What's the standard for expat salaries in Thailand?

Hi Jane,

As Phuket is a tourist hotspot in Thailand accommodation won't be cheap. Villas in Phuket cost THB 45,000 per month. However, if she is willing to share accommodation she should be able to find something in the range of THB 5,000-8,000 per month.

Transport and food is generally fairly cheap. 

The rest of your daughter's expenses will depend on her lifestyle. Does she plan on travelling and exploring South East Asia ? Lots of young people working in Thailand use the expat experience as an opportunity to travel and explore the region. So ultimatley, it depends on her prioraties and wether she is moving to Thailand to save money.

Before she decides on how much to ask for I would suggest she take a look at the Cost of Living in Thailand page. This should help her draw up an estimated budget and then she can work out what kind of salary she would want to negotiate for.

I wish your daughter the best of luck in her negotiations. 

Thanks Shantalie. Kate does have some knowledge of Thailand and living costs. What we need to know is what do expats generally earn for various types of jobs which might be comparable to what she is going to be doing.

I have been offered a job in Thailand in the insurance industry, paying 4.2 million Baht a year basic salary, with no additional allowances but with a company car and phone. This is 35% less than I get paid in Singapore and about 15% less than I would get in the UK. My friend is a senior English teacher (not the transient holiday maker sort) and gets paid 700,000 Baht a year - about 35% less than in the UK. Nurses in the UK get paid between 800,000 Baht and 1,750,000 Baht a year in the UK. Based on your daughters age, and the percentages I have quoted, I would suggest opening the negotiations at 100,000 Baht a month + all accommodation (which is likely given the nature of the role). This will be optimistic but a good starting point - she could expect to be knocked down to around 70,000 to 80,000 a month. She will be able to live a good life on this, especially if accommodation is paid for or subsidized.

Dear Anonymous. Thank you so much for that! Extremely useful as a starting point, which is just what we needed. Bless you for being willing to post an answer. :)

Hello, In my opinion she will get pay if she has skills because in Thailand talent is always acceptable and appreciated .