Minimum wage – a blessing or a curse?

MAX NEU & KWANKAMON THANADKAH “Thailand is a splendid candidate for applying automatisation to minimum wage increases.” The minimum wage is, and has been, a controversial topic among economic experts and the public.On one side of the spectrum, neoclassical economists claim it is counterproductive in terms of employment as it increases employers’ overheads and serves […]

Wage policy flaws ‘need careful study’

Flaws in the last minimum wage increase mean careful studies must be conducted before any similar policy is introduced in the future, according to the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). The 300-baht minimum wage policy, launched by the previous Yingluck Shinawatra government, did not improve workers’ financial status, said Yongyuth Chalamwong, a research director of […]

Prices outpace higher pay

Saijai Kheuklang, a 45-year-old factory worker, takes off from her job and heads home. On the way, she stops at the usual market to get food for her family’s dinner. And today she has a few 100-baht notes in hand to make sure she gets enough groceries. “Everything has become much more expensive these days,” […]