How well off are the Hi-So thais?

[soi6 0]

I always wondered how well on the Hi-So Thais (Thai upper class) are, are they middle class (US $40k/yr income) or are they making much more than that. With the Thai way of making appearance so important it is sometimes hard to tell. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[JohnnyK 28]

$40K a year and hi-so? Please.

That is middle class territory even in Siam, people who have jobs and go to them.

Hi-so own the business and pay themselves very very well, much more than 1.2 million baht a year.

Really rich people don't work for salaries, the ones who do are called workers.

[soi6 0]

Sorry i was thinking of $40k USD a year. or 1.2M baht a year, that would be the amount middleclass people in the US make, i wondered if theat makes one upperclass or a Hi-So thai? I have difficulty believing your statement that $40k USD a year is middleclass in Siam, if so the thai people are much richer than i thought... Still the question is not answered, howmany million baht a year makes one Hi-So in Thailand?

 

 

$40K a year and hi-so? Please.

That is middle class territory even in Siam, people who have jobs and go to them.

Hi-so own the business and pay themselves very very well, much more than 1.2 million baht a year.

Really rich people don't work for salaries, the ones who do are called workers.

[joekicker 53]

Sorry i was thinking of $40k USD a year. or 1.2M baht a year, that would be the amount middleclass people in the US make, i wondered if theat makes one upperclass or a Hi-So thai? I have difficulty believing your statement that $40k USD a year is middleclass in Siam, if so the thai people are much richer than i thought...

 

Thais who make $40,000 a year are in the middle class. That is NOT the same as saying all middle class Thais make $40K, any more than all American "middle class" make $40K. But IF you make that much in Thailand, you are middle class. You certainly are not in the running to be hi-so. For that kind of money, you're reporting to The Man every day and doing his bidding. There are lots of Thais who make $100,000 a year and they are middle class, too, just like in the US also.

 

Still the question is not answered, howmany million baht a year makes one Hi-So in Thailand?

 

By definition, if you know what you're going to make this year, you're not hi-so. Hi-so do not make a certain amount a year. They don't have a salary. They don't get regular income. They have millions and millions, often by working for it, but there's no pay slip, no telling what they'll make this year.

 

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[captcraig2 120]

Are we talking baht here or dollar? if it is dollar then I would have to think that $40k per year would a very good salary for a Thai. Here in the States I would also think that $40k is pretty much poverty living.

[js007 795]

Are we talking baht here or dollar? if it is dollar then I would have to think that $40k per year would a very good salary for a Thai. Here in the States I would also think that $40k is pretty much poverty living.

 

In the USA, it might seem like $40K is near poverty, but the government doesn't look at it that way. Actually, that's a fairly normal wage for people in the USA. With a husband and wife both working, that would be $80K a year, and in many areas, the average income levels for a family aren't even that high.

 

I don't know much about The Thai upper income people, but if you look on YouTube there are a few videos about the Thailand Ferrari Club. From what I could tell, it looked like a bunch of kids from Bangkok that all had Ferraris. I guess the Bangkok well-to-do people make enough money to buy their kids Ferraris to play around in.

[gaijin 146]

I would say if Thais are making $40k/yr US that would put them in upper middle class, but not rich or hi-so. Even some successful bar girls can make that much.

[ozibill 546]

My son works for a large Thai company and is paid in excess of $120,000 pa but his boss who does nothing except flit around the world can afford to own an island near Phuket , 2 Lear Jets , a helicopter , and a $25 million yacht - that is the difference between middle class and hi-so

[JohnnyK 28]

My son works for a large Thai company and is paid in excess of $120,000 pa but his boss who does nothing except flit around the world can afford to own an island near Phuket , 2 Lear Jets , a helicopter , and a $25 million yacht - that is the difference between middle class and hi-so

 

Yup.

99% of us will never come near, never mind meet, hi-so Thais. We are not in that world, we have few ways of entering it and they don't need us. Pretty much the only ways falangs will meet them is if the falang is a very top tier executive of a multi-national or is in the diplomatic corps.

 

Interesting distinction about middle class. Personally I view US$40K a year as working-class, a term not used in the USA. Basically at $40K in the western world you are living payday to payday. I'd say the middle class is more like $75K plus - 2 new cars, large house in a nice neighbourhood, maybe private school for the kids, orthodontists etc etc. and those things would still be pretty tough at $75K.

Edited March 28, 2011 by JohnnyK

[Dungheap 243]

A teacher at an international school in Tokyo was teaching in Bangkok prior to coming to Japan.

 

She asked her students how their weekend was, and a Thai boy answered:

 

"We went to Hong Kong in our plane."

 

"That's nice Sam but you should say 'in a plane' next time," the teacher corrected.

 

"But teacher, it is our plane, daddy owns it," the kid shot back.

 

There are some very wealthy Thais around, and Filipinos for that matter.

 

Edited March 28, 2011 by Dungheap

[mrlasvegas 124]

Are we talking baht here or dollar? if it is dollar then I would have to think that $40k per year would a very good salary for a Thai. Here in the States I would also think that $40k is pretty much poverty living.

Depends on where you live. 40k a year in Vegas means a nice home that you can own with a low monthly payment. A new or newer car. Regular dining out in nice restaurants and any kind of entertainment you have in mind.

[tingtongtony 151]

Any of the LK group would be wealth in any country

 

They own half of patts

 

our landlord ownes 48 other bars, hotels,shops,& are small compeared to the LKGROUP but i bet they are still worth about 4m pounds ?

 

so what must the LK group be worth 100/200 millon pounds ?

[Leebanon 2]

I guess the Bangkok well-to-do people make enough money to buy their kids Ferraris to play around in.

 

but often, they dont like Ferraris

 

have a look on this one

 

[chris2004 67]

What surprises me are the number of VERY expensive cars around which someone must be buying. The Bangkok Post today did a review on the Porsche Cayanne which at 8 million baht they described as very cheap ! How many people even in the west lay out £170,000 on a car.

Edited March 28, 2011 by chris2004

[wacmedia 277]

I always wondered how well on the Hi-So Thais (Thai upper class) are, are they middle class (US $40k/yr income) or are they making much more than that. With the Thai way of making appearance so important it is sometimes hard to tell. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

Hi,

 

Rich Indians are very rich as they pay little tax. I'd imagine the same is true in LOS.

[gaijin 146]

Depends on where you live. 40k a year in Vegas means a nice home that you can own with a low monthly payment. A new or newer car. Regular dining out in nice restaurants and any kind of entertainment you have in mind.

 

 

I agree, if living in the Bay Area where I'm from that's just barely getting by. But there are also many who make much less who somehow get by, rooming with big families in a small house, section 8, etc. $40K in the cheap Midwest/Southern states would be pretty good pay, certainly middle class. I think the poor in the US are just as poor as those in Thailand. Poverty is poverty.

 

I don't think about how much money others have, because there's always someone who has more money than you. I'm just thankful for what I have and what I make, life is more blissful that way.

[jacko 8,822]

Some got beat up in a Soi Diamond GO-GO recently.... apparently they were drinking Breezers in Baby A -GO-GO, so I would say they are absolutely minted.

Edited March 29, 2011 by jacko

[Feileacan 32]

Probably the same as the rest of the world.The small few who are filthy rich and the majority of the wanna be rich who are up to their eyes in debt, but still like to keep up the appearance than face reality.

[Bullfrog 2,224]

IMO all the answers above are wrong...because the question is wrong..HiSo is about social position and power..which is only indirectly linked to annual income...

 

 

...and of course you are all thinking of big city HiSo....Out in the provinces the owner of say the only sugar beat factory maybe deemed to be HiSo.....If he is rich enough never to visit his own factory...

Edited April 9, 2011 by Bullfrog

[joekicker 53]

IMO all the answers above are wrong...because the question is wrong..HiSo is about social position and power..which is only indirectly linked to annual income...

 

You aren't wrong but as you say it IS linked to money. Also, the "power" part isn't part of hi-so. Power is an entirely different concept. Hi-so is parties and presence. Once you're the PM or the commanding general, you're not hi-so any more. That is: You can have lots of money and NOT be hi-so.

 

...and of course you are all thinking of big city HiSo....Out in the provinces the owner of say the only sugar beat factory maybe deemed to be HiSo.....If he is rich enough never to visit his own factory...

 

Disagree here. Hi-so is pretty much a Big City concept. Out in the provinces it *is* about power, pretty much and that sugar factory guy may well be the big man. Society in the provinces isn't worth much consideration, doesn't get much respect. But again, money is crucial - without money or at least the trappings of money, you aren't much.

 

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[Bullfrog 2,224]

You aren't wrong but as you say it IS linked to money. Also, the "power" part isn't part of hi-so. Power is an entirely different concept. Hi-so is parties and presence. Once you're the PM or the commanding general, you're not hi-so any more. That is: You can have lots of money and NOT be hi-so.

 

 

 

Disagree here. Hi-so is pretty much a Big City concept. Out in the provinces it *is* about power, pretty much and that sugar factory guy may well be the big man. Society in the provinces isn't worth much consideration, doesn't get much respect. But again, money is crucial - without money or at least the trappings of money, you aren't much.

 

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An actress with say 5 series under her belt can mix freely in HiSo circles...Prom Porn just from her morning show mixes with HiSo..mainly cos she has managed to keep her legs closed unlike her sister..neither aint gonna be rich...

 

Power is Definately part of HiSo...albeit under the guise of influence...The Bastard children of Samak are neither PM nor commanding General but HiSo all the same...Power...Fcuk yes if either say jump..Bangkokians jump....I don't want to go further on this family otherwise I will end up leaving the board for another few years..

 

 

As for the provinces..you are wrong...in each of the provinces where I have lived there are HiSo. In Kamphaengphet the family keep out of local politics, have many businesses here, in BKK and in Africa..which is how I got to know them..In fact it is a bit embarrasing for my wife that knew them very well in Africa but then tries to remain on nodding terms at home...

 

 

But the most obvious thing is that neither us nor ANY farang can say who is and who is not HiSo...Only Thais can say becuase it is afterall their HiSo....

Edited April 9, 2011 by Bullfrog

[joekicker 53]

As for the provinces..you are wrong...in each of the provinces where I have lived there are HiSo.

 

And again, I don't disagree, but (at least in my experience/hearing) they don't use the hi-so term, nor does decent society use hi-so in describing them. It's possible I missed it. It may vary from province to province, etc, etc. - I'm not arguing, just saying.

 

I'd personally put these people much closer to godfathers and warlords than "society" but that's me.

 

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[Bullfrog 2,224]

And again, I don't disagree, but (at least in my experience/hearing) they don't use the hi-so term, nor does decent society use hi-so in describing them. It's possible I missed it. It may vary from province to province, etc, etc. - I'm not arguing, just saying.

 

I'd personally put these people much closer to godfathers and warlords than "society" but that's me.

 

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As a country boy born in England it pisses me off when people put "Society" into a city category...but of course Tony has banned our hunting events and new money has ruined the "Society" that I was brought up in 54 years ago.. ( but bitterly dissagreed with BTW)...and of course anywhere outside of BKK are faaarmers..

 

and HiSo..is not a phrase I use only the Thais around me .....So I repeat.....

 

 

The most obvious thing is that neither us nor ANY farang can say who is and who is not HiSo...Only Thais can say becuase it is afterall their HiSo....

[CheshireTom 1,377]

The most obvious thing is that neither us nor ANY farang can say who is and who is not HiSo...Only Thais can say becuase it is afterall their HiSo....

 

Can a Thai farang not be considered hi-so then?

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Getting back to the OP - one of the things that makes hi-so in Thailand such a big deal is wealth distribution. Very much a case of the 'haves' and 'have nots'.

Edited April 9, 2011 by CheshireTom