# Thinking of moving to Thailand



## tecone78

Hi all,

We are a married couple working in NY. We just recently had an opportunity to visit Bangkok, and loved it there. A college friend of ours is a Thai living in Bangkok and he suggested we move there as there are many opportunities there. Obviously, vacation is not the same as actually living there, but just wanted to get a sense of things, if we could. 

I'm currently a project manager making around 120k, and my wife is a SAP expert making around 70k. We know that we won't be able to find a job there that would match what we are making currently, but what would be an equivalent of what we are making here in the states? Just doing the straight conversion, it would be close to 6 million baht, but through some research, average project manager salary in Thailand is around 420k baht, which is significantly lower, unless I'm looking at incorrect sites. We also know that cost of living is also significantly lower in Thailand, but it still seems very low.

Also, are there jobs that don't require speaking Thai? Eventually, if we move there, we will start learning the language, but I'm guessing it would take some time to learn the language to be working at a corporate level. I checked with my currently company, but they do not have a presence in Thailand. 

So, to sum it up, (1) what would be the salary level I should be expecting that is somewhat equivalent to what we are making here in US, and (2) are there corporate jobs that don't require speaking Thai, at lease at the initial stage. If so, does anyone know if there are websites with job listings in Thailand?

I know these are questions that can have many answers depending on each situation, but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!


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## Xynoplas2

I hesitate to throw cold water on your dream, but the Thai government has placed numerous restrictions on what kinds of work a non-citizen can perform in Thailand. 
In short, if a Thai citizen can do the job, then good luck getting a work visa for that. This is why most working expats in Thailand are English teachers.


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## Mweiga

You'd do best to try for positions advertised internationally from your home base , typically with either US or international companies that have local operations in Thailand. As has been mentioned , possibilities to get legal work locally as an expat , outside of English teaching , are extremely limited.


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## tecone78

Thank you very much for your inputs. We obviously need to do more research.


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## Xynoplas2

What is your language base? Have you learned any other languages before (hopefully at a young age)? That is to say, learning Thai to a "corporate level" is no picnic.


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## tecone78

Thanks, I bet it isn't. My native language is Korean, and English is my 2nd. Took me a good 2 years to have meaningful conversations in English, so I'm thinking maybe 2 to 3 years for Thai? Maybe I'm being too ambitious.


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## tecone78

I guess the best way for me right now is to move to another company here that has offices in Thailand, and ask for a transfer.


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## Dekillon

Hi

Don't agree with the other guys, there are numerous opportunities for working in Thailand exept being a teacher. However this is for high level positions like engineers and managers.

If you have a master degree and a international mindset then you have one chance to work in Thailand.

Incomes might be lower but you need to compare with the cost of life. Minimum salary for western expact is 50kthb per month. Can be much more if experienced profile. No need to speak Thai at this level. However you will need it a little bit for the daily life !

If you really want to make the move then you have to come in Thailand and search locally. Searching from abroad is unefficient. You need to enter the country business network.

Have a look at the Chambers of Commerce network and also some recruitment agencies.

Regards


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## Jordywardy1

hi
my American boyfriend is applying for his retirement visa for Thailand, namely Phuket. I live in London and am looking to go out to be with him in January but want to know best way to do this? I am an interior designer but not sure there is much call for this there and I am a little way off retirement to go down this visa route. I need help with visa and job options and realistically how we can be together
Any help would be gratefully received. thanks


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## Thai Bigfoot

*Moving to Thailand*

Advice on moving to Thailand

I retired at 62, and relocated to Phuket, from the U.S., in 2009. I sold everything I had in America and came here with 6 suitcases and a large duffel bag. It’s cheaper to pay the airline than it is to actually ship it. My biggest error was selling my excellent motorcycle helmets in the U.S.

Visas: Tourist and “O”
TOURIST VISA
This visa type, as its name states, is issued to foreigners entering Thailand as tourists. It must be obtained abroad before traveling to Thailand. Upon arrival a stay of 60 days will be granted, which may be extended by another 30 days (β1900 at local immigration office) for most foreign nationals. This type of visa, often called the “Retirement Visa” may be extended to long term stays of up to one year if you meet the retirement requirements.

"O" VISA
The "O" visa is good for 90 days. It costs a little more, but, you won’t have to make a trip to immigration and pay to extend it, which cannot be done. 
In both cases, you'll have to do the visa run a week or two before the visa expires. 
You'll see many people say get the standard tourist visa because it's less expensive. This is true, but, it's good for 60 days. It can be extended ONCE for 30 days, but, it costs B1,900, so, it's not really cheaper. The "O" saves you extra trips to your local immigration office.

Visas “O” and Retirement extension, if applicable.
Thai visa rules by your country of origin.
But, to get a retirement visa you must be 50 and have some sort of provable income, whether it's retirement income, or $800k in a Thai bank.

First, get an "O" visa. This is the only one you can then convert to a Retirement Visa, which is a misnomer. It's not a visa, per se, it's a one year extension on your original Thai "O" visa. You have to renew this extension yearly with the same proof you used the first time.

Visa Runs. If your visa is due to expire, you have to go on a "Visa Run" to a Thai embassy or consulate in another country. You will usually get the same type of Visa you had originally. Visa runs are not required if you have the "O" Visa retirement extension. I did visa runs for many years. The last on was 3 years ago to get an "O" visa that I could use from then on for the extension. Visa runs in a van are scary. The drivers all speed and drive recklessly. They seem to believe it's smart to go even faster and tailgate even closer, when it rains. All Thais seem to do this.

If you're eligible for the Visa Extension, come here on an "O" Visa obtained from the Thai Embassy in your country. After 60 days, you can get the extension by supplying bank/income proof, and residence information i.e. lease, bills in your name with your Thai address, internal and external photos of your address.

If you aren't eligible, still get the "O" visa because it's good for 90 days. You'll have to do the visa run every 90 days. You'll see many people say get the standard tourist visa because it's less expensive. This is true, but, it's good for 30 days. It can be extended twice for 30 days, but, it costs B1,900 each time, so, it's not really cheaper. The "O" saves you extra trips to your local immigration office.

The one year visa extension is 1,900 while the separate multiple re-entry visa costs 3,800. You only need a re-entry visa if you want to travel out of Thailand and return within the validity period of the one year visa. A single re-entry visa is cheaper but of course only good for one out and return trip. 

Not having a re-entry visa if you do travel out of Thailand is a major problem as your one year visa gets cancelled at immigration on return to Thailand - you get issued with a 30 day permission to stay stamp and then have to go through the whole one year visa application process again from scratch.

The biggest problem with getting advice about Thai visas is: 1-Different rules for different home countries. As a result, advice provided can be inaccurate if they come from a different place. There's a ton of misinformation passed around by people who heard how someone else did it. Almost always wrong. 2-Inconsistencies between Thai embassies and consulates as to what the law is. If you go to the one in Scotland, you may get conflicting stories with different people.

Thai bank accounts + ATMs
Open an account at a major bank using your current address. I used BoA, but, most are fine. Get an ATM card (and a 2nd if you can). Sign up to do everything electronically. Direct deposits, transfers, communication, bill pay ... everything. If you do this, the bank will have no reason to use a snail mail address.

Most banks will charge a 3% on any ATM withdrawal. The Thai ATM you use will charge $5-10. Usually, the max you can withdraw at a time is 30,000 baht. I use Krunsri and Siam banks. You should open an account at a Thai bank and get their ATM card. This will save some of their fees. It's very easy to open an account at a bank branch in Phuket. Bring passports and B5000. When you have account #, bank will give you all the information you need to transfer the rest.

Writing a check on an American bank for depositing here is a real headache. The charge is more than an ATM withdrawal and it take around two weeks for the check to clear.

International money transfers between banks, while fast, is also more expensive than the ATM 3%.

Riding cycles + Helmets.
You will probably be riding a scooter or motorcycle during your stay.
If you have no experience on one, start practicing now in the U.S. Don't try to learn here. It's a no man's land. 

Bring with you a good motorcycle helmet for each in the family. They run around $300 each (Bell, Arai, Shoei). You can't get bigger sizes in Thailand because Thai heads are small so a good helmet that fits is difficult to find. In Thailand, they’ll cost 3-4 times as much because of the high import tariff. Most Thai helmets are $15-30. They'll do nothing in a head impact. That's why they're called "Brain Buckets." Pack them in a sizeable duffel bag. You can then pack smaller items in the helmets.

Employment in Thailand. 
Not as easy as people think. Thai law says no foreigner can have a job that a Thai can do. Being transferred here by a current employer resolves this one. But, just coming here and getting hired is extremely difficult.
That’s why being an English teacher appeals to so many. And, because there are so many, actual jobs are scarce.

Moving to Thailand 
Actually ship as little as absolutely necessary. Very expensive.
Bring as many suitcases you can handle. Much cheaper to pay the airlines.
Set up someone in the states who will ship U.S. purchases you make on the internet, package them (USPS offers a reasonable 20 pound max rate of about $100.), and ship them to you. There will be things that you'll need.

If you need any further help, let me know.

Good luck!


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