PHUKET is now officially the most expensive place in Thailand to live, even more expensive than Bangkok, with the basic daily wage of a laborer skyrocketting to 221 baht a day - a huge increase of 17 baht.
The official application was for an 11 baht increase, but the National Wage Committee today ruled that a greater increase was needed to keep pace with the cost of living on Phuket.
It's the first time that Phuket has moved past Bangkok and the capital's neighboring provinces, which will get a new daily wage entitlement of 215 baht a day from January 1.
The rate in Bangkok goes up from 206 baht, and is now six baht below Phuket. The average increase is just 11 baht, with workers in seven provinces only receiving an increase of eight baht a day.
Phuket needed an increase of more than twice that amount because of its higher costs of living as a tourist destination.
Phuket officials had asked for 11 baht, but the officials in Bangkok thought that workers on Phuket needed an extra six baht more just to keep up with rising costs.
Last year Phuket's increase of 10 baht was also the highest, but this year is the first time that Thailand's biggest island has become a more expensive place to live than Thailand's capital.
The Labor Department's permanent secretary, Somkiat Chayasriwong, announcing the new rates from January 1, said that Phuket's neighboring province of Phang Nga will gain 13 baht along with six other provinces.
Phang Nga's new rate is 186 baht while in Krabi the rate rises from 170 baht to 184 baht.
The official application was for an 11 baht increase, but the National Wage Committee today ruled that a greater increase was needed to keep pace with the cost of living on Phuket.
It's the first time that Phuket has moved past Bangkok and the capital's neighboring provinces, which will get a new daily wage entitlement of 215 baht a day from January 1.
The rate in Bangkok goes up from 206 baht, and is now six baht below Phuket. The average increase is just 11 baht, with workers in seven provinces only receiving an increase of eight baht a day.
Phuket needed an increase of more than twice that amount because of its higher costs of living as a tourist destination.
Phuket officials had asked for 11 baht, but the officials in Bangkok thought that workers on Phuket needed an extra six baht more just to keep up with rising costs.
Last year Phuket's increase of 10 baht was also the highest, but this year is the first time that Thailand's biggest island has become a more expensive place to live than Thailand's capital.
The Labor Department's permanent secretary, Somkiat Chayasriwong, announcing the new rates from January 1, said that Phuket's neighboring province of Phang Nga will gain 13 baht along with six other provinces.
Phang Nga's new rate is 186 baht while in Krabi the rate rises from 170 baht to 184 baht.
Makes me feel like a big spender paying my 4 lazy employees 384 baht per day.
Posted by kevin on December 9, 2010 18:40