Thai opposition pledges to double minimum wage ahead of election

Pheu Thai backs high-speed rail from China to Singapore and war on drugs

20221207 Paetongtarn Shinawatra Thailand

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister ousted in a coup in 2006, made some bold election pledges at a Pheu Thai Party assembly on Dec. 6. © AP

FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writer

December 7, 2022 19:30 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand's leading opposition party kicked off the 2023 campaign season with a platform to raise the minimum wage, break monopolies and declare war on illicit drugs.

The Pheu Thai Party plans to raise the minimum daily wage to 600 baht ($17) by 2027, nearly twice the current 328 to 354 baht, and to ensure bachelor's degree holders will earn at least 25,000 baht per month.