The services of domestic staff (maids, housekeepers, gardeners and nannies) in Thailand can be an indispensable assistance to foreigners. You can hire domestic workers either on a full or part time basis. Some of the common and resourceful avenues for finding domestic staff include an agency, advertisement in a local bulletin board or newspaper or through referrals.

The services of domestic staff (maids, housekeepers, gardeners and nannies) in Thailand can be an indispensable assistance to foreigners. You can hire domestic workers either on a full or part time basis. Some of the common and resourceful avenues for finding domestic staff include an agency, advertisement in a local bulletin board or newspaper or through referrals. Domestic workers who are conversant with the English language are in demand, since they make life easier for foreigners to communicate directly with them, plus they can play an additional role as a translator. The paying rate for their services is around THB 7,000 to 12,000 per month. For non-English speaking domestic staff, the pay rate is often lower.

Direct Hire

Some domestic workers will provide their services on a part time basis, based on an hourly rate, which normally comes down to THB 100 to 200 per hour. The roles and responsibilities of domestic staff should be carefully stipulated on a formal contract. Also make sure to make necessary background checks. Ask for references and call their former employers. Some of the common duties maids are expected to take care of include:

• Preparing food , which can either be local or international cuisines
• Taking care of the children
• Paying the bills
• Taking care of the house
• Grocery shopping
• Doing the laundry

Through an Agency

Some of the benefits of using an agency to hire domestic staff include:

• They will take care of the necessary formalities and paper work required to hire domestic staff. For instance, an agency should be able to ensure that the worker has Workers Compensation Insurance and their contributions into the social security fund are made on time.
• They can provide training for domestic workers who may not have a grasp on the employers language.
• They can act as mediators if a problem arises between the employer and worker.
• They can provide a replacement, if the worker does not meet the employer’s standards.

Workers provided by an agency will often charge a higher fee compared to free agent workers.

Through Condo/Building Owners

In some cases, the management or owners of a house, apartment or condo will provide their own maid service to owners and tenants. If not, then they could probably recommend a person or company that they have used in past. Many times cleaning of a condo can be handled with the maids in the condo building. Many are happy to work extra a couple of hours per week.