Finding a job in Thailand

[MattBangkok]

This is just a general question.

Sometime in the near future, i would like to find a job in thailand and become a expat.

What would be the best method of finding a job?

[Admin_2]

This is just a general question.

Sometime in the near future, i would like to find a job in thailand and become a expat.

What would be the best method of finding a job?

There a couple of steps:

1.) figure out what you want to do.

2.) realize you can't do that and become an English teacher.

[Stramash]

This is just a general question.

Sometime in the near future, i would like to find a job in thailand and become a expat.

What would be the best method of finding a job?

What's your current job? Qualifications? Can you bring skills to Thailand not readily available here?

If not, teach young man, teach.

[MattBangkok]

What's your current job? Qualifications? Can you bring skills to Thailand not readily available here?

If not, teach young man, teach.

Well i work in I.T Facilities Administration, I only have a few I.T qualifications to my name, but they seem to be working for me at the moment, wouldnt mind gaining more tbh.

Teach, so any english person can be a teacher?

[Admin_2]

Well i work in I.T Facilities Administration, I only have a few I.T qualifications to my name, but they seem to be working for me at the moment, wouldnt mind gaining more tbh.

Teach, so any english person can be a teacher?

Yes, and you don't even have to use apostrophes with "wouldn't" or capitalize the word "English!''

Most schools now require you to get a TEFL or some certificate like that to teach.

I know a lot of freelance IT guys that do pretty well. If you're not working for a company, you'll have to deal with getting a visa, which is a pain in the ass.

[MattBangkok]

Yes, and you don't even have to use apostrophes with "wouldn't" or capitalize the word "English!''

Most schools now require you to get a TEFL or some certificate like that to teach.

I know a lot of freelance IT guys that do pretty well. If you're not working for a company, you'll have to deal with getting a visa, which is a pain in the ass.

I have read about that! If you work for a company its all done for you! Lucky!!!

Its just a thought...see where it takes me!!

[Stramash]

Well i work in I.T Facilities Administration, I only have a few I.T qualifications to my name, but they seem to be working for me at the moment, wouldnt mind gaining more tbh.

Teach, so any english person can be a teacher?

Ah...so highly competent at switch on/switch off then. As Rob says, without company backing pain in the ass to get a visa, and without qualifications may be hard to make mark as a freelance. Even the English teaching is getting hard as many places will look for a degree (in anything grant you) to back up the TEFL.

Got any capital? If so, maybe worth looking at a business idea, but ideally not a bar in Pattaya (average lifespan 9 months if I remember from last figures)

If even some savings, maybe an educational visa and learn Thai?

[MattBangkok]

Ah...so highly competent at switch on/switch off then. As Rob says, without company backing pain in the ass to get a visa, and without qualifications may be hard to make mark as a freelance. Even the English teaching is getting hard as many places will look for a degree (in anything grant you) to back up the TEFL.

Got any capital? If so, maybe worth looking at a business idea, but ideally not a bar in Pattaya (average lifespan 9 months if I remember from last figures)

If even some savings, maybe an educational visa and learn Thai?

Some good ideas....I guess i will just wait for something to play out, i couldnt see my self doing a educational visa.....

[koolbreez]

Some good ideas....I guess i will just wait for something to play out, i couldnt see my self doing a educational visa.....

You could always try your hand at managing a restaurant. If you look around you can usually find one that will give you a shot if you have experience. You could also try the oil exploration companies if you have experience. Teaching is always an option if you have a college degree. Then you can open a business if you have plenty of money you can afford to loose, and have experience in anything, but be aware there is a list of jobs you can not legally do in Thailand.

Your best bet is to work for a company in whatever country you live in that also has offices in Thailand then get experience with them so you can transfer over here. This is best accomplished if you are fluent in speaking, and writing Thai.

[FarangFarang]

You could always try your hand at managing a restaurant. If you look around you can usually find one that will give you a shot if you have experience. You could also try the oil exploration companies if you have experience. Teaching is always an option if you have a college degree. Then you can open a business if you have plenty of money you can afford to loose, and have experience in anything, but be aware there is a list of jobs you can not legally do in Thailand.

Your best bet is to work for a company in whatever country you live in that also has offices in Thailand then get experience with them so you can transfer over here. This is best accomplished if you are fluent in speaking, and writing Thai.

I agree with most of this but rather than give the guy the impression that there's a chance to get work, let's just be realistic. There are tons of "former" IT workers living in Thailand (many teaching). You have two problems in IT in Thailand:

1. You work for a Thai company and they pay you a Thai salary (think along the lines of 25,000 - 35,000 baht per month)

2. In order to get a job that pays well, you need to have some connections because that job probably will never be listed on a job board anywhere (remember what I said about tons of former IT guys living in Thailand?)

Like Starmash somewhat suggested, unless you have some heavy-duty qualifications that are not readily available in Thailand there's zero advantage in hiring you. Let's say you price everything out and it takes you a minimum of 50,000 baht to live. Why wouldn't a company hire two people at 25,000 per month instead of hiring you? Or three people at 20,000 baht per month?

If you say that it's because you're smarter or better than the local Thai talent but your resume doesn't jump out and smack people with that fact, it's a safer bet to hire to mediocre people than one expensive person who may or may not live up to expectations (especially when you factor in the costs of securing you a work permit).

The reason so many people end up teaching is because it's one job Thais can't do. Even most Thai English teachers have only the slightest grasp on the complexities of the English language. Schools, parents, etc feel it's more prestigious to have a native English speaker teach than a Thai who learned English in school. At many levels, it's mandated that English be taught by native speakers.

As Rob (JapAmerican) mentioned, most people end up freelancing or setting up their own business. That way you have a little more flexibility in rates you charge. That's especially true with other expats who, generally, assume that western trained IT people are more competent than Thai IT people.

But, that circules right back around to knowing people and having connections. You have to get out there and make a bunch of friends in the expat community so you can get the word of mouth business.

I would say that your best bet is to line up a bunch of contract work back home first. Stuff with recurring fees like hosting or if you can command a retainer fee. That way you get paid westerner rates while living in a country with a relatively low cost of living. As long as the work can be done remotely there's little difference whether you do it from Thailand or down the street.

You will need to travel back home to drum up business and keep your current clients feeling like you're still local. Maybe a trip home once a quarter to press flesh and smile.

The downside to that is when the baht is strong it can be challenging. If your contracts used to pay all of your bills and all of a sudden your cost of living increases because the baht increases in value you won't be able to go as far on a pound (or dollar or Euro) as you did before. A lot of retirees (pensioners) have been hit with that little surprise.

Most of the folks I know who are doing well in Thailand either:

1) Have their own business

2) Have been around forever and know everyone

3) Are working for a multi-national company on a western salary

4) Are independently wealthy and-or their income comes from outside of Thailand

5) Have a skill set not common in Thailand (i.e. I have a friend who does freelance work inspecting crematoriums to make sure they're not emitting too many toxins into the soil).

6) Temporary residents who work in fields like oil services (i.e. they work 3 months on site and spend 3 months in Thailand)

If the above don't apply to you currently then you might want to really put some time and focus into #1 and #3.

[MattBangkok]

It all seems like a lot of effort.....unless you have a multi-national company to help you....I guess i will be sticking to the holidays for now....

[FarangFarang]

It all seems like a lot of effort.....unless you have a multi-national company to help you....I guess i will be sticking to the holidays for now....

Believe me, there are tons of people who try. I don't even know how many people I've met that just moved to Thailand. And six months later many of them are on a plane back home because they couldn't lock down a source of income and they've blown through all of their cash.

IT is a great skill to have. You can start slowly taking on freelance work while you still have your day job. As you pick up more and more clients you can eventually transition away from the day job into your own business. And unless your IT specialty involves being on-site, you can pretty much do the job sitting in London in the winter snow or on the beach in Phuket.

It might take a few years to get there but, in addition to being able to move to places like Thailand, I think the ability to enjoy a life free from the nine-to-five grind is worth the extra effort.

You might try reading Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Work Week. Lots of interesting ideas on ways to generate income that allow you to free up your time and can be done from anywhere.