What a Maid, Gardener and Pool Cleaner Cost in Hua Hin in 2026
A typical Hua Hin pool villa spends around 5,000 THB a month on pool and garden service, plus 4,000 to 15,000 THB on a maid depending on how often she comes. Since April 2024, domestic staff in Thailand have been covered by the minimum wage. That means a full-time maid in Hua Hin cannot legally earn less than about 9,150 THB a month.
Below are the price ranges I see across condos and villas in Hua Hin and what the law now requires of you as an employer. You will also find sample monthly budgets for four types of owner.
Quick answer: Hua Hin household staff costs in 2026
Part-time maid: 100 to 150 THB per hour, or about 1,000 THB per villa visit
Full-time live-out maid: 10,000 to 15,000 THB a month
Live-in maid: 12,000 to 18,000 THB a month plus room and meals
Pool cleaner (twice a week): 1,800 to 3,500 THB a month depending on pool size
Gardener: about 1,500 THB a month weekly, about 2,900 THB for three visits a week
Legal pay floor: 352 THB per day in Prachuap Khiri Khan province
How much does a maid cost in Hua Hin?
A part-time maid in Hua Hin typically charges 100 to 150 THB per hour, or around 1,000 THB to clean a three-bedroom villa. A full-time live-out maid usually costs 10,000 to 15,000 THB a month, and a live-in maid 12,000 to 18,000 THB plus room and meals.
How much is a part-time maid per visit or per hour?
Most expat households in Hua Hin start with a part-time maid. A condo clean of three to four hours costs roughly 400 to 600 THB. A three-bedroom pool villa takes most of a day, so it is usually priced at about 1,000 THB per visit.
That works out to roughly 4,300 THB a month for a weekly clean, or about 8,500 THB for two visits a week. Laundry and ironing are often part of the visit. Deep cleans, oven cleaning and outside windows on a two-storey villa are usually quoted separately, so agree on the scope before the first visit.
What does a full-time or live-in maid cost per month?
A full-time live-out maid working six days a week typically earns 10,000 to 15,000 THB a month in Hua Hin. Experience with Western households, good English and the ability to cook push the figure toward the top of that range and sometimes beyond it.
A live-in maid usually receives 12,000 to 18,000 THB a month, plus her own room with a bathroom and either meals or a food allowance. Living on site does not mean being on call around the clock. Her working hours, rest time and days off are protected by law in the same way as a live-out maid’s.
From my own experience
The question I hear most often at handover is what to pay the housekeeper. My answer is always the same: start from the legal floor, then pay for reliability. The owners I know who have kept the same housekeeper for years all do three things. They pay a little above the going rate, they give a fixed weekly day off, and they pay on the same date every month without being asked. The owners who haggle over a few hundred baht are usually asking me for a new recommendation within the year.
If you are still planning the move itself, my guide to moving from Europe to Thailand covers the order in which to set up a household here.
Do you have to pay a maid minimum wage in Thailand?
Yes. Since April 2024, domestic workers in Thailand have been entitled to the minimum wage, an eight-hour working day with a one-hour break, and paid overtime. In Prachuap Khiri Khan, the province that includes Hua Hin, the minimum wage is 352 THB per day.
regular working hours, with overtime pay for anything beyond eight hours
98 days of maternity leave, 45 of them paid
protection against dismissal because of pregnancy
limits on what can be deducted from their salary
The figure that matters in Hua Hin is the provincial rate. The current Royal Gazette table sets 352 THB per day for Prachuap Khiri Khan. That rate has applied since 1 January 2025 and is unchanged in 2026.
Daily minimum 352 THB
Working days a month x 26
Legal monthly floor 9,152 THB
For part-time staff, the minimum equals about 44 THB per hour. Market rates in Hua Hin of 100 to 150 THB an hour are well above that, so part-time arrangements rarely raise a legal issue. Full-time and live-in arrangements are where you need to check your numbers.
Beyond pay, budget for a weekly day off, Thailand’s traditional public holidays and paid annual leave once your maid has worked for you for a full year. If you ask her to work on a holiday, she is owed holiday pay. Domestic workers are not part of the compulsory social security scheme. Many employers help them join the voluntary scheme or simply contribute a small amount toward it.
How much does a pool cleaner cost in Hua Hin?
A standard 10 x 4 metre private pool serviced twice a week costs about 1,800 to 2,000 THB a month in Hua Hin. A larger 15 x 5 metre pool usually costs 3,000 to 3,500 THB a month.
A typical visit covers skimming, brushing the walls and steps, vacuuming the floor, emptying the skimmer and pump baskets, backwashing the filter and testing the water. Most independent pool technicians in Hua Hin work on fixed monthly contracts rather than charging per visit.
Are chemicals and salt included in the price?
Sometimes, and that is the first thing to ask. If chlorine, pH balancer and algaecide are not included, budget an extra 800 to 1,500 THB a month, more during the hot months from March to May. Saltwater pools use far less chlorine, but they need salt top-ups after heavy rain and a replacement salt cell every few years.
Location also plays a part. Pumps, lights and metal fittings close to the sea corrode faster, which is one of the running-cost differences I explain when clients compare beachfront vs inland property in Hua Hin.
How often does a private pool need servicing?
Twice a week is the standard in Hua Hin and is enough for a household pool. A third visit makes sense for a villa rented to holiday guests or during the wet months, when leaves, sand and rainwater upset the water balance quickly. It helps to know what Hua Hin’s rainy season is like before you sign a service contract.
From my own experience
When I hand over a villa to an owner who will spend part of the year abroad, pool service is the one line I tell them never to cut. In Hua Hin’s heat, an untreated pool can turn green in a matter of days. Bringing it back costs far more in chemicals, labour and sometimes a drained and refilled pool than months of regular service would have. Keep the contract running all year, and ask your technician to send a photo after each visit.
How much does a gardener cost in Hua Hin?
A gardener visiting once a week typically costs about 1,500 THB a month in Hua Hin, and three visits a week around 2,900 THB. Casual help for half a day is usually about 500 THB.
A regular contract normally covers mowing, hedge trimming, weeding, sweeping terraces and driveways, and watering during the dry season. Palm trimming, tree cutting, removing large amounts of green waste and new planting are usually quoted per job.
If you employ a gardener full-time for your household alone, the same legal floor applies as for a maid. On golf estates, the course crews look after the fairways but not your plot. That is worth remembering if you are weighing up living next to a fairway in Hua Hin.
What is the total monthly cost for a typical Hua Hin property?
Monthly household help in Hua Hin ranges from about 1,000 to 2,000 THB for a condo with a fortnightly cleaner to 15,000 to 19,500 THB for a family villa with a maid three times a week. The table below shows four common setups.
Owner profile
Maid
Pool
Gardener
Monthly total
Condo owner (1 to 2 bedrooms)
Every two weeks, about 1,000 to 2,000 THB
Included in common fees
Included in common fees
1,000 to 2,000 THB
Couple (2-bedroom villa, small pool)
Weekly, about 3,500 to 4,300 THB
1,800 to 2,000 THB
About 1,500 THB
6,800 to 7,800 THB
Family (3 to 4 bedroom villa)
Three times a week, about 10,000 to 13,000 THB
2,000 to 3,500 THB
About 2,900 THB
15,000 to 19,500 THB
Absentee owner (villa rented out)
Changeover cleans, about 4,000 to 6,000 THB
2,000 to 3,000 THB
1,500 to 2,900 THB
7,500 to 11,900 THB
Figures are typical 2026 ranges for Hua Hin and exclude pool chemicals unless your contract includes them.
Should you hire staff directly or use your estate’s service?
Estate or company services cost a little more but handle sick days, replacements and paperwork for you. Hiring directly is usually cheaper and builds a personal relationship, but it makes you the legal employer.
Many villa estates in Hua Hin offer pool and garden service as an optional extra on top of the common fee, sometimes charged per square metre of land. The convenience is real: one invoice, one point of contact and cover when a worker is ill. Before you opt in, compare the price with an independent contract, and check how it fits with the HOA and CAM fees on Hua Hin golf villas you are already paying.
Hiring directly gives you more control over who comes into your home. Ask for references, keep a simple written agreement covering pay, hours and days off, and register anyone who holds keys with your estate’s security office. If security is high on your list, read how safe Hua Hin golf estates are. Migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos must hold a valid work permit for domestic work, and a licensed agency can handle that paperwork for you.
How can absentee owners manage staff while overseas?
Most absentee owners use a property manager or a trusted housekeeper who holds the keys, sends photos after each visit and is paid by monthly bank transfer. Pool, garden and a monthly inspection clean together typically cost 5,000 to 8,000 THB.
The setup depends on why you bought. A holiday home you use a few months a year needs a light schedule. A villa earning rental income needs changeover cleans, linen and fast responses to guests. I go through that trade-off in long-term investment vs lifestyle purchase in Thailand.
Also check your insurance terms, since some policies expect the property to be visited regularly while you are away. My guide to insuring a golf course villa in Thailand explains what to look for. If you are not ready to take on staff at all, a rental with pool and garden service included is the simpler route. I compare both options in renting vs buying in Hua Hin.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to give my maid a 13th-month bonus in Thailand?
A year-end bonus is not a legal requirement for domestic staff in Thailand. Many households still give one, often half to a full month’s pay before New Year or Songkran, and it goes a long way toward keeping good staff.
Is a Hua Hin villa rental with pool and garden service included worth it?
For a first year in Hua Hin, usually yes, because the landlord manages the contractors and you avoid any employer obligations. Check exactly what is included, as some rentals cover pool and garden but only a monthly house clean.
Can I legally employ a Myanmar or Cambodian maid in Hua Hin?
Yes, as long as she holds a valid work permit for domestic work. The same rules on minimum wage, working hours and days off apply to migrant domestic workers as to Thai staff.
How much notice should I give before ending a maid’s employment?
The safe practice is to give at least one full pay period of written notice, or pay that period in lieu. For staff who have worked for you several years, take local legal advice on what else may be owed.
Do maids in Hua Hin bring their own cleaning products?
Part-time maids usually expect you to supply cleaning products, cloths and a vacuum cleaner. Cleaning companies normally bring their own, which is partly why they charge more per visit.
Should I pay household staff in cash or by bank transfer?
A bank transfer on a fixed date gives both of you a clear payment record. It also keeps working smoothly when you are travelling, which matters for owners who spend part of the year abroad.
What should you budget for household help in Hua Hin?
For most villa owners in Hua Hin, a realistic budget is 7,000 to 8,000 THB a month for a couple with a weekly cleaner, and 15,000 to 20,000 THB for a family with a maid several days a week. Pool and garden service together account for about 5,000 THB of that, and they are the two costs I would never cut.
Build your budget from the legal floor of 352 THB per day, then pay for reliability, and put the arrangement in writing. If you are just starting your search, my guide to buying property in Thailand as a foreigner is the best place to begin. When you view a villa with me, I will give you the actual service costs for that property, so the monthly figure holds no surprises.
