Finding a Maid or Cleaner in Thailand

For most expats living in condos, an hourly cleaner who comes once or twice a week is the right model. Independent cleaners found through condo concierge desks or Facebook expat groups charge 250-400 THB per hour with a three-hour minimum, often willing to do laundry, ironing, and basic shopping on the same visit. Pay in cash at the end of each visit, and provide cleaning supplies unless agreed otherwise. App-based services like SEEKSTER, Beneat, and Goodlly charge 350-600 THB per hour, send vetted and English-speaking cleaners, replace no-shows automatically, and bill by credit card. They suit short-term residents and anyone uncomfortable arranging informally. Hotel-style condos often have an in-house cleaning service at 500-800 THB per visit — convenient but rarely as thorough as a regular independent cleaner who learns your preferences.

A full-time live-in maid (mae baan) earns 12,000-18,000 THB per month in Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, or smaller cities and 15,000-25,000 THB in Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui. The salary covers six working days per week of typically 8-10 hours, with Sunday off and standard public holidays. Room, board, and three meals a day are provided on top of salary, plus annual bonus equivalent to one month and a 500-1,500 THB monthly mobile allowance. Higher rates apply if the maid speaks English, drives, or cares for children. Live-out full-time maids who work 8 hours a day six days a week and provide their own meals earn 15,000-22,000 THB in Bangkok and 11,000-15,000 THB in provincial cities. Both arrangements should include 13 days paid annual leave, paid sick leave up to 30 days per year, severance pay scaled by tenure (one month per year of service after the first year), and contributions to the Social Security Fund — 750 THB per month split between employer and employee.

Word of mouth through neighbours, condo juristic offices, and longtime expat Facebook groups (Bangkok Expats, Chiang Mai Expat Network, Phuket Expats) yields the best long-term hires because references are verifiable. Ask for a 30-day handover from the previous employer wherever possible. Domestic agencies like Mybell, Mae Baan Premium, and HHWT in Bangkok charge a one-month placement fee (typically 12,000-25,000 THB) for vetted candidates with background checks; provincial agencies are rarer and less standardised. For short-term stays, condo concierges keep a list of trusted independents and will arrange introductions for free. Avoid hiring strangers from public job-posting groups without a face-to-face interview, ID photocopy, and reference check from a previous employer — theft from foreign households is uncommon but resolving it without prior documentation is nearly impossible.

Thai domestic workers do not need a work permit and are legally employable by anyone, foreigner or Thai, on a verbal or written contract. Burmese, Cambodian, and Laotian maids — common in border areas and Bangkok — require an MoU work permit through the Department of Employment, which costs 7,000-12,000 THB in fees plus annual health checks. Employing an undocumented foreign worker exposes both employer and worker to 50,000-100,000 THB fines and deportation for the worker. Confirm nationality and right-to-work before hiring. Write a one-page Thai-and-English contract covering salary, days off, accommodation, meals, leave entitlement, notice period (one month either way is standard), and grounds for dismissal. Keep a written record of bonuses and salary changes. On termination, severance is legally required: 30 days' pay for 120 days to 1 year of service, 90 days for 1-3 years, 180 days for 3-6 years, and so on. Paying severance avoids the labour court visit that informal dismissals routinely produce.