"I Make 4 Million Won a Month in Korea" – Thai Factory Worker's Pay Stub Draws Attention

[Financial News] A Thai national employed at a manufacturing site in Korea has drawn attention by publicly disclosing the details of his monthly paycheck.

On the 4th, a post titled "Pre-tax monthly salary of a Thai production worker" was uploaded to an online community.
The post included a photo of a pay stub that a Thai man, referred to as Mr. A, had uploaded to his social media account last September. According to the statement, his total income for August that year was 4,027,045 won. A breakdown shows that this amount consisted of a base salary of 2,096,270 won, plus annual leave allowance (80,240 won), Saturday work allowance (481,440 won), holiday allowance (361,080 won), early arrival allowance (315,945 won), and overtime allowance (692,070 won).
After deductions for income tax, local resident tax, and the four major social insurance contributions (health insurance, long-term care insurance, national pension, and employment insurance), the amount he actually took home was 3,454,155 won.
An analysis of the pay stub shows that Mr. A worked every single day that month without a day off. On regular weekdays, he arrived at work earlier than his scheduled start time. Even after his standard shift ended, he stayed on to complete additional tasks before leaving. His recorded weekly overtime came to 46 hours, and his accumulated early arrival time was close to 21 hours.
Most online commenters who saw Mr. A's workload and pay details responded positively, saying he was "paid according to the amount of work he does." Under the post, comments such as "He worked all 31 days without a single weekend off" and "People who pay all their taxes and literally wear out their bodies working deserve applause" reflected a mix of encouragement and support.
Meanwhile, data from the National Statistical Office of Thailand (NSO) show that as of last year, the average monthly income of local workers was about 15,565 baht (approximately 620,000 won). Minimum wages vary by region, but in Bangkok the daily minimum is 372 baht (17,257 won), or about 9,300 baht (430,000 won) per month. Calculated on an hourly basis, this comes to 46 baht, which is only about 25% of Korea's minimum hourly wage.
Mr. A has continued to share his monthly pay details up to recently. On the 10th of last month, he posted another pay stub, this time for the salary he received in January this year. That statement showed total earnings of 3,245,640 won, consisting of a base salary of 2,156,880 won plus overtime allowance (510,840 won), Saturday work allowance (371,520 won), and holiday allowance (123,840 won).


hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter