# What Can I Do In Thailand?



## asarris825

Hey guys!

I recently graduated college and have no idea what to do with my life! Because of this, I decided to take a year off before grad school and travel and work abroad. I want a short term job in Thailand, about a year; I know my best bet is to teach English, but I don't think that's right for me. I've been trying to find some tour groups to work as a tour leader once I get there, but that's proven to be more difficult to find that I expected.

Any advice is more than appreciated!!

Thanks =]


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## Overandout

Well, you don't say where you are from, but regardless of that you are going to have to overcome two main problems:

Firstly, what kind of visa will you be able to obtain? I assume that you plan to enter Thailand on a tourist visa, so you won't legally be able to do any work at all unless you can find someone to employ you and give you a work permit within the validity of your tourist visa. Then you could get a Non immigrant B visa with which you ould libe in Thailand as long as you report every 90 days to immigration.

Secondly, there are many professions for which you cannot be given a work permit, because a Thai pareson would be capable of doing that same job. Fortunately I assume that Tour Guide is not restricted.

If you really want to pursue this option, you really need to come here, then intensively search for a suitable employer who will leaglise your situation quickly.

It won't be easy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try!


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## Mweiga

If you're already a Scuba diver or interested to learn , this provides many short to medium term expats in Thailand work possibilities. I've been diving all over Thailand for the past fifteen years.

Scuba diving is a large industry centred around the numerous seaside tourist resorts throughout the country and whilst Thai owned and staffed recreational dive businesses are now very much on the increase , there are still many foreign staffed and run dive shops that will train visiting expats up to dive master or instructor level and then hire them.

You would need to spend time going round the popular seaside resorts in Phuket , Koh Samui , Koh Tao , Pattaya , Koh Lanta , Khao Lak , etc , talking to dive shops. Any interested to take you on would give you the facts on work possibilities and would help with visa requirements and general officialdom.

Employment rules for foreign managed dive businesses have been somewhat tightened up in the last few years , but it's still a workable employer of expats.


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## yutthasak

But in what what field did you graduate? May I ask


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## bigt116

Overandout said:


> Well, you don't say where you are from, but regardless of that you are going to have to overcome two main problems:
> 
> Firstly, what kind of visa will you be able to obtain? I assume that you plan to enter Thailand on a tourist visa, so you won't legally be able to do any work at all unless you can find someone to employ you and give you *a work permit within the validity of your tourist visa. Then you could get a Non immigrant B visa with which you ould libe in Thailand as long as you report every 90 days to immigration.*
> 
> Secondly, there are many professions for which you cannot be given a work permit, because a Thai pareson would be capable of doing that same job. Fortunately I assume that Tour Guide is not restricted.
> 
> If you really want to pursue this option, you really need to come here, then intensively search for a suitable employer who will leaglise your situation quickly.
> 
> It won't be easy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try!


Incorrect ! Enter with a tourist visa, get a job, then get a Non-B, then get the work permit.

If you have a Non-B visa, you do not do 90 day reports, those would be for when he was on an extension of stay based on employment.
*<Snip>*


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## Elishandrew

You could try establishing yourself as a private english tutor - a very different experience to teaching a whole class


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## neilr

Overandout said:


> Secondly, there are many professions for which you cannot be given a work permit, because a Thai pareson would be capable of doing that same job. *Fortunately I assume that Tour Guide is not restricted.*


Sorry to say that you assume incorrectly .Being a tour guide in Thailand is a 'restricted occupation' - one that's only legally open to Thai Nationals.


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## paradiso

Being a tour a guide is a difficult position to achieve but I'm not sure it's impossible for the right person. There are people who work in Thailand in professions that might be regarded as restricted, but if you have specialist knowledge in a particular field for example, there are those that are employed as 'specialists' or 'consultants'. However, in your situation as a younger person this probably won't be the case.

Law is a perfect example where foreigners are employed as 'Lawyers' but are not allowed to practice and merely operate as advisors. This is only one example. There are foreigners employed in many other sectors in similar roles.

As you likely won't have specialist skills or knowledge, diving is a fair recommendation for legal employment. If you know about I.T/programming, that might be another option as there's quite a lot going on in that sector here but you would have to have excellent skills. For most regular jobs though, because of Thai employment rules, you won't be able to do anything that a Thai national can do. They are also fairly strict about having a Degree for many jobs, even outside of teaching.

There are lots of things you can be employed to do here but you will not get a work permit for them, so they are at your own risk.


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## amitom

Thailand is a good place for visiting. last year my friend visited there and he told me that its a beautiful place for the visit. he spent his holidays there cycling, ride elephant, fishing, parks walking, see temples and enjoy food items are delicious. there are many hotels facilities for the stay. he told me that these places he visited there.
Lumpini Park
Patong
Elephant Nature Park
Doi Suthep - Pui National Park..


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## Thai Bigfoot

I'm going to assume you're in your low 20's with no real work experience. Since any job you could do could probably also be done by a Thai, you won't get a job.
Teaching, assuming you wanted to teach, you'll be in a labor pool of thousands of other 18-25 somethings with the same experience. Very similar situation in PADI training. If you have to have a job to sustain yourself, you will have a problem. Sorry to be a downer, but, this is the truth.


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