Thailand's minimum wage is 337 to 400 baht a day, depending on the province, under Wage Committee Notification No. 14, in force since Tuesday 1 July 2025. The top rate of 400 baht applies only in a short list of provinces and areas, plus hotels and entertainment venues nationwide; no new notification had taken effect as of 9 November 2026.
The minimum is a daily rate, set by the Wage Committee, and it differs by province and, in a few places, by district. That is the first thing many online articles get wrong: Thailand does not have one national minimum wage of 400 baht. This page gives the rates, who they cover, and what they mean if you are a foreigner working here or employing someone.
Thailand's minimum wage in brief (November 2026)
- Rate
- 337 to 400 baht a day, in 17 levels
- Legal basis
- Wage Committee Notification No. 14
- In force since
- Tuesday 1 July 2025
- 400 baht
- Bangkok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Phuket and Koh Samui; hotels in classes 2 to 4 and entertainment venues nationwide
- Lowest rate
- 337 baht in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala
- Not covered
- Domestic workers such as maids
The daily rates by province
Notification No. 14 sets 17 levels. The table shows the levels and the provinces named for them in the summary we used; other provinces sit at levels in between, so look up your own province in the full table before you rely on a figure.
| Daily rate | Provinces and areas (examples) |
|---|---|
| ฿400 | Bangkok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Phuket, Koh Samui (only Samui in Surat Thani); hotels in classes 2 to 4 and entertainment venues anywhere |
| ฿380 | Mueang Chiang Mai district, Hat Yai district |
| ฿372 | Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon |
| ฿357 | Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai (other districts), Ayutthaya |
| ฿354 | Krabi, Trat |
| ฿352 | Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phang Nga, Surat Thani (except Samui) |
| ฿345 | Trang, Nan, Phayao, Phrae |
| ฿337 | Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala |
Two details catch people out. Chiang Mai has two rates: 380 baht in the city district and 357 baht in the rest of the province. And Surat Thani is split as well, with Koh Samui at 400 baht and the mainland province at 352 baht.
Why "400 baht everywhere" is wrong
Several job sites and HR blogs still say that Thailand's minimum wage became 400 baht nationwide in 2025 or 2026. The rates in force are those of Notification No. 14, and 400 baht is the top of the scale, not the floor. Pages headed "minimum wage 2026 by province" usually reprint the July 2025 table, which is fine as long as you read it as the 2025 schedule still in force.
A higher rate only applies from the date stated in a new Wage Committee notification, published in the Royal Gazette, not from the day a meeting or a minister announces it. The committee was due to meet on Tuesday 29 September 2026 to consider rates for 2027, and we found no published outcome. Check the Ministry of Labour before you rely on these figures in 2027.
Who the minimum wage covers, and who it does not
The minimum wage applies to employees under the Labour Protection Act, and a foreign employee is entitled to it on the same terms as a Thai one. Domestic workers are the main exception. Ministerial Regulation No. 14 of 2012, which gave maids and other household workers a weekly day off and some paid leave, did not extend the minimum wage or working-hour rules to them. If you employ someone at home, our guide to hiring a maid in Thailand covers what that rule does require.
The minimum wage also turns up in social security. Contributions under Section 33 are 5% each from employee and employer, calculated on wages between a floor of 1,650 baht and a ceiling of 17,500 baht a month in 2026; our page on Thai social security for foreigners explains what you get for them.
What it means for foreigners working in Thailand
For most foreigners with a work permit, the minimum wage is not the figure that matters. Immigration and the Department of Employment have their own salary and company criteria for granting a work permit and the one-year extension, and those are a separate set of rules from the minimum wage. Our guide to the Non-B visa and work permit sets out what the employer has to prove. There are no official salary figures for foreign teachers either; our guide to teaching English in Thailand explains what to ask a school before you sign.
Some jobs are not open to foreigners at any wage. A Ministry of Labour notification of 2020 lists 27 occupations closed to foreigners, among them tour guiding, driving, hairdressing and Thai massage; a course certificate does not change that, as our page on learning Thai massage explains.
Volunteering for "food and a bed" is still work. Thai law counts unpaid work as work, so a hostel or farm job without a work permit is not allowed, whatever the pay. Our page on volunteering in Thailand legally explains the routes that are allowed.
The minimum wage and prices for visitors
Visitors often ask about the minimum wage to understand prices and tips. The daily rate tells you what the law guarantees an employee, not what a given worker earns. For an idea of what things cost, see our overview of the price level in Thailand, and for living here long term, the line-by-line budget in our cost of living guide. Tipping is voluntary in Thailand; our article on tipping culture in Thailand explains where a tip is usual.
Frequently asked questions
Is the minimum wage in Thailand 400 baht a day?
Only in some places. Notification No. 14 sets 400 baht in Bangkok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Phuket and Koh Samui, and for hotels in classes 2 to 4 and entertainment venues nationwide. Elsewhere the rate is 337 to 380 baht a day.
Has Thailand raised the minimum wage in 2026?
No. As of 9 November 2026 no new notification had taken effect, so the rates in force since 1 July 2025 still apply. The Wage Committee was due to discuss 2027 rates in late September 2026, and no outcome had been published when we checked.
Does the minimum wage apply to foreign workers in Thailand?
Yes. A foreign employee covered by the Labour Protection Act is entitled to the same minimum as a Thai employee. Foreigners with a work permit usually face separate salary and company criteria for the permit and the yearly extension.
Does the minimum wage apply to maids in Thailand?
No. The 2012 regulation on domestic workers gave them a weekly day off and some paid leave, but did not extend the minimum wage or working-hour rules to them, according to the reports of the time. Check for any later change before you rely on this.
Sources
- Jobs Worker Service – Minimum wage 2570: no increase in 2569, rates in force since 1 July 2568 (checked November 2026)
- HRZoft – Minimum wage 2569 by province (Notification No. 14) (checked October 2026)
- International Labour Organization – Thailand: Ministerial Regulation No. 14 on domestic work (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Post – New rules give maids days off, paid leave, 14 November 2012 (checked October 2026)
- Nation Thailand – Occupations prohibited for foreigners, 2 June 2026 (checked October 2026)