Thai hotel industry resists proposed minimum wage hike

The tourism industry has voiced its concerns over the recent approval by the tripartite wage committee to increase the minimum wage to 400 baht for four-star hotels in 10 key tourism cities, beginning with the Songkran holiday. Hoteliers argue that the implementation of the wage hike is unjust as the recovery from the pandemic has been uneven across the targeted destinations.

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, the previous president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), emphasised that merely 10% of hotels are in a position to elevate daily room rates on the back of stronger revenue post-pandemic, as most accommodations are still struggling to bounce back. She also highlighted the higher operating costs that hotels bear, including utilities.

“It is unfair to raise the minimum wage only for hotels, as other industries are also recovering steadily…