Short Guide to Getting a Job in Thailand

Getting a job in Thailand can be easy or difficult depending on your experience and skillset. The term ‘living the dream’, is something that everyone is striving towards. And if one of your life goals is to live and work in Thailand, the living and breathing bit is easy, but finding a job here might be a bit more difficult.

To be honest, it can be easy or hard obtaining a job in Thailand if you are trying to subsidize an ex-pat lifestyle. It all depends on the skills you have to begin with or how much you are willing to sacrifice to reach your goals. Let us give you some tips and a short guide to getting a job in Thailand.

Getting a Job in Thailand

Getting a job in Thailand will need some serious planning.

Getting a Job in Thailand – Planning is the Key

You could do what I did and just come here with money to burn with no plan. But let me tell you from experience, that sort of thinking ends in tears. It doesn’t matter how much money you bring here, it will all be gone quickly if you can’t find a way to make some more. Learn from the mistakes of those who came before by having an idea of what you are wanting to do in your life. Some people have working skills that fit in perfectly with Thailand, while others do not.

 

It is important to know that you can get by on 30,000 THB per month in Thailand. But if you want to live a lifestyle where you can go out with friends on a regular basis to have a few drinks and dine in an international restaurant when you like, that figure would have to be closer to at least 50,000 THB. Although even more would better. These are all things you need to know before we discuss which jobs are perfect for foreigners in Thailand, while others are reserved for Thais. Just remember to have a plan. If you fail to prepare, you must be prepared to fail.

Working in Thailand

Getting menial jobs is difficult for a foreign ex-pat

Jobs Reserved for Thais – Getting a Job in Thailand

Thailand safeguards many unskilled jobs for the local populace, which are extremely off-limits to foreign workers. You can’t even get a work permit for these kinds of jobs. We are obviously talking about menial and unskilled jobs such as taxi driving, laboring, construction workers, handyman jobs, electricians, factory workers, maids, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, and things of that ilk.

 

If you are coming in the hopes of getting a job in Thailand with a background of doing menial laboring jobs or serving the public, these jobs are restricted for foreigners, so you need to bear that in mind.

Thailand Jpbs

If you are looking for a dream job in Thailand, you have to have the right skills

Recommended Jobs for Foreigners in Thailand

Many younger people who want to live here generally become English teachers in Thailand, which is pretty much a staple job of foreign ex-pats. If you have a university degree, getting a job in Thailand English teaching at an International school with decent pay (50,000 THB per month) is very possible. If you do not have a degree, it can be difficult but not impossible if you get an English teaching certificate called TEOFL, but you might have to take a job in a lesser school for nearer 30,000 THB per month.

 

Other popular jobs in Thailand for foreigners are working for a real estate company as a salesperson, product writer, IT expert, or a marketer, or in the offices of a local English-speaking magazine, website, or newspaper where all manner of jobs with work permits are available. These jobs are now very prominent across Thailand’s major tourism areas such as Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui. If you are a certified Scuba Diver or instructor, jobs in Phuket, Pattaya, and southern Thailand are available.

 

Keeping it Legal in Thailand

As you can see, there are many jobs available to foreign ex-pats who want to live and work in Thailand. However, you will need a work permit for any work in the Kingdom. Your employer will work in tandem with you to obtain a world permit, which means you won’t have to leave the country every month or so to update your visa. Keeping legal is one of the most important aspects of working in Thailand.

If you are a top-class DJ, actor, an international chef, or have interesting skills that not many people have, getting a job in Thailand might be quite easy. For more details on job opportunities in Thailand, you can contact us directly via our ‘Contacts’ page for more details.