# Is it really so difficult to find a professioned job here...?



## cruzaderz

Heyya or better sawasdee khrap 

I'm looking forward finishing my PhD in technical chemistry and am now on the stage where the CVs should roll out one by one or already be on their way. So I looked up the usual suspects like jobsdb. Most what I found sound like "we're looking for a worker for 20KTHB, bachelor is a plus" or "looking for a graduate with 5 years practise, salary is to discuss, (only thai nationals)". Nothing real where they look for a master or higher which may be a beginner. Anyway there were only a handful of jobs roughly matching my topics so I decided to contact some headhunters. One out of five answered yet, it would be difficult cause of the thai laws and so on and anyway if there would be a chance I should try to get hints by other expats....

...So here I am  . Every hint would be great. Adresses, databases, also headhunters who take the whole first 2 salaries for their help - no problem if I find a matching and satisfying job. Indeed preferred at a farang company... 

Like told before my topic is chemistry, esp. reaction engeneering so I feel perfectly matching to all what's production in chonbury/rayon or places like this. everything about process creation, supervision or safety and most about plastics is my main strength. About salary I'm not really willing to think yet as the step to find something anyway feels to be of much higher priority. In other words: In germany a usual salary for PhD chemist starter is 180-220KTHB for the first year and 50-70% up for the 2nd. I'm no daydreamer so not dreaming to find this in Thailand. But it should at least be enough to have a comfortable livng without counting the last satang.

Best regards,
Dennis


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## Dave O'Dottu

there are plenty or technical and professional jobs advertised in southeast asia. There are many foreign companies needing people here. Sometimes they only want natives but not always. In many cases the the ngo's advertise for technical people or project manager types. 

Check out the Bangkok Post, the Phnom Penh papers, the back pages of the Economist...

But as you may know the action in the world is in the BRIC countries. So Brazil might be a hotter market for a chemist because of the oil industry.


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## Dave O'Dottu

Contacts

Atotech (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

11th Floor, 1 TP&T Tower
Soi 19, Vibhavadee Rungsit Road
Chatuchak, Chatuchak
Bangkok 10900

Thailand

Tel.: (+66) 293 618 71 - 4
Fax.: (+66) 293 618 76

Email: daniel.primett(at)atotech.com


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## cruzaderz

@Dave: Thanks for you answer - it helps a lot. I'm one of those online-generation kiddies and really forgot that "some times ago" jobs only had been advertised on newspapers so really not had this media in my focus  . Anyway the lookup should be possible online or I'd have to activate some friends in Thailand for the unlikely case it's not. To look for myself in those papers can just be the last option because May/Jun is scheduled moving and at this time or latest Aug/Sep a job schould be i sight. So to begin the search at Jun would be quite too late.

Do you know if the linked pages, for example jobjob.co.th linked from the Bangkok Post were similar to those advertised in the print versions? If not like explained I'd have to ask someone "over there" for a daily photo of those pages 

Regarding your sentence that there were many jobs (what I also guessed before, too) you calm my soul a lot. Like explained the databases I found by google gave a feeling like there would be everything but no job for me. Knowing that the gov't pushed a lot of money into Thailands chemistry, it's the biggest producer in ASEAN and there were also many factories for resins or end users products I guessed the opposite. It's just quite a task to find them... 

About the BRIC you're definitely right but the reason is personal: I have a thai girlfriend since about two years. She has an impressing, lovely (and not thai-ladylike  ) character so I'm quite sure that this could be forever. As she will never get a visa for Germany there were 3 options: Marry... no! not yet! Work other country she may go... too hard for the beginning - for both of us. Work in Thailand and accept a start at lower salaries than possible elsewhere...yes  . So the plan is either to start in Thailand, climb the ladder and stay, to start in Thailand and leave after a few years or to start in Thailand and go into self-employment with my knowledge after some years. At all ways the carrier starts at a regular relationship as worker in a company in Thailand  . 

Thank you too for the contact. I dont know yet if it fits as their spectrum is very broad but will get clear about this with them asap. 

Regards,
Dennis


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## Song_Si

Hi, just a note on wages in Thailand, in baht, per month, in most cases working week of 6 days, 10 days paid leave/yr from a survey where expats were asked to supply details of partners/family income
Some variations by area, and eg schoolteachers often get housing provided in rural areas like ours (6 live in one house here)

female chief accountant Chiang Mai 12K
production supervisor Chiang Mai (> 10 years experience) 22K
office clerk Chiang Mai 9-10K
Live in nanny on call 24/7, Chiang Mai 14k/m
Local Govt officer, NST, 12k/m
Human resources manager, full time job, Bangkok 14k/m
Teacher, Yala, 11k/m
Deputy principal/high school teacher, 18k mth with 15yrs exp
School teacher 12k/m
Police officer 12k/m

My partner, senior accounts, 9500/m for 6-day week, 8hr day- as we live rural there is little option, and she loves the work - "this is the job, this is what we pay".

We pay farm labour 200b per day as/when required - seasonal work only.

Of course there are higher paying jobs - generally with offshore based western companies who bring specialist staff with them, for a foreigner/non-Thai you/employer will have to prove there is no Thai that could do the job - and of course any westerner's salary expectations will be higher. Comparing with Germany etc is not a valid comparison.

Best of luck!


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## Dave O'Dottu

cruzaderz said:


> ....
> Do you know if the linked pages, for example jobjob.co.th linked from the Bangkok Post were similar to those advertised in the print versions?
> ....
> Regards,
> Dennis


sorry cannot answer your question about print vs online, but as you may know online is rarely as complete as print for this sort of thing. 

that company (atotech) was advertising a chemist job as of Feb 6, but it's for thai nationality. A lot of jobs for UN and other ngo's come up and are advertised in papers like the Phnom Penh Post etc. If you simply must have a job in the same place as your thai gf (there are a lot of stories about such things over here), then strictly chem jobs might be more rare. 

The Phnom Penh Post | The Phnom Penh Post

The Phnom Penh Post | The Phnom Penh Post

Jobs, business opportunities and property for sale | Economist.com

But in most cases to get a job in a foreign country you really have to be on the ground.


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## Song_Si

Hi again
just re-read my earlier post - didn't mean to sound too negative - just that this is the reality of Thailand.
My career was in Human Resources and international recruitment, mainly in NZ - and I continue to be amazed at the low salary rates here combined with the high average hours worked per week.
Just the way it is.
And one more to add - my partner's nephew is considering joining the army - if so he will start on 4k/m as apparently they charge for food and board! And probably for his uniform too. Unsure if this figure is true, just what he has been told.


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## Dave O'Dottu

Chemonics International
needs
1.LEDS Team leader
2.Forest Carbon Advisor
3.Monitoring and Evaluations Manager

[email protected]

SEI - Stockholm Environment Institute
needs Senior Researcher
Stockholm Environment Institute
"a master or higher degree (PhD preferred) in science...
[email protected] and cc to [email protected].

ad in Bkk Post, 9 February.


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## cruzaderz

@Song_Si: Mai pen rai - I know my gf long enough to be clear about the "reality" in Thailand. 130-150 THB is normal for standard workers like her. Not nice but true. On the other hand some literature talks of a median income about 20K all over Thailand whose number I until yet not really may believe.

Regarding the salaries I'm sure this amounts come from jobs from thai companies and those, also thai people may do. It definitely should not sound arrogant but my job they (yet) can not. One of our profs was once invited to teach for 6 weeks at ongoing salary including transportation, luxury hotel, flight... and he told, the hall was bursting full of students. Also my thai teacher told, she just has a lady who is urgently requested by a university in BKK to teach same topics for a lnger time. The offered amounts at jobsdb also show this as you may read things like 25K-35K for beginners with bachelors degree and one masters job I saw was 60K+.

Regarding work a specific area: This is not aimed cause heavy industry is quite close located to those two main areas and else just a bit splattered all around BKK, too. We just dont want to do the cold water jump and start a life together outside Thailand and at least not marry without lived together yet just to get her here. Anyway - Germany today showed me again, that they dont want or need me as they not support 2 month of unemployment although I paid more than 10K€ over last 7 years for this. So no matter what I may earn overseas - main thing not even one more cent from me goes to ther german gov't 


@Dave: Sounds both very interesting alhough "environment" may mean all and nothing. It may be a biologist's position or just the opposite which means technical analytics and would be my area. I'll try to contact both the next days by phone and tell all news about this. Anyway - I'll inform you about what's goning on as like told you already helped me a lot and though should know how the story ends 

regards,
dennis


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## wildfk

cruzaderz said:


> Heyya or better sawasdee khrap
> 
> I'm looking forward finishing my PhD in technical chemistry and am now on the stage where the CVs should roll out one by one or already be on their way. So I looked up the usual suspects like jobsdb. Most what I found sound like "we're looking for a worker for 20KTHB, bachelor is a plus" or "looking for a graduate with 5 years practise, salary is to discuss, (only thai nationals)". Nothing real where they look for a master or higher which may be a beginner. Anyway there were only a handful of jobs roughly matching my topics so I decided to contact some headhunters. One out of five answered yet, it would be difficult cause of the thai laws and so on and anyway if there would be a chance I should try to get hints by other expats....
> 
> ...So here I am  . Every hint would be great. Adresses, databases, also headhunters who take the whole first 2 salaries for their help - no problem if I find a matching and satisfying job. Indeed preferred at a farang company...
> 
> Like told before my topic is chemistry, esp. reaction engeneering so I feel perfectly matching to all what's production in chonbury/rayon or places like this. everything about process creation, supervision or safety and most about plastics is my main strength. About salary I'm not really willing to think yet as the step to find something anyway feels to be of much higher priority. In other words: In germany a usual salary for PhD chemist starter is 180-220KTHB for the first year and 50-70% up for the 2nd. I'm no daydreamer so not dreaming to find this in Thailand. But it should at least be enough to have a comfortable livng without counting the last satang.
> 
> Best regards,
> Dennis


Most of the companies in Chonburi / Rayong are international - so if you want to work for them you might want to approach via the international job market media rather than just Thailand.

The main industrial estates would include
Eastern Seaboard
Amata Nakorn
Amata city
Asia Industry
and the notorious Maptahphut.

all these places should have web sites and lists of companies therein.
Thai Oil and PTT are the home grown petro-chemical companies
Exxon are here under the name of Esso as are all the major Japaneses car manufacturers.


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## Nemo.

Hi the salaries quoted here seem low for an expat - 45k min a month I would suggest. I work as a tefl teacher in Thailand and typically that is 50-60k a month in a decent school and if I had worked overtime privately teaching could have got more. A PhD is nice - I have one - but it doesn't pay anywhere really. 

The best salaries in Thailand are for people sent by their companies. With a PhD the best place is the USA - phds from third world countries want in to the USA or uk due to the higher salaries!


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## xtr3mx7

Hi guys, I am new joiner and I have been living in Thailand for on and off and recently (Nov 2010) decided to move permanently with my Thai wife. 

I don't want to sound negative but finding a job in Thailand, is like finding a needle in a haystack.

For one instance, my wife has an MBA in Accounting and has worked as a lecturer before in DPU and the salary some companies has offered her is only 18k/month. 

As for me, I have various certificates with 11 years of experience in the IT field and I am bilingual (French and English). Yet, no company has even replied to me, be it Western companies or Thai companies. 

Right now, we are still loooking for a job and I start thinking moving down here permanently was not a good idea at all.


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## cruzaderz

Ayye, sorry guys there was so much work I lost this thread even a notification was set to "immediate" 

Thanks for the latest answers. Teaching is an option, yes, but meanwhile I fear too that Thailand will not be forever. Most salaries written at JobsDB were no more than 25K for Bachelor - most even 15-20K and maybe 5K more for master. A PhD was requested in no advertisement so... ah - I dont know... Next days I will start to apply to every job which seems to be interesting no matter they ask for a bachelor or 10 years of experience. Even the salary is not the main factor anymore for me as I just want to start into business life and my girlfriend anyway will follow me to other countries. 

Regards,
Dennis


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## cruzaderz

*@Nemo*

EDIT @Nemo: 45K ist twice what I see in those adverst and where I start to think about being satisfied with it. Do you have hints? I like to teach - wha not...


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## wildfk

you have to start somewhere.
I'm afraid there isn't a plethora of jobs - but I have to say that some people's attitude makes them unemployable.
Once you start working you make contacts, network and improve your lot. Some people simply can't do that....if you have the confidence to do it then take the plunge otherwise, it's not for you.


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## Nemo.

Hi jobdb is for locals not expats!

My ex was of Indian decent and got 48k with teaching cert (Asian diploma) and I got 44k THB a month as I didn't even have a tefl cert. That was mon to fri 20 lessons no weekends or evenings with basic medical insurance and one months bonus at end of year. I'm looking to move back and salaries haven't gone up much but in Bangkok (I stress Bangkok!) salaries are still

Tefl cert no degree: 25-30k. No security and no future. Backpacker territory

Degree plus celta. 40k plus. Better schools pay upto 50k. Can get more with private tuition on top. Any less say no

Degree + some kind of teaching cert (not western) or celta plus lots of experience or delta/MA plus experience or PGCE (FE) - basically some ed quals but no real cert to be a teacher in state system in a western country
65-75 ish. Depends of course on you + again can top up

Degree + wetern certification for teaching a subject (I'm now certified as. Science teacher)
100k plus depending on experience - but found 100k is the min a second tier school has offfered

I reckoned that a career in tefl wouldn't give me enough security especially to retire on good money so opted to spend time in UK to train as a teacher and get experience.

Ajarn dot com has jobs for tefl and I found that if careful and do some leg work good jobs exist if smart and proffesional. Would you believe that some people turn up for interviews in shorts and a backpack for school based jobs! 

Out of Bangkok I had a job for 33k in the middle of nowhere with free accom that was good.

Thais earn Thai money and 18k THB a month for accountant good money. westerners have bigger expenses and have to worry about medical bills and retirement more.

Asian expats earn a lot less depending. My ex did well as a fantastic teacher with lots of experience.


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## cruzaderz

@wildfk: Hehe - I really understand what you mean as you may see this kind of behavior in many of my colleagues. Some of them dont even know what to do if Prof. not tells them month by month or they ask other people for every small step. No own power, no autodidactic working, nothing - we often make jokes how they will survive in "real life". Some even do stuff from what they not even know WHY they do like that. Just on Sat one guy used ~160g of an ingredient I never saw anybody using more than 1.5g because this doesnt make sense in any experiment. If he read the recipe wrong or just made his own not knowing how... Nobody knows  .
Fortunately I may say my character is far to the other way as from some skills I had got business contacts since I'm 12 yrs. That time it was a slightly negative taste that people same age not really interested me and they saw in me "the guy who is hanging around with adults". But it was never a problem to get a side-job even if there had been more competitors. Never lost this "game"  . 


@Nemo: Glad to read from you as its not possible to PN here - thats why I added you to the list. But here it's even better as more than me may read these valuable informations 

So... To be honest that doesnt really sound good. That TEFL stuff shouldnt be a problem - also the price may be handled - but not really is the way I'd like to go. Teaching should just be an entry to get into the system, make contacts and dont have to pay 100% of living from the last saved money. 40K is ok for the start but there should be a way upward at least be in sight of one or two years. Meanwhile I not even think but feel the title of this thread  . If I'm not really really lucky or learn how to live with 40K it seems there were only two options left:

- 1st: Work at low salary for 1..2 years for testing our relationship in everydays life while she makes A1. Then marry and come back because here in Germany the entry for us is at least 50K (Eur/yr) and up to twice for the following depending on work, company and character but no less than 20K more... In baht this is >100K. Man, I'm crazy to do this Thai-adventure... 

- 2nd: Start a self employment now which regularly was planned after at least 5 years of work in companies. as my aim would be to produce electrical products Thailand would be a good location for this plan but if it fails there is no money left to try again, not even enough to support the 1st option. And even if this goes the right way it would take me at least 1/2 year until a first device may be sold. And if from this below 200 pieces a month I'm under a regular salary with more work. So - from stomach I'd say this option is to hard for the beginning  

And no - opt. 3 (work and just visit Thailand) is not for me as I'm no usual farang-tourist-style and she none of that standard long haired barlady woman you usually see with westerners. For Thai people her character even is not ladylike but thats what makes her special and our relationship already last a couple of years. Its no lie to say that I definetely not care for her nationality but for that character I never met in all my life. And this is not from pink glasses as people around also feel it... 


...You say JobDB is for locals... so where may expats inform about jobs? In this thread the hint with BKKpost and other newspapers already was given but I'm here and the newspapers overseas. And the webpage of BKKpost liks to that JobJob database which is fed much less than JobDB. I also found some other pages like Jobbee but also these didnt get me futher. Weren't there any headhunters available like in Germany which take 2..3 salaries for their work but know the maket much better than yourself as it's their job...?! I looked for these but also without success. Wrote to some, one gave a few (useless) hints, other one told he is not for scientists and the others didnt answer...

Regards,
Dennis


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## Nemo.

cruzaderz said:


> @wildfk: Hehe - I really understand what you mean as you may see this kind of behavior in many of my colleagues. Some of them dont even know what to do if Prof. not tells them month by month or they ask other people for every small step. No own power, no autodidactic working, nothing - we often make jokes how they will survive in "real life". Some even do stuff from what they not even know WHY they do like that. Just on Sat one guy used ~160g of an ingredient I never saw anybody using more than 1.5g because this doesnt make sense in any experiment. If he read the recipe wrong or just made his own not knowing how... Nobody knows  .
> Fortunately I may say my character is far to the other way as from some skills I had got business contacts since I'm 12 yrs. That time it was a slightly negative taste that people same age not really interested me and they saw in me "the guy who is hanging around with adults". But it was never a problem to get a side-job even if there had been more competitors. Never lost this "game"  .
> 
> 
> @Nemo: Glad to read from you as its not possible to PN here - thats why I added you to the list. But here it's even better as more than me may read these valuable informations
> 
> So... To be honest that doesnt really sound good. That TEFL stuff shouldnt be a problem - also the price may be handled - but not really is the way I'd like to go. Teaching should just be an entry to get into the system, make contacts and dont have to pay 100% of living from the last saved money. 40K is ok for the start but there should be a way upward at least be in sight of one or two years. Meanwhile I not even think but feel the title of this thread  . If I'm not really really lucky or learn how to live with 40K it seems there were only two options left:
> 
> - 1st: Work at low salary for 1..2 years for testing our relationship in everydays life while she makes A1. Then marry and come back because here in Germany the entry for us is at least 50K (Eur/yr) and up to twice for the following depending on work, company and character but no less than 20K more... In baht this is >100K. Man, I'm crazy to do this Thai-adventure...
> 
> - 2nd: Start a self employment now which regularly was planned after at least 5 years of work in companies. as my aim would be to produce electrical products Thailand would be a good location for this plan but if it fails there is no money left to try again, not even enough to support the 1st option. And even if this goes the right way it would take me at least 1/2 year until a first device may be sold. And if from this below 200 pieces a month I'm under a regular salary with more work. So - from stomach I'd say this option is to hard for the beginning
> 
> And no - opt. 3 (work and just visit Thailand) is not for me as I'm no usual farang-tourist-style and she none of that standard long haired barlady woman you usually see with westerners. For Thai people her character even is not ladylike but thats what makes her special and our relationship already last a couple of years. Its no lie to say that I definetely not care for her nationality but for that character I never met in all my life. And this is not from pink glasses as people around also feel it...
> 
> 
> ...You say JobDB is for locals... so where may expats inform about jobs? In this thread the hint with BKKpost and other newspapers already was given but I'm here and the newspapers overseas. And the webpage of BKKpost liks to that JobJob database which is fed much less than JobDB. I also found some other pages like Jobbee but also these didnt get me futher. Weren't there any headhunters available like in Germany which take 2..3 salaries for their work but know the maket much better than yourself as it's their job...?! I looked for these but also without success. Wrote to some, one gave a few (useless) hints, other one told he is not for scientists and the others didnt answer...
> 
> Regards,
> Dennis


Hi to get an expat job - unless sent to Thailand - is hard if it isn't teaching. Contacts the best way! This includes good lecturing posts. And I know people that did that via teaching. But I wouldn't work in Thailand as anything but a teacher as office politics is terrible in Asia.


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## cruzaderz

not nice to hear 

So do you have any hints where to look for jobs - even if teaching? Or just write on initiative and pray? Meanwhile I found many pages like jobs4farangs but all of these seem valueless.

regards,
Dennis


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## Nemo.

cruzaderz said:


> not nice to hear
> 
> So do you have any hints where to look for jobs - even if teaching? Or just write on initiative and pray? Meanwhile I found many pages like jobs4farangs but all of these seem valueless.
> 
> regards,
> Dennis


I have experience of Malaysia and Thailand and both same. It's who you know not what you know. Even in the west the majority of managerial jobs (middle management and above) are won based on personal referrals not open adverts! That was in the paper recently. In Asia it's almost 100% personal.

Of course there are expats that get good jobs, but they know people. Often they start on an expat package and get the lay of the land and make contacts. I had contacts via my ex - and loads of open doors. They shut when she became an ex! I trained as a teacher as I love being overseas and want to live well and avoid the local business politics. But I also love teaching which helps!

Teaching jobs are openly advertised and there are TEFL sites for those that want to try that route. Ajarn is one for basic jobs. It is one of the sad issues that arise though in cross cultural relationships. The sisue of making a living in another culture


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## cruzaderz

Yes, you're all right. Today I met a colleague which is in job for about 6 months and she told the same. She said now the routes were open to other countries and with another 12 months and just a little luck she even may choose.

Anyway this way unfortunately is not open to me. So I will try to get into the country no matter as a teacher or for low salary job and try to climb the ladder by connections from this. I dont know if I already told in this thread but maybe... maaaaaybe I'm lucky to get a job in teaching my topics even with a good starting salary. He told something like "know that the salary is with ~1000 EUR quite low". So this sounds like 40K to me which would be ok for basic work without overtime. Lets see. I hope he answers my last mail and if not I'll try to get the team leader on phone which said this job would match and is free to start anytimes. Is I'm unlucky someone else took it already. Thats life...

Regards,
Dennis


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## Nemo.

Hi Dennis well low is a matter of perspective remember! 40k per month is a good middle class salary for a local. With your wife working you will live ok. And be together!

The main issue arise for long term stability and retirement as well as settling down and having kids if you want them. But you can increase your salary over time and make contacts in the business world and maybe earn more. It all comes down to being happy with what you have got!


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## novafair

I see, even the international organizations I applied, tell me that they don't sponsor aliens. where do you think can I see an employer willing to sponsor IT implementation manager or Project manager - PMP, CISA certified?


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