A Quick Guide to Hiring a Nanny in Bangkok

 

If you’re coming from a country where hiring a nanny is not common and/or is considered expensive and a luxury, then I can understand the hesitation to go down this route. But the good news is: hiring a nanny (and help in general) is relatively affordable in Bangkok. The salary range for a full-time nanny is about 500 – 800 USD per month depending on the candidate’s experience and employer’s expectations of childcare. If you expect your nanny to live-in, do school pick up and drop offs, and cook meals, you can expect to pay on the higher side of the salary range.

There are a few different kinds of setups when it comes to hiring a nanny — it really depends on what your needs as a family are.

1. Full-time live out: This means the nanny does not live with you. She will report for work every morning and leave at the end of the day. The hours of a full-time live out nanny are at the discretion of the employer; the range is 10-12 hours per day with some breaks in between. A monthly salary, meal allowance, use of employer’s kitchen, access to devices/TV and other benefits should be discussed.
2. Full-time live-in: This means the nanny lives with you either in separate quarters or an extra bedroom with private bathroom. The hours are at the discretion of the employer; the range is 10-12 hours per day with some breaks in between. The benefit of a live-in nanny is help with baby-sitting at night if you are out or traveling. A monthly salary, meal allowance, use of employer’s kitchen, access to devices/TV and other benefits should be discussed.
3. Part-time: This means the nanny does not live with you and works for a specific part of the day — you can discuss the exact hours with the nanny. Typically a part-time nanny does 4 to 6 hours per day and is paid monthly or hourly. The hourly rate for a part-time nanny ranges from 7 – 8 USD per hour.

The duties of a nanny may include (but are not limited to):

• Baths and getting children ready for school
• Feeding meals
• School pick up and drop off
• Playdates / playgroups
• Cooking meals (either only for the children or whole family)
• Laundry
• Helping with housekeeping
• Playing, reading and doing activities with kids
• Running errands, groceries etc
• Evening Baby-sitting
• Overnight baby-sitting

It is also very common to find a nanny who is open to doing tasks in addition to childcare such as laundry, ironing, lighthouse keeping, groceries and errands etc. This is more common for families with children who are in school for some portion of the day.

In Bangkok it’s common to find nannies who are Thai nationals (they don’t need a work visa to be hired) and Burmese nationals who do need a valid visa and work permit to be hired. So it is very important that you also ask candidates who require a work permit to  show their visa and documents during the in-person interview. In most cases, if the documentation and visa are in order the only thing you will have to do is get the name of the employer changed on your Burmese nanny’s work permit from the old employer’s name to the new one when you hire her. There are immigration agencies who can help with this process.

Filipino nationals cannot legally be hired to work as helpers and nannies because their visas and work permits fall under a different labour category to Burmese nationals. (I believe there may be an exception for families with diplomat status who may hire Filipino nationals but please check with an immigration lawyer about this)

 

**Please always do full research on the work permit and visa requirements before hiring anyone**

The million dollar question now is: where do I find a nanny? Here are a few ways:

• Contact an employment agency such as PNA, Kiidu, Ayasan (service fees etc will apply)
• Ask friends and neighbours if their nannies and helpers have anyone to recommend 
• Join Bangkok-related expat forums and groups on Facebook and post your requirements for a nanny

The hiring process can be a bit tedious until you find the right fit for your family. It’s very important to list out all of your expectations during a preliminary phone call to see if the candidate is a fit for your family. If she is a good fit, then proceed to an in-person interview at your home and see how she is with your children and family. Then, once again, go over all your expectations to ensure the candidate clearly understands what is and isn’t the nanny’s responsibility beforehand, and also clearly discuss salary and benefits.

If you hire a nanny through an agency then there is usually a formal contract to sign. Otherwise, having a formal contract is at the employer’s discretion.

So like I said, hiring a nanny in Bangkok is usually the way to go when it comes to childcare. But finding the right nanny can be a process because it is quite common for candidates to oversell themselves to get the job but then not perform in the way you hoped for. It is also common to hire someone but then she might not show up on the start date if she finds a better job. So the best way to find a good nanny is through a referral from a known friend or contact. If not, then be prepared to hire and let-go of a few nannies until you find the right one. It’s quite common to ask for a trial beforehand (a few days or a week) to see if the candidate is a fit before hiring formally (you can discuss the compensation for a trial with the candidate).

I hope you find this post helpful. Let me know if there are any questions in the comments below.