# New bartender, thinking of moving from the US...



## oweaponx

Hi, all! A bit about me: I am a US Navy Veteran, and a USAF brat. For the most part, I was in the US, although I was in (at the time) West Germany, early in my childhood. While in the Navy, I was based in Japan. We went to Okinawa, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Philippines, and Singapore.

I think, maybe, where I'd like to visit, and live for a while, would be Thailand. The USD exchange rate's good (compared to Japan or Singapore). From the lil I've read over the years (on and off), medical (like Bangkok) is pretty good. It's also pretty warm (rules out Canada, Russia, and others like that).

I've heard some say it can be hard to get a working Visa there. IDK if I'd be able to get work as a bartender, or work of some other kinda. I did go to bartending school, to be state certified, enology certified, and TIPS; not sure how much that would matter, in the international market...

I know my way, fairly well, around PCs and Macs, MS Office, Adobe (Photo-Shop, Illustrator, In-Design, Dreamweaver, and know, but not proficient, with Flash).

Would like to hear from others who've lived abroad. Bartender a good career to have? Other thoughts/suggestions?


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## Bevdeforges

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I've moved your post over to the Thai section in hopes of attracting a bit more attention. And because I know there have been a number of discussions here about visas, jobs, etc. that should be of interest to you.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ryder

Hey Buddy

Ive been in bangkok for four weeks now with my wife who works full time in an international school. Ive been looking for work with no no results as of yet.

The one thing I have noticed though is that all the bars I have been in be it thai bars or western bars its the same thing the bar staff are pretty Thai girls . not retired western men.

Good luck though.


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## Guest

oweaponx said:


> Hi, all! A bit about me: I am a US Navy Veteran, and a USAF brat. For the most part, I was in the US, although I was in (at the time) West Germany, early in my childhood. While in the Navy, I was based in Japan. We went to Okinawa, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Philippines, and Singapore.
> 
> I think, maybe, where I'd like to visit, and live for a while, would be Thailand. The USD exchange rate's good (compared to Japan or Singapore). From the lil I've read over the years (on and off), medical (like Bangkok) is pretty good. It's also pretty warm (rules out Canada, Russia, and others like that).
> 
> I've heard some say it can be hard to get a working Visa there. IDK if I'd be able to get work as a bartender, or work of some other kinda. I did go to bartending school, to be state certified, enology certified, and TIPS; not sure how much that would matter, in the international market...
> 
> I know my way, fairly well, around PCs and Macs, MS Office, Adobe (Photo-Shop, Illustrator, In-Design, Dreamweaver, and know, but not proficient, with Flash).
> 
> Would like to hear from others who've lived abroad. Bartender a good career to have? Other thoughts/suggestions?



Try getting work as a manager in a foreign bar. It's unlikely you'll find a job actually serving drinks. And there's no money in that anyway. Most foreign men who work in the bars usually end up managing or helping run a chain of bars, for example SHENANIGANS. Good luck. :spit:


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## Song_Si

You cannot work in a bar - doing a job that could be done by a Thai.
It is one of the protected occupations - you cannot get a work permit.
Even owning a bar does not mean you can serve in a bar. Foreigners are regularly caught in tourist areas - simply opening a beer from behind the bar can get you arrested - common in Phuket, on Wednesday of this week a bar owner who lived four houses from us was caught out in yet another 'sting' where a customer (police) ordered a second beer, bar owner saw that bartender was busy so went behind bar and opened a bottle.
Next stop, Chalong police station.


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## wildfk

You can open your own business - e.g training US style bartenders, there's a lot of red-tape etc. Certain jobs are restricted to "Thai only" So not only would you PROBABLY (not definitely) not be allowed to work behind a bar, you wouldn't want the salary - about 5000 baht per month!

However if you can prove your job is one a Thai national can't do I guess you might get through - but even the flashy "juggling" bartenders are 10 a penny.

There's plenty of "stories" about bar owners getting busted, but if you look into them they usually either Urban Myths or arise out the person concerned crossing a policeman or some other corrupt official.

however on a personal basis, I think you are only at the start of the learning curve and have a long way to go. It being the case that you appear to think that salaries for jobs like this in Thailand might be comparable to the US would suggest this. 

So don't either rush into anything or get put off by the myriad of negative and inaccurate replies you'll get on this and other websites.


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## Song_Si

^ very good point on the salary! 
Plus tips of course . . . but a high percentage of the staff may be a lot more attractive than the OP! No offence intended, just the way it is here.
As I understand it bar work, any retail/customer service is covered by 7. shop attendance


Under Thai Law foreigners are prohibited to engage in any of the following occupations.
1. Manual work
2. Work in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry or fishery excluding specialized work in each particular branch or farm supervision
3. Bricklaying, carpentry or other construction works
4. Wood carving
5. Driving mechanically propelled carried or driving non-mechanically-propelled vehicle, excluding international aircraft piloting
6. Shop attendance
7. Auction
8. Supervising, auditing or giving service in accountancy excluding internal auditing on occasions
9. Cutting or polishing jewelry
10. Haircutting, hairdressing or beauty treatment
11. Cloth weaving by hand
12. Weaving of mate or making products from reeds, rattan, hemp, straw or bamboo pellicle
13. Making of Sa paper by hand
14. Lacquer ware making
15. Making of Thai musical instrument
16. Niello ware making
17. Making of products from gold, silver or gold-copper alloy
18. Bronze ware making
19. Making of Thai dolls
20. Making of mattress or quilt blanket
21. Alms bowls casting
22. Making of silk products by hand
23. Casting of Buddha images
24. Knife making
25. Making of paper of cloth umbrella
26. Shoemaking
27. Hat Making
28. Brokerage or agency excluding brokerage or agency in international trade business
29. Engineering work in civil engineering branch concerning designing and calculation, organization, research, planning, testing, construction supervision or advising excluding specialized work
30. Architectural work concerning designing, drawing of plan, estimating, construction directing or advising
31. Garments making
32. Pottery or ceramic ware making
33. Cigarette making by hand
34. Guide or conducting sightseeing tours
35. Street Vending
36. Type setting of Thai characters by hand
37. Drawing and twisting silk-thread by hand
38. Office or secretarial work
39. Legal or lawsuit services

Source: Alien Occupational Control Division, Department of Employment Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. 

A google search under Thailand restricted occupations, or protected occupations, will give an idea of how difficult it can be to gain employment here.

There are other forums available with advice on employment and appropriate visas; and plenty of threads re what can/cannot be done.

Re bar owners getting caught out - yes often as a matter of spite from another bar owners, we spent a year on Phuket and they were regularly reported in the two local newspapers - hardly national news.

The one I quoted occurred last week on the only bar on Soi Yodsane, Chalong, Englishman, no idea why they would select such a small operator.


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## wildfk

Nothing is cut and dried in thailand and as the list shows there is nothing specifically about working in a bar - especially if you are in a supervisory or training capacity.
Many Thai businesses could get you a work permit if they really want to. just a matter of calling in a favour or two.

I notice auctioneering is on the list. Well the biggest "Auctioneers" in Pattaya are run by a Welsh guy. His status may be spouse of owner or whatever but it is his business.
so check about and see.


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