How rampant is salary discrepancy among immigrants and Thai employees?

it's not just salary, it's also how tips get split. in a lot of bangkok restaurants, thai staff get a bigger cut of the tip pool or keep their own tips while migrant workers have to share. i've seen it at places on sukhumvit soi 11 where the thai waitstaff walk out with 500-800 a night in tips and the myanmar kitchen staff get maybe 100-200. for white collar, the gap shows up in bonuses and overtime pay too, thais get the full rate while migrants often get a flat low rate no matter how many hours. if you ask for a raise, try framing it around your specific value like "i handle the busy dinner rush alone" rather than comparing to thai staff, that usually goes down easier

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yeah it's pretty open secret in Bangkok that Thai staff get paid more than migrant workers even for same work, especially in f&b. in white collar it's less blatant but still there, like companies will pay Thais more for "language skills" or "cultural fit" excuses. honestly asking for a raise is fine but employers usually brush it off saying it's "market rate" for migrants, so you gotta be ready for them to just say no or replace you.

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honestly it's worse than people admit, like in f&b i've seen thai staff get 15-20k baht while cambodian or myanmar coworkers doing the same thing get 9-12k. white collar it's a bit less obvious but still there, they'll give thais the "management" title and migrants the "coordinator" one even if work is identical. if you ask for equal pay just be subtle about it, maybe frame it as "i've been here long, can we discuss adjustment" but don't expect them to be cool with direct

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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