The title compound, (C6H9N2S)[ZnCl3{SC(NH2)2}], exists as a zincate where the zinc(II) centre is coordinated by three chloride ligands and a thiourea ligand to form the anion. The organic cation adopts the protonated 4,6-dimethyl-2-sulfanylidenepyrimidin-1-ium (L) form of 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2(1H)-thione. Two short N-H···Cl hydrogen bonds involving the pyrimidine H atoms and the [ZnCl3L](-) anion form a crystallographically centrosymmetric dimeric unit consisting of two anions and two cations. The packing structure is completed by longer-range hydrogen bonds donated by the thiourea NH2 groups to chloride ligand hydrogen-bond acceptors.