In 2024, a large number of gambling industry workers migrated to Thailand, attracted by the country's lenient visa policies and various social conveniences, making it a popular choice for gambling employees and digital nomads.
However, as these people began to settle into their actual lives and work in Thailand, many in the industry lamented finding themselves in a predicament of "high stress, low wages, and high living costs," a triple dilemma.
The cost of living exceeded expectations, making life increasingly difficult. Despite Thailand's appearance of abundant social welfare and low living costs, the reality is far from expectations.
Expensive housing costs: In Bangkok, suitable apartment rents range from several thousand to tens of thousands of Thai Baht (about 2000-5000 RMB), which is much lower than the standards of second and third-tier cities in China, and the better-located properties are even comparable to first-tier cities.
Day-to-day living costs: Although street food prices are cheap, the prices of imported food and daily necessities in supermarkets and convenience stores approach or even exceed those of similar products in China. For example, the price of one liter of milk is about 60 Thai Baht (about 12 RMB), while ordinary bottled water costs 10-20 Thai Baht.
Transportation costs: Although Bangkok's public transportation system is convenient, the costs are not negligible. A monthly metro commuting card costs about 1000-1500 Thai Baht (about 200-300 RMB), plus the occasional taxi fare, which is a significant expense for ordinary employees.
Additionally, medical expenses, travel costs, and the costs of festival gatherings also leave many employees feeling "income does not cover expenses." Many digital nomads state: "I thought I could enjoy life in Thailand, but it turns out that maintaining even a modest standard of living costs more than in China."
Workplace exploitation is intensifying: low wages and high pressure are becoming the norm. Salary reductions and high targets add more pressure, and there are fewer year-end bonuses.
Many companies, after relocating from the Philippines to Thailand, were first to adjust their salary structures, reducing the income of grassroots employees significantly.
According to a salary survey of employees who moved from the Philippines to Thailand, gambling industry workers previously working in maintenance and promotion in the Philippines had an average monthly salary of nearly 28,000 RMB. After the company moved to Thailand, their salaries dropped to 16,000 or even lower, barely reaching the survival line.
Many companies in Thailand, due to their employees generally working in dispersed, online, and remote offices, spend more effort on strictly managing remote assessment mechanisms and have also implemented stricter attendance systems. Under immense pressure, employees only receive lower wages than before.
High demands for performance: Although salaries are reduced, the content of work and performance targets have become more stringent. Companies set more complex and unbearable new top-up and turnover tasks, and continuously raise assessment standards each month, causing most employees to only receive the minimum wage.
Several gambling employees revealed: "Only team leaders can see the actual performance data; team members have no way of knowing their real performance data and are forced to accept low wages."
Year-end bonuses and benefits are shrinking, with the 13th-month salary decreasing repeatedly. In addition to reduced salaries, employees' year-end bonuses and benefits have also been significantly impacted.
Some grassroots employees express their concerns that after moving from the Philippines, the reduction in year-end bonuses is actually due to being diverted to pay for company office renovations. Some employees' year-end bonuses are forcibly deducted by nearly 30%, leaving many workers feeling angry and helpless.
The income gap is widening, with many executives who moved to Thailand for work having a much larger income disparity with ordinary employees.
Some company's frontline team members earn less than 20,000 RMB per month, while team leaders and higher positions earn 40-50,000 or even more. Grassroots employees generally believe that this salary mechanism further exacerbates workplace unfairness.
"Disenchanted" Thailand: Many gambling employees from the Philippines openly say: In Thailand, you can't make money, you can't save money. Many people's work mentality and enthusiasm in Thailand are gradually becoming unbalanced.
Once upon a time, Thailand's comfortable living environment and lower prices were seen as an ideal workplace. However, as time has passed, this "ideal" has been shattered by reality.
High cost of living impact: Thailand's prices are only relatively low compared to Western countries, but they are significantly higher compared to epidemic prevention and domestic prices. The high cost of living in Bangkok has become a major reason why many employees hesitate.
Workplace exploitation disillusionment: Employees complain that while wages are falling, work pressure is increasing day by day. Especially since moving from the Philippines to Thailand, and with the recent outbreak of a major epidemic in northern Thailand, employees are very worried about not complying with epidemic prevention and contracting new infectious diseases, potentially endangering their lives.
An employee summarized: "Working in Thailand feels like struggling every day, not only is the cost of living annoyingly high, but work income is also continuously squeezed. Even with all-out effort, it's hard to see hope."
Outlook and suggestions: Talent and market carriers. Thailand, as a country full of economic potential, still holds appeal for businesses and employees. However, the contradiction between high prices and low income is becoming a major issue in its development.
From the corporate side: There needs to be more transparent and fair salary mechanism arrangements to ensure basic benefits for grassroots employees and avoid talent loss due to excessive exploitation.
From the policy side: The Thai government needs to further optimize the living costs for expatriate employees, such as reducing visa fees and providing rental subsidies, to enhance the country's overall attractiveness.
On a personal level: Workers coming to Thailand need to comprehensively consider living costs and income expectations, blindly avoiding choices that lead to both economic and mental stress.
Thailand remains an important economic center in Southeast Asia, but whether expatriate employees can find a balance in high-cost and high-pressure workplaces is key to determining its development prospects. Only through the joint efforts of businesses, the government, and individuals to resolve these contradictions can Thailand truly become a workplace paradise that retains talent.
