Bangkok: “Pongkawin”, the Minister of Labor, has confirmed that the minimum wage will be raised to 400 baht next year after this year saw two increases. Mr. Pongkawin Juangroongruangkit, addressing the meeting of the Tripartite committee, discussed the resolution to increase the minimum wage in Bangkok and certain provincial businesses to 400 baht, noting that this increase has just been implemented and it is not immediate to consider another hike.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Pongkawin mentioned that the normal procedure is to increase the minimum wage once a year. However, this year, the wage has been raised twice. Any subsequent meetings regarding wage increments are expected to occur next year. When queried about the possibility of another increase to the 400 baht minimum wage in 2026, he stated that no specific time frame has been set yet. He emphasized that if another meeting is convened, it will likely happen next year.

In response to concerns about whether waiting until next year for another meeting might be too delayed, especially considering it is a flagship policy of the Pheu Thai Party, Mr. Pongkawin highlighted that the 400 baht increase has already been applied in Bangkok and certain business sectors. Thus, another meeting will be scheduled for next year.