Wage for personal assistant

[Campbound]

Hey gang,
need your advice here. We just moved to Hua Hin and I am thinking of hiring a person to help my little lady.
This post is NOT a job offer, I would post that in the right forum, what I am seeking is your opinion on a fair wage.

She is not Thai, and will be going to school while I am off at work. I work 8 weeks out of country and then have two weeks off.
I am looking for a lady that can speak both English and Thai, is around 25 to 30, she would assist my lady while I am gone in every aspect of living and adjusting to life in Thailand. She would help practice English with my lady, assist in cooking, cleaning and shopping, along with other tasks that are required for day to day living, including all expense trips to Bangkok to help my lady go shopping

live in would be preferred in our beautiful home (with pool).

schedule would be flexible with the main goal of helping my lady feel safe and welcomed here in the land of smiles.

oh and she would have to fight off the gents who would want to "second" my beautiful little lady..lol

Cheers

[dtaai-maai]

Sorry I can't help you, Campbound, but I'm looking forward to following this thread; it has the potential to be extremely interesting!

[Campbound]

Lol, yes I realized that when I wrote it! Should be fun.......oh and I am serious!

[hhfarang]

This post is NOT a job offer

It sounds like one to me... You're asking about a fair wage. I guess you mean that your post is not to solicit this person to work for you, but just to get information from the local community.

The minimum wage in Thailand is 300 baht per day I think. I don't know if providing accommodation and food factors into that or not though.

[Campbound]

Correct, i want to make sure this person is paid fairly and I believe if your answer of 300 baht per day is true, then what i am willing to pay is extremely fair.

Cheers.

[splitlid]

300 baht may be the minimum wage. But try getting someone to work for that. Somebody reliable is even harder.

[hhfarang]

But, 300 baht per day plus meals, transportation, and lodging for a live-in should be enough to get a qualified person imho. That would be at least the equivelant of paying 1k to 1.5k baht per day all in.

[Gregjam]

IMHO the biggest problem you will have is finding someone who will keep your lady on the righteous path. Someone of the age you describe and language ability if single (which it sounds like you are looking for) would just make the pair a bigger target in the eyes of the average Thai male with the usual problem of loose underwear elastic. Perhaps if you set your sights on someone a little older, married and living locally might be more suitable. Certainly up for shopping trips etc etc but less likely to be led astray.

Best of luck to you in your search and add me to the list of those who will follow your search with interest.

[crazy88]

Lets put it into perspective for fun. Or at least try to.

Maid 100 Bt per hour. See previous threads. I pay mine 500 baht per visit 2-5 hours plus she pays my bills on her way home so I give her a tip and a bit of fuel money every now and again. Granted if it is a long visit she shops at the market and cooks us all lunch, Including herself who joins us at the table not sat on the floor in the back room. Also does any other shopping we want. Try asking an agency maid service for that price.

1 on 1 language practice/instruction? Ask Bapak but I would think 5-700 baht per hour. Also translation services.

Professional private shopper for Bangkok 2-5k per day. They save you way more than that if you are buying things like furniture and artwork.

Personal guide to all things Thailand, showing you around, explaining the culture, dealing with authorities and the reams of paperwork you can't read, helping you avoid scams, overpricing etc...etc...etc... Can't put a price on that if you are green around the gills in a new environment.

Live in, meals etc. Never agreed with paying less as freedom is restricted. Can you have your friends round? Do you have a fixed 8 hour day or a schedule that allows you to actually have a life of your own? Or are you expected to cater for dinner parties where the guests either ignore you or make inappropriate comments assuming you don't understand English whilst you smile all the way. Then do the washing up, see everyone out to their vehicles, organise taxis, birthday cakes and everything else your employers mates want. Get to bed at 2am and up at 6am? In short, apart from the bullwhip and the box, you are back in the slave trade era. Plus the risk of getting sacked on a whim ( Oh Cecille we really had to get rid of the last one. She put my Versace blouse in the machine on totally the wrong rinse! ) No Tax and insurance paid. All for 300 baht a day?

As for transportation. How on Earth is that an expense to consider against wage when the staff are driving you fulfilling your needs as you are not able or willing to do it yourself?

So do the math on what a person, a human being, that can commit the best years of their life, retaining total loyalty to the family or families they work for is actually worth. Not just financially.

Gregjam has a point albeit badly put and insulting to the OP's girl and an unknown party who has not been employed yet. Why not include foreign men that think a few quid will loosen any elastic? Paranoia perhaps?

Crazy 88

[dtaai-maai]

Why not include foreign men that think a few quid will loosen any elastic?

On this forum? Surely not!

Good post, crazy. Certainly more like what I was expecting. The OP must surely know that his expectations are way too high.
The lady in question needs a friend - that's really up to her to get out there and find one. If she needs a chaperone, that's up to him! A maid/housekeeper will be a separate issue, as will language lessons.

[Gregjam]

Good point crazy 88 and a grovelling apology to campbound and his girl. Not one of my most thoughtful posts and I did not mean to cause insult to unknown persons. Unfortunately leaving your woman behind while you work away (as I do and am currently) is a difficult thing to deal with. This is not unique to Thailand but from my own experience with my family here and in the UK which has at times been problematical, I cannot offer an easy answer. I was merely trying to point out potential hazards (badly as it turned out) and hope one is found to suit this particular situation.

[crazy88]

Not having a pop at you Gregiam

Just do not like the " Master and servant for the price of a round of drinks a day attitude " That many adopt. And they do.

Labour is cheap here in comparison to our home countries but there is no need to take the piss and expect 5 star service and complain when you don't get it for 1 star money.

Or am I wrong?



Crazy 88

[Khundon1975]

Campbound

I think you are not looking for a PA in the true business sense, a good one of those would cost you upwards of 70k a month.

I would expect to pay around 2500 Baht a day, plus meals and transport, for a Thai who speaks good English and is willing to carry out the sort of tasks you want her to do. If you can find one!

Only my opinion, you get what you pay for.

Good luck.

[dtaai-maai]

I think you are not looking for a PA in the true business sense, a good one of those would cost you upwards of 70k a month.

I may be wrong, but I don't think "Wage for a personal assistant" is the original title of the thread.

[Lev]

We often change thread titles to make them relevant to the content of the OP.