Wages of construction labourers

[huahincharlie]

I would ask a Thai friend to negotiate the price accepting that you will always pay a white skin premium.

Thanks Littlebird. The builder is actually a white-skin person himself, but employs Thais!!

I think his business model is not very effective. He claims to just charge wages only, passing on the materials at cost and indeed he hands over the invoices from the suppliers too. The problem he has is that his wages are limited per day at 2,000 Baht or thereabouts. This might seem reasonable but he can of course 'last-out' the job if he wishes. Therefore he doesn't give any fixed prices.

[BaaBaa.]

Just go and get several more quotes then. Simple.

[barrys]

[/quote]
Thanks Littlebird. The builder is actually a white-skin person himself, but employs Thais!![/quote]


Why do you need a farang involved at all simply to build a wall - just get a Thail builder, that's gonna save you 2000 baht per day straightaway!

[BaaBaa.]

Why do you need a farang involved at all simply to build a wall - just get a Thail builder, that's gonna save you 2000 baht per day straightaway!

Couldn't agree more, it's crazy paying a white guy 6 times the amount of the Thais to run about getting the materials but questioning if the Thais are getting to much.

[littlebird]

H20Dunc wrote : JEEZ people you are whinging about paying a guy to work in the sun for a day and are complaining about paying them around 8 POUNDS a day.

No, nobody is whinging at all, its called a discussion

[barrys]

H20Dunc wrote : JEEZ people you are whinging about paying a guy to work in the sun for a day and are complaining about paying them around 8 POUNDS a day.

No, nobody is whinging at all, its called a discussion

I think it's an important point here and it also applies to many similar situations:

It's not 8 POUNDS or euros or dollars or roubles or kroner or whatever.

What we pay here is Thai baht on the Thai economy.
A lot of us here work and earn baht and we spend in baht.
What that equates to in a different currency is entirely irrelevant.
Knowingly paying above the local rate simply creates inflation unnecessarily.

We live in an economy here where haggling and bargaining is part of the culture.

The OP is looking for advice about what a fair price is here for the work involved.
I think good advice has been offered.
It's not much different anywhere really - get 3 quotes, try to see work they've done before, don't pay too much up front and monitor the work from day one.

As SJ said, if they're building a wall, they're blocklayers and plasterers rather than labourers.
I don't think you can go far wrong if you take his advice.

[JimmyGreaves]

H20Dunc wrote : JEEZ people you are whinging about paying a guy to work in the sun for a day and are complaining about paying them around 8 POUNDS a day.

No, nobody is whinging at all, its called a discussion

I think it's an important point here and it also applies to many similar situations:

It's not 8 POUNDS or euros or dollars or roubles or kroner or whatever.

What we pay here is Thai baht on the Thai economy.
A lot of us here work and earn baht and we spend in baht.
What that equates to in a different currency is entirely irrelevant.
Knowingly paying above the local rate simply creates inflation unnecessarily.

We live in an economy here where haggling and bargaining is part of the culture.

The OP is looking for advice about what a fair price is here for the work involved.
I think good advice has been offered.
It's not much different anywhere really - get 3 quotes, try to see work they've done before, don't pay too much up front and monitor the work from day one.

As SJ said, if they're building a wall, they're blocklayers and plasterers rather than labourers.
I don't think you can go far wrong if you take his advice.

Too True

[huahincharlie]

Why do you need a farang involved at all simply to build a wall - just get a Thail builder, that's gonna save you 2000 baht per day straightaway!

Couldn't agree more, it's crazy paying a white guy 6 times the amount of the Thais to run about getting the materials but questioning if the Thais are getting to much.

You guys have got it right on the nail. I commented before that his business model was not quite right. So, a Thai will be better. I do not have Thai friends locally however, so it does get a little difficult. But still, I'd rather just not have the work done, that pay too much.