Home / Essentials for Living in Thailand / Hiring a Maid or ‘Mae Baan’

Hiring a Maid or ‘Mae Baan’

Some helpful information before you hire help. Salary ranges have remained much the same over the past few years, and in 2020, the info below remains valuable guidance. However, typically, you will increase your maid’s salary over time, if she remains in your employment.

Considerations

There’s lots to consider before hiring a Maid or ‘Mae Baan’ (Mae -mother, Baan -house)

  • Live In Maid – They live in your maid quarters with basic furniture (bed, mattress, dresser) that you provide them. Additionally, you are expected to provide them with meals. Either by sharing your own food supply or giving them a food allowance per month.
  • Live Out – They live elsewhere and come to your home with their own transportation each workday.
  • Full Time – Typically means 7am-7pm Monday-Friday and a 1/2 day on Saturday. Though this is adjusted to suit each family’s needs.
  • Part Time – Any number of hours and days of the week you and the maid agree to. The typical rate for this is 100 baht per hour.
  • Responsibilities – Childcare, pet care, cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking or a mix?
  • Overtime – Typically 100 baht an hour. Some ask for 150B.
  • Nationality – While there are obviously more local Thai maids, there are also many Burmese and some Filipino maids for hire. The non-Thai maids do require a visa to be in Thailand and some could ask for visa payment assistance.
  • Job Experience – How many years have they worked as a maid and for what type of families (local Thai’s or expats) did they work for.
  • English – Do they speak and/or write English? If so, at what level? It is important you consider each of these things! Only you can decide what nationality of maid you desire, how many hours a week you want them to work, live in or live out, how important their experience level is to you and finally how much English you want your maid to know.

Remember, while it’s good to have a goal of what you want in a maid, you may have to adjust your level of expectation depending on who you interview. You may find a maid that doesn’t tick all your boxes but she has a great personality and ticks the most important ones.

Interview more than 1 maid. The more the better. Interview in your home! It’s best to interview there to avoid a misunderstanding about location, house size or living quarters for a live in. Additionally, if you are wanting them to work with your children, it is good for them to meet so you can see how they interact. If you don’t find a maid you like right away, don’t hire. Be patient, ask the people you know if their maid has any recommendations and you will find someone in time.

Things to Discuss in an Interview

  • References – Any maid that has experience should have references! Be sure you ask to see them, especially their most recent. If they won’t give you any that’s a red flag.
  • Holidays – Any nationality maid will expect holidays. Bear in mind that certain holidays will have more importance to different maids. Discuss in detail what holidays are included in their salary. Any maid working on a pre-approved off holiday will expect overtime.
  • Responsibilities – Clearly outline what you expect them to do. (see responsibilities above)
  • Salary – You can ask them what their salary expectation is based on your home & family size and their responsibilities OR you can offer a salary that you think is fair based on the same.
  • Trial Period – Talk with the maid about having a 1-3 month trial period to ensure mutual compatibility. If at the end of that period either you or the maid are not happy, they can leave with no penalty or additional payment beyond their time worked.
  • Contract – Some expats use a contract with their maid. It states what their job responsibilities are, salary, salary payment schedule, holidays, etc. Once agreed upon, both you and the maid will sign.
  • Health & Background Check – Some expats will ask their maids if they are willing to undergo a basic health and/or background (police) check. If you chose to do this, you are expected to pay for all of it.

After Hiring

  • Copies of Identification – Make copies for your records of the maids ID card or her passport and visa if she is non-Thai.
  • Emergency Contact – Take down information regarding who your maid would like you to contact if there is an emergency.
  • Phone Number – Make sure you have a way to contact your maid.
  • Your Information – Make sure your maid knows how to contact you, your spouse and a friend in the event of an emergency. Additionally, it is helpful for the maid if you write down in English your name as well as those of your family members and pets.
  • Signature Upon Payment – It is a good idea to keep a log of the dates you pay your maid as well as how much you paid her. Ask her to sign by each entry on pay day.

Salary

In the Spring of 2013, an ISB student polled 100 expat families in and around Nichada regarding their maids salaries.

That information, along with the salaries of many current Nichada families, and the ANZWAG Bangkok Guide was used to come up with these guidelines.  It is VERY important to remember that the range varies based on: the maids ability to speak & write English, the size of the family & house, the responsibilities she will have, live in or live out status (typically a live in’s salary is lower because you are providing their lodging and food).

Wages, in 2020, still range between 6,000-20,000 baht per month not including overtime or visa assistance (for non-Thai’s). In Nichada, you will find most maids are on the upper echelons of the salaries, having many years of experience working with expats, and generally speaking good English. The breakdown below should help explain the range:

  • 6,000-10,000 – For a part time maid with little to moderate experience and/or little to fair English skills. The responsibilities are reflected in the salary.
  • 8,000-10,000 – For a full time maid with little experience and/or little English skills whose responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, and possibly a small amount of child and/or pet care.
  • 8,000-12,000 – For a full time maid with little experience and/or little English skills whose responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, cooking, shopping and child and/or pet care.
  • 10,000-14,000 – For a full time maid with 4+ years experience and fair English skills whose responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, and possibly a small amount of child and/or pet care.
  • 12,000-16,000 – For a full time maid with 4+ years experience and fair English skills whose responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, cooking, shopping and child and/or pet care.
  • 14,000-18,000 – For a full time maid with 6+ years of experience and good English skills whose responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, and possibly a small amount of child and/or pet care.
  • 16,000-20,000 – For a full time maid with 6+ years of experience and good English skills whose responsibilities include cleaning, laundry, cooking, shopping and child and/or pet care.

Please remember this is just a range. Your maids salary should be whatever you and she agree upon and feel comfortable with. Typically an end of year bonus is paid to your maid upon completion of each of year of work.  This amount is one month’s pay. Often people like to pay their maids a bonus at Songkran. They will prorate the amount of the bonus to the number of months worked thus far and then pay the rest upon completion of the full calendar years work. The ANZWG Bangkok Guide has great information on about maids relating to hours of work, salaries, holidays, yearly bonus, termination and much more. As well as information on giving small (optional) gifts to drivers, gardeners, etc.

(from After the Boxes – September, 2014)

Check Also

Nichada Announcements on Facebook

The Nichada Announcement Group on Facebook Join the Nichada Announcement Group to keep up to …

5 comments

  1. We offer the service the agency service around Nichada area, Nonthaburi.
    If you need our support, please feel free to contact us.
    Ayasan – https://www.ayasan-service.com/?ln=en
    TEL 02 043 2612

  2. It would be great if you can update this article for new families moving in 2020. Thanks!

  3. What is the current (2023) hourly rate for a part-time home help for assistance with showering, shopping, laundry etc? I am in a wheelchair, no medical help required, only physical. I expect about 6-7 hours per week.

    • It varies, based on the person you are hiring and what chores are required, but its probably approximately 150-200B

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *