BANGKOK, 30 May 2012 – According to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), three out of four people complain about higher living costs after the minimum wage hike has been implemented.
NIDA Poll has conducted a survey between May 20 and 29 on 1,200 people concerning their daily expense. The finding suggests around three-quarters of the respondents experience a higher living cost after the implementation of the 300-baht minimum wage and the 15,000 baht starting salary for bachelor’s degree graduates. Only 24% of them say their expense remains the same as before; most say they choose to buy cheaper products and cut unnecessary spending.
Around 85% of the respondents are asking the Commerce Ministry to help control the product prices, given higher consumer prices usually lead to hikes in other types of product and service prices.
