The employee salary in Thailand is projected to rise by 5.0% in 2025, similar to this year, as reported by Mercer, a human resources and professional services consultancy.
Mercer’s Total Remuneration Survey 2024 examines salary trends and policies across more than 5,000 roles in over 700 Thai companies. The survey indicates that salaries are expected to grow at the same rate as in 2024, with all surveyed companies planning increases for 2025, compared to 99.8% in 2024.
Key factors driving these salary increases in 2025 include individual performance, salary ranges, overall organizational performance, and competitiveness within the job market, according to Mercer.
Notably, 91% of the organizations surveyed have short-term incentive programs like bonuses, while the proportion of companies providing long-term incentives, such as stock options, rose from 78.9% in 2023 to 80.7% in 2024. Additional insights include:
- The consumer goods sector focuses heavily on base salaries, which make up 75% of total compensation packages.
- The automotive sector offers the highest proportion of short-term incentives, which account for 23% of total compensation.
- The life sciences sector remains the top-paying industry in Thailand, offering annual base salaries that are 20% above the national average.
Despite the international trend towards flexible benefits, their implementation in Thailand remains limited, with less than a quarter of surveyed companies offering these options to employees.
According to Thira Laulathaphol, a career principal at Mercer Thailand, “The average salary increase of 5% in 2025 underscores Thai organizations’ commitment to investing in their workforces. With all surveyed companies planning salary increases, it’s evident that Thailand has a competitive job market. In such an environment, HR leaders must adopt a comprehensive approach to total compensation, encompassing salary adjustments as well as short-term and long-term incentives, while addressing the evolving well-being needs of employees. By effectively responding to changing expectations, organizations can attract and retain top talent in an increasingly complex environment.”
