# Wanting to work in Thailand



## keeley b (Mar 6, 2009)

Hello everyone
My boyfriend and I would be really grateful for any advice about moving to and working in Thailand, ideally on one of the islands. Is it easy to go and find work when out there, casual or office, are things in Thailand for jobs as bad as it seems to be everywhere else, and is anyone looking for any staff at all? I'm an office worker with bar and horse riding experience and my boyfriend is in sales with good people skills. Any tips would be very much appreciated.
Thanks for listening
Keeley x


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## singto (Sep 15, 2008)

keeley b said:


> Hello everyone
> My boyfriend and I would be really grateful for any advice about moving to and working in Thailand, ideally on one of the islands. Is it easy to go and find work when out there, casual or office, are things in Thailand for jobs as bad as it seems to be everywhere else, and is anyone looking for any staff at all? I'm an office worker with bar and horse riding experience and my boyfriend is in sales with good people skills. Any tips would be very much appreciated.
> Thanks for listening
> Keeley x



No, it's not easy as there are literally thousands of people who come here (or don't) and decide they want to live here.

The skills you have are a dime a dozen here and Thai employers would much rather have Thais working for them than a foreigner who doesn't speak the language, know the culture, or want more money than the average Thai would make. 

That's the simple truth.

Now, for those who are hustlers, work can be found but it will likely take you time to make the contacts and learn enough to make yourself valuable enough in a foreigner or Thai's eyes to be hired.

I've been here fourteen years and have had several jobs. I brought over around $30,000 US in addition to having a monthly payout for a year so this gave me the luxury of time to make contacts and figure out where I fit in.


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## stogiebear (Mar 20, 2009)

Why don't you start a business?


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

It would be difficult to get a work permit for a basic admin/secretarial job unless they needed fluent English. Its a hastle for the company and there are country based minimum wages here, so Thais can be paid cheaply and (officially) you couldn't and would be expensive.

Most people that do not have specific skills and have not been ported over from their home country by their home firm to a Thai office etc, either teach (officially you would need a degree, teaching experience and Thai teaching cert - but many don't especially in the sticks - but this carries risks) or start their own business (bar/restaurant/guest house etc). Even that's not easy, have a look at SunBelt Asia Sunbelt Asia Group for some idea as to how much this would cost/how to go about it etc. Perhaps you could buy an existing business, a lot of them going tits up right now!

Its getting hard to find jobs now - it is reckoned that Thailand will loose 1,000,000 jobs over the next year, so not much better than anywhere else really. You need to do a heck of a lot of research first, and know what and how well before you book your tickets.


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