Thailand, 26 Feb 2025 – Insights from the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide reveal that 93 per cent of working professionals in Thailand can expect to receive a raise this year, the highest percentage among six locations surveyed in Asia which include Thailand, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. 

The survey conducted by Hays across six locations including Singapore, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand in late 2024 gathered insights from 3,670 hiring managers regarding expected changes in salaries or rates of pay within their organisations. Additionally, 8,790 skilled professionals were queried about their remuneration expectations for the year, including anticipated changes, satisfaction with pay, and whether they felt their salaries aligned with their responsibilities. 

In Asia: Modest raises amidst tough economic backdrop

Despite cautious pessimism about the broader economic climate, sentiments around salary are showing signs of improvement. Fewer professionals in Asia can expect to encounter no change in their salaries this year, down from 29 per cent in 2024 to 23 per cent. Professionals can also anticipate fewer pay cuts this year, down from seven per cent last year to six per cent in 2025. 

Conversely, most employers in Asia (34 per cent) expect to provide salary increments of between 2.5 per cent to five per cent, consistent with last year’s rate. Notably, organisations are increasingly committed to rewarding key talent on a higher scale, with 10% of hiring managers planning to offer raises between 6 per cent and 10 per cent, nearly double from last year (six per cent). 

Thailand: Broader and higher raises this year

The outlook in Thailand has improved from 2024, with organisations looking to provide increments to more working professionals this year. 93 per cent of professionals in Thailand can expect to receive a raise this year, the highest in Asia with professionals in Malaysia coming second (80 per cent) followed by Hong Kong (77 per cent) and Singapore (75 per cent). Organisations in Thailand are also surpassing their own raises in 2024, which saw 87 per cent of organisations providing increments to employees. 

Most professionals in Thailand can expect to receive increments between 2.5 per cent to five per cent (51 per cent), followed by increments between six and ten per cent (21 per cent), the highest such percentage in Asia. Ten per cent of professionals stand to enjoy pay raises above ten per cent, also higher than other locations surveyed. Conversely, only six per cent of professionals will see no change to salaries, while one per cent may see decrements instead. 

Professionals are closely aligned with organisations regarding increments, with 94 per cent indicating they expect a raise. Most professionals expect to see increments between 2.5 per cent and five per cent (39 per cent), while 30 per cent of professionals predicted increments of between six and ten per cent. 18 per cent of professionals believe they will enjoy raises beyond ten per cent. 

“40 per cent of working professionals in Thailand regard compensation and benefits as their top Employee Value Proposition,” said Yoke Pei Ong, Country Director at Hays Thailand. “Furthermore, 38 per cent of respondents indicated they would stay with their current employer because of the salary package offered.” 

Professionals satisfied with salaries

Salary increments in Thailand are also accompanied by increased expectations regarding work output. 53 per cent of professionals reported that their workload or scope of responsibilities had increased as a result of changes to their salary. 56 per cent of respondents felt that their pay was aligned with their responsibilities, while only 28 per cent disagreed. 

“Thailand reports the highest level of satisfaction among professionals in Asia for income, with 70 per cent of respondents indicating they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their pay. This correlates with high levels of transparency organisations have enforced around salary increments.” said Yoke Pei. 

57 per cent of professionals surveyed indicated that their workplace had a set criteria for increments, the highest percentage in Asia. China follows behind at 42 per cent followed by Malaysia (36 per cent) and Hong Kong (33 per cent). However, organisations in Thailand lag behind their Asian peers in publicising salary banding structures (12 per cent), with Japan leading at 33 per cent, followed by China (27 per cent) and Hong Kong (18 per cent). 

“Having clear and transparent guidelines surrounding salary in your organisation contributes towards perceptions of fairness and equity, and sets expectations for working professionals regarding their pay. Conduct regular salary audits to address potential pay disparities and communicate your initiatives to enhance workforce satisfaction and retention,” said Yoke Pei. 

A copy of the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide is available here.

For more information contact:

Sonel Singh, Head of Marketing, Hays Southeast Asia
T: +60 3 7890 6351
E: sonel.singh@hays.com.my