How to find a job in Thailand as an expatriate ?

2 March 20163179 views0

Thailand is home for many “expatriates”—those who live or/and work outside their native countries, from all over the world. Not only its beautiful tourist spots and lively city life, but this Kingdom is also the “right place” to work.

About Thailand Living is introducing you to another viewpoint of this very country where you are allowed to spend time working during the day, going out during the weekday night, and leaving for a lovely weekend for other provinces. More importantly, tips about how to work legally in Thailand and to obtain a work permit would be elaborated…

Employment

Southeast Asia has constantly been developing its reputation, especially for natural and man resources—making it one of the most popular destinations for global cooperation and investment. The Smiling Thailand, too, is known for multinational communities and networking. The local people are open and the expatriates are well to work with. The strength is that you can build a network through the chambers and various social circles. There are always networking events for you to make new friends and to show your creative work.

One of the most important things for expatriates to legally work in Thailand is to have a work permit. However, we still welcome a number of interns who would love to work in the city of lights, in Bangkok, or to experience other exciting sites in the provinces such as working for the NGOs or as a volunteer.

How to find a job in Thailand

Many foreigners are attracted by the dynamism and the economic boom of Thailand. But finding a job in the land of smiles is not always so easy.

They are plenty of work opportunities in Thailand, of course, but there is much more diversity in the offer compared to what you can find in Western countries. Your photo can even be a selection criteria, especially in the hotel industry, recruiters would prefer to choose a girl with an attractive physical that will give a pleasant smile to the customer at the hotel reception.

In addition, many positions are reserved only for Thais. On some websites, 70 percent of job offers contain the mention “Thai only”.
Why? Because hiring a foreign employee in a company will not only encounter the problem of quotas, visa, or work-permit but also the salary which will be higher for an expat than a Thai in an equal position.

Lucrative jobs in Thailand mostly viewed by the expatriates

Teaching languages (English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, etc….)
Working for a multinational company
Working at an embassy or with the UN
NGOs
Real estate
Managing bars/ restaurants
Models/ writers/ freelance

Work Permit

We all know that any foreigners must own a work permit and a correct type of visa in order to work in Thailand.

To secure a work permit in Thailand, a foreigner needs a non-immigrant visa that must be obtained before entering Thailand. The work permit process would take 7 business days to accomplish. Work permit application is processed in the Ministry of Labour office.

The applicant has to submit the following documents:

2 inches photo
medical certificate
original passport
letter of employment
certificate of degree
address in Thailand

The employer has to provide the following:

company certificate and objectives
list of shareholders
application for VAT
withholding tax of the company
financial statement
photocopy of the director’s passport and work permit with signature affixed
office map
letter of employment stating position and salary of applicant
employment agreement

Once granted, the foreigner has to bring the work permit all the time especially at the work place and during working hours. Please note that the foreigner can only perform the job stated in the work permit and on the specific employer.

For more information: http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/work-permit-rules.php

Where to find job offers in Thailand?

The websites

Either directly on the website of the companies if you already have an idea and some knowledges about major actors in the industry you are interested in, or via websites which gather job offers, where you can select your own search criteria

The chambers of commerce

Chambers of commerce are a good way to find companies implanted in the country. For example, the FTCC (Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce) provides a directory of French companies operating in Thailand with contact details of HR.