10-Year Thailand Minimum Wage History & Inflation Analysis

Over the past 10 years (2016–2026), the minimum wage was adjusted 7 times, from a flat 300 THB nationwide to 337–400 THB per day today. The lowest rate rose by 37 THB, while Bangkok rose by 100 THB.

However, once adjusted for inflation, the lowest rate has roughly the same purchasing power as in 2013. The only real increases occurred in high-wage provinces such as Bangkok, Chonburi, Phuket, and Rayong.

The EXWORKER team compiled data from Wage Committee Notifications No. 7 through No. 14 via datasets from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, and news reports quoting the notifications, alongside the Consumer Price Index from the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO). Last verified on 14 Nov 2026.

Annual Minimum Wage History (2013–2026)

This table shows the rates in effect at the end of each year. Years with mid-year adjustments note the effective date; years without a date continued using the previous rate.

Year	Lowest–Highest (THB/day)	Bangkok	Applicable Notification
2013	300	300	Notification No. 7, effective 1 Jan 2013 (300 THB across all 77 provinces)
2014–2016	300	300	No adjustment
2017	300–310	310	Notification No. 8, effective 1 Jan 2017
2018	308–330	325	Notification No. 9, effective 1 Apr 2018
2019	308–330	325	No adjustment
2020	313–336	331	Notification No. 10, effective 1 Jan 2020
2021	313–336	331	No adjustment
2022	328–354	353	Notification No. 11, effective 1 Oct 2022
2023	328–354	353	No adjustment
2024	330–370	363	Notification No. 12, effective 1 Jan 2024 (+ Hotel Notification 13 Apr 2024)
2025	337–400	372 → 400	Notification No. 13, effective 1 Jan 2025 · Notification No. 14, effective 1 Jul 2025
2026	337–400	400	No adjustment (as of 14 Nov 2026)

This table shows only the lowest–highest range. You can view all 17 provincial rates currently in effect at 2026 Minimum Wage for Every Province.

Past 10 Years: How Many Times Did the Minimum Wage Rise and by How Much?

From 2016 to the present, there have been 7 general minimum wage notifications (Notifications No. 8–14), excluding the 2024 hotel-specific notification that applied only to a small group of employees.

Effective Date	Lowest Rate	Highest Rate	Bangkok
1 Jan 2017	+0	+10 (+3.3%)	+10 (+3.3%)
1 Apr 2018	+8 (+2.7%)	+20 (+6.5%)	+15 (+4.8%)
1 Jan 2020	+5 (+1.6%)	+6 (+1.8%)	+6 (+1.9%)
1 Oct 2022	+15 (+4.8%)	+18 (+5.4%)	+22 (+6.7%)
1 Jan 2024	+2 (+0.6%)	+16 (+4.5%)	+10 (+2.8%)
1 Jan 2025	+7 (+2.1%)	+30 (+8.1%)	+9 (+2.5%)
1 Jul 2025	+0	+0	+28 (+7.5%)

Notice that the lowest rate has never increased by more than 15 THB in a single round, while rounds with large numbers usually reflect the highest rates in economic provinces. The differences between rounds are our calculations based on the rates in the notifications, not figures stated in the notifications themselves.

Bangkok Year-End Minimum Wage (THB/day)

1. 300
2. 300
3. 300
4. 300
5. 310
6. 325
7. 325
8. 331
9. 331
10. 353
11. 353
12. 363
13. 400
14. 400

1. 2013
2. 2014
3. 2015
4. 2016
5. 2017
6. 2018
7. 2019
8. 2020
9. 2021
10. 2022
11. 2023
12. 2024
13. 2025
14. 2026

Reached 400 THB (since 1 Jul 2025)

Which Years Had No Minimum Wage Adjustment?

Since 2013, there have been 7 years with no adjustment at all: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2026 (as of the verification date).

• 2013–2016 stayed flat at 300 THB for 4 full years—the longest freeze—and 8 provinces remained at 300 THB in the 2017 round, keeping the 300 THB lowest rate in effect until 1 Apr 2018, a total of 5 years and 3 months.
• 2021 continued using the 2020 rates until Oct 2022.
• 2026 saw the Wage Committee resolve on 17 Mar 2026 to "not yet consider" a wage adjustment due to concerns that fighting in the Middle East would impact costs.

Meanwhile, the years with 2 adjustments were 2024 (general rate on 1 Jan + hotel rate on 13 Apr) and 2025 (1 Jan + 1 Jul).

Bangkok Minimum Wage History

Bangkok rose from 300 to 400 THB, with the final 28 THB coming in a single round on 1 Jul 2025, when Notification No. 14 raised Bangkok from 372 to 400 THB while keeping other provinces unchanged.

Before that, Bangkok did not always have the highest wage. In 2024, Phuket was highest at 370 THB while Bangkok was 363 THB. In the 1 Jan 2025 round, the areas that reached 400 THB first were Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Phuket, Rayong, and Koh Samui District, while Bangkok received 372 THB.

If you employ workers in the Bangkok metropolitan vicinity, do not assume they receive the same rate as Bangkok. Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Nakhon Pathom remain at 372 THB.

Has the Minimum Wage Grown Faster Than Inflation?

The lowest rate barely grew in real terms, while Bangkok saw real growth. Between 2013 and 2025, the annual average Consumer Price Index rose by about 12%, and using Oct 2026 price levels, it rose by about 16%.

Wage Growth vs. Consumer Prices (Since 2013)

Wages compare current rates against 300 THB in 2013 · Consumer prices compare against the 2013 average Consumer Price Index

1. Bangkok wage +33.3%
2. Consumer prices (to Oct 2026) +16.1%
3. Lowest wage rate +12.3%
4. Consumer prices (to 2025) +12.0%

When converted into "real wages" using 2013 prices, the picture looks like this (our calculations, not official figures):

Year	Annual Inflation (%)	Real Lowest Rate (THB)	Real Bangkok Rate (THB)
2013	2.18	300	300
2015	−0.90	297	297
2017	0.66	295	304
2018	1.07	299	316
2020	−0.85	305	322
2022	6.08	297	320
2023	1.23	294	316
2024	0.40	294	324
2025	−0.14	301	357
Oct 2026	—	290	345

Three takeaways from this table:

• Today's 337 THB lowest rate buys roughly the same as 300 THB in 2013. Compared against 2025 average prices, it is virtually unchanged (+0.3%), while compared against Oct 2026 prices, it is about 3% lower—so the outcome depends on the comparison period.
• In 2022, inflation hit 6.08%—the highest in this period—eroding the Oct 2022 hike and pushing the real lowest rate down.
• Bangkok's real wage is about 15–19% higher than in 2013, driven largely by the 1 Jul 2025 round.

Formula: Year-end rate ÷ (Average price index for that year ÷ 2013 price index). Years with mid-year hikes (2018, 2022) use the year-end rate, making the figures appear slightly higher than what employees actually earned across the full year.

Why Has the Wage Gap Between Provinces Widened?

In 2013, every province received the same 300 THB, making the inter-provincial gap 0 THB. Today, the gap between the lowest rate (337 THB in Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala) and the highest rate (400 THB) is 63 THB per day.

The number of wage tiers also grew from 1 tier to 4, 7, 10, 9, and 17 tiers since 2024, because starting with the 2017 round, the Wage Committee returned to setting provincial rates rather than a single nationwide rate.

For employers with branches across multiple provinces, this means you must check the rate for the province where the employee actually works, not where your head office is registered.

When Did the 400 THB Minimum Wage Start and Who Got It First?

The 400 THB rate did not arrive all at once; it expanded in 3 phases:

1. 13 Apr 2024

   4-star hotels and above with 50 or more employees in designated areas of 10 provinces, such as Bangkok (Pathum Wan and Watthana districts), Pattaya City, Phuket, and Koh Samui.

2. 1 Jan 2025

   5 areas received 400 THB province-wide: Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Phuket, Rayong, and Koh Samui District.

3. 1 Jul 2025

   Added Bangkok, as well as Type 2, 3, and 4 hotels and entertainment venues in every province at 400 THB, while other businesses in remaining provinces stayed at their existing rates.

Common mistake: Hotels in provinces where the provincial rate is below 400 THB may still be required to pay 400 THB based on business type. Full details are under "Which Businesses Get 400 THB" in our 2026 Minimum Wage article.

Will the Minimum Wage Rise in 2027?

Here is everything that has happened so far:

• 10 Sep 2026: One employee-side committee member proposed raising Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan from 372 to 400 THB, which is only a proposal.
• 29 Sep 2026: A Wage Committee meeting was scheduled but did not convene, having been postponed multiple times.
• 29 Oct 2026: The technical and screening subcommittee held its first meeting; no date has been set yet for the full committee meeting.

If anyone claims "2027 wages have already gone up" and quotes a figure, ask which notification it comes from. If they cannot answer, do not change your pay rates yet, because new rates only take effect on the date specified in an official Wage Committee Notification. We will update this article as soon as a notification is announced.

How Employers of Migrant Workers Can Use This Data

Minimum wage notifications do not set separate rates by nationality, so migrant workers receive the exact same provincial rates as Thai workers. This 10-year adjustment history helps you plan in 3 ways:

• Budget for wage increases: Since 2017, intervals between adjustments have ranged from 6 months to nearly 3 years, with single-round hikes of 0 to 30 THB. See other costs to budget for in Annual Cost of Hiring 1 Migrant Worker.
• Draft employment contracts that adjust to new notifications: Do not lock in a fixed wage that could fall below a new legal rate—especially for 2-year MOU contracts that may span an adjustment round. Read more at How to Renew 2-Year MOU Worker Contracts.
• Compare wages with neighboring provinces: If a neighboring province pays higher, factor in the risk of workers switching jobs when their contracts end. See where migrant workers are concentrated in Monthly Migrant Worker Statistics.

Section 76 of the Labour Protection Act prohibits wage deductions except as permitted by law, so never deduct document or agency fees yourself without checking with the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) hotline 1546. If a worker resigns after you have paid for their documents, see your legal options in Migrant Worker Resigns After Employer Paid for Documents.

Common Misconceptions

• Many people think the minimum wage rises every year. In reality, there were 7 years with no adjustment at all since 2013.
• Many people think 400 THB applies nationwide. In reality, 400 THB applies only in 5 provinces, Koh Samui District, and specific business sectors; most provinces remain at 337–380 THB.
• Many people think "Notification No. 15" is a new minimum wage round. In reality, news about Notification No. 15 (Jun 2026) covers skill-standard wage rates, which are separate from the general minimum wage.
• Many people think a 33% wage hike means workers are 33% richer. In reality, only the highest-rate provinces rose by 33%, while consumer prices also rose by roughly 12–16% over the same period.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What was the minimum wage in 2013?

300 THB per day uniformly across all 77 provinces under Wage Committee Notification No. 7, effective 1 Jan 2013.

When was the minimum wage last adjusted?

1 Jul 2025 under Notification No. 14, which set 400 THB for Bangkok as well as hotels and entertainment venues in every province. As of 14 Nov 2026, there has been no new round.

How much has the minimum wage increased over the past 10 years?

The lowest rate rose from 300 to 337 THB (+37 THB), while the highest rate and Bangkok rose from 300 to 400 THB (+100 THB).

Do migrant workers receive retroactive minimum wage back pay?

Minimum wages apply from the effective date of the notification and are not retroactive prior to that date. However, during any period a rate is in force, paying below that rate violates Section 90 of the Labour Protection Act regardless of the employee's nationality. For your specific case, consult the DLPW hotline 1546.

Where can I check official minimum wage rates?

Legally binding rates are published in Wage Committee Notifications in the Royal Gazette. If you are unsure which rate applies to your province or business type, call the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare hotline at 1546.

References

• Wage Committee Notifications on Minimum Wage Rates: No. 7 (10 Oct 2012), No. 8 (31 Oct 2016), No. 9 (19 Jan 2018), No. 10 (6 Dec 2019), No. 11 (1 Sep 2022), No. 12 (8 Dec 2023), No. 13 (23 Dec 2024), No. 14 (17 Jun 2025)
• Wage Committee Notification on Minimum Wage Rates for Hotel Businesses (27 Mar 2024)
• Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour — Minimum Wage Datasets for 2013, 2017, and 2020 (data.go.th)
• Thairath (31 Dec 2024, 1 Jul 2025) · Prachachat · ThaiPBS · Matichon · InfoQuest — News reports quoting Notifications No. 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, and the 2024 Hotel Notification
• Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) — Headline Consumer Price Index (base year 2023), retrieved 14 Nov 2026
• ThaiPBS 17 Mar 2026 (Wage Committee resolution "not yet considering" a hike) · Matichon 24 Oct 2026 (2027 review status)

Information verified as of 14 November 2026 · Percentage differences and real wage figures are calculated by EXWORKER and are not official figures.