good english,,,,,,should do just fine
Hi Richard,
I read your post with some interest.
I travel to the Kingdom quite often (based in Singapore currently) and share similar views to you. However, taxation and rent could potentially be high for foreigners.
I think if one earns THB100,000 (nett) a month – this would place him in the tax bracket of 25%-30%. That’s quite hefty
Rent is easily THB10,000 a month (excluding utilities and internet) minimum. As you mentioned, in the city center it could easily be double or triple this amount.
Personally I feel certain things are quite expensive like local transportation as well.
Thank you for your post, it was insightful hearing from a foreigner. All the best to you
what is a decent salary for singale person for Rayong location..?
Hi,
It really depends on your background and the job you are applying for.
In rayong I guess you are working in one of the big business plants as an engineer? Something like that should pay around 40,000 Baht + depending on your situation.
If you can give more details I can let you know.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for a really interesting succinct article.
I am thinking of retiring to Thailand with an annual milItaly pension of £20,000 to somewhere like Pran Buri. Do you think this would be enough to live on? (To a reasonable standard).
Many thanks
Chris
Hi Chris,
That will work out to around 70,000 Baht a month which is a decent amount to live on. I guess you mean actually live in Pran Buri, not Hua Hin?
Either way you will be able to rent a nice house / condo for around 10,000 Bat a month, bills an extra 3-5K all in.
I normally spend around 10-12K a month on food and eat at mid range places3 or 4 times a week. If you go to Hua Hin or western restaurants / bars then you will spend more than this.
I guess you would rent a motor bike or car which will be 2-7K a month as there wont be too much public transport there. You can do a bit of travelling around and go out when you want. Normally I budget around 15,000 Baht for a 3 day trip somewhere in Thailand including flights but that is for 2 people.
In terms of socializing then I dont know about Pran Buri but Hua Hin has a lot of expats and things to do. Golf is a popular activity and there are some great courses but expect to pay around 2-3,000 all in to play some of the best courses in the off peak period.
I would suggest if you had a nice place, ate out once a day in a decent restaurant, socialized a few times a week and did a couple of little trips a month you are probably looking at around 50-60,000 Baht a month so you will be able to save some for insurance, trips abroad or anything else you want. If you are in Hua Hin then it is possible to spend more but it really depends on how often you go out and travel.
If you wanted to you could do things for less but as you said you want to live to a reasonable standard so don’t look at studio apartments, eating street food everyday and staying in day after day. This way you could do things for less than 30,000 but then I think you would be bored really quickly.
Hope this is helpful, any other questions let me know!
Hi Richard,
Many thanks for your reply.
Certainly is food for thought (literally). Sounds like it could be a possibility and not just a dream.
All the best to you and your partner,
Best regards,
Chris
Hi Richard!
I am thinking about moving to Bangkok. Im 26 years old Lithuanian girl. I have master degree in Law and now working in a bank with fraudulent activities about a year.
I need to get a job that would provide me a working visa. The only possibility is to apply online. What is the chances to get a job online? And what salary is ok ask?
Thank you a lot 🙂
Hi Monika,
It is possible to apply for a job whilst here but you will need to leave the country and return again to get a work permit.
Online jobs are available, check out craigslist and monster.co.th for a few examples. I am not too sure about the finance industry, it might be difficult to get a job like your current one.
Salary depends on the job. The minimum mo European people look at is around 30,000 Baht which is the entry level sales positions and low level teaching jobs.
I personally think you should be looking to earn closer to 50K to have a better quality of life as I say in the article 30,000 limits your accommodation and lefstyle.
Hey Monika can you keep me update,on how you gonna do in Thailand? im Lithuanian living in USA.
It takes time. I am looking for a job now. Are you thinking about Thailand also?
I’m moved from the uk and now employ 28 people here in Pattaya Thailand, 2 of which are British. One of the two guys earns close to 100,000 baht but when you take into account his perks, it’s just over. The other one is a salesman and only puts a half day in, five days a week and averagely gets paid around 50,000 ish a month, he could earn more if he needed to but quite obviously does not need to, hence your comments above.
In my opinion, you’re pretty much spot on and I’ve been an employer here for over 10 years now.
Thanks for your comments Aaron, good to know the same is true in Pattaya for how much you need to live here.
is this through deveere aaron?
Wow Rich, excellent blog! What do you know about English speaking call centers in your area or Thailand in general? I have a business in the states and I was thinking about outsourcing the ‘sales’ portion to call centers in India – they charge $760/mo for a virtual assistant, which is cheaper than the Philippines. But, if I can hire where you are at a competitive rate, I’m all ears and I may even just move to Thailand. Also, I heard the visa issue was a drag for foreigners, having to go out of the country every 2-3 months? Anyways, keep up the great job and appreciate the info!
Thanks Chuk, my girlfriend worked for an international company in their customer service department, she got close to 30k which I think is just under 1,000USD I am sure you can find people for around 750USD but you will need to be careful about the quality of English and it might be difficult for you to directly employ these people, you would probably need an agency who would require a commission.
If you set u a legal company here then you would be entitled to a work permit and no need to leave the country every 2/3 months but then you will need to invest a lot of capital and employ at least 4 Thai employees.