Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Bangkok: Thailand will increase its minimum wage in January, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday confirming a previous deal, while the government plans to further raise it in March.
A wage committee, comprised of government, employers and employee representatives, had previously agreed to increase the daily minimum wage by 2.37%, effective in January, but Srettha deemed the hike too low.
Srettha's ruling Pheu Thai party campaigned on populist platform with a key plank of raising the daily minimum wage to 400 baht.
"Another investigation covering local wage rates and professional groups will conclude in March ... (to determine) areas and groups that can increase wages," Labour Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn told reporters.
The current minimum wage is 328-354 Thai baht ($9.49 - $10.24) varying between different parts of the country with the committee agreeing to raise the pay threshold range to 330 baht to 370 baht.
($1 = 34.5800 Thai baht)