Non Teaching Jobs in Thailand

Non Teaching Jobs in Thailand

 

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Non Teaching Jobs in Thailand
Living in Thailand Thai island

Lots of people want to work for an international company in Thailand. The exotic lifestyle, amazing travel options and the world famous food attract thousands of expats to Thailand. Although teaching is arguably the easiest way to stay and work in Thailand there are also other options open to foreigners. It is of course worth noting that you need a work permit to work here and these will only be given to people who do a job that cannot be done by a Thai national. This means that you will need special skills or knowledge that the local labor pool do not have. Click HERE to see the requirements needed for a Thai work permit.

What types of job are available?

Non Teaching Jobs in ThailandThailand offers a large number of jobs available for foreigners provided they pass the requirements. From Banking to Media many companies are looking to recruit experienced foreigners to complement their Thai teams. Many people also work for international companies. There is a list of jobs that foreigners are barred from but often these are low paying and undesirable to many foreign people. However many of these restrictions can be  bypassed with a creative job title and description.

Thailand has a very low level of English speaking in general and as such many companies look to recruit to fill this void. With the upcoming AEC and ASEAN the need to have fluent English speakers in a company is vital. Also tourism is a huge part of the Thai economy and this opens up the doors to not just English speakers but people who can speak any foreign language. The ability to speak multiple languages is very desirable. Hotel managers, head chefs and specialist tour providers all offer the chance for foreigners to legally work in Thailand.

Bangkok has a large financial district and as such has many international companies who employ staff from all around the world. In fact many international companies have offices in Thailand so you could get a job in almost any industry.

How to get non teaching jobs in Thailand

So you want the lifestyle and don’t want to teach but are finding it hard to get a job? On the ground it is possible to get non teaching jobs in Thailand but you will have to put a lot of effort in and network as much as possible. For  certain jobs you can be hired locally, especially in industries with a high turnover of staff. For example advertising and sales jobs can be found by looking at sites such as CraiglistHowever, international companies are likely to promote from with their own organisation and most often from their home countries. Again it is not impossible to get a job like this but a lot comes down to who you know and being in the right place at the right time.

If you are looking from your home country then websites such as Reed offer many positions for Thailand. Another option is to look in the big international newspapers such as the New York Times and Sunday Telegraph who have specialized international job sections. The final option is to search for international job fairs where recruiters will be looking for potential candidates.

Remote working

It is of course possible to work remotely in Thailand but of course you wont receive a work permit and legally shouldn’t be working at all. many people do this however and stay for a month at a time before leaving the country either to return shortly or move on elsewhere.

IT consultants, stock market traders and project workers are examples of those who live in this way. I have met many people who tell me they work a few hours a day before returning to their swimming pools to relax the day away. Many of these are just away from their home countries for a few months of the year and don’t live this lifestyle permanently. It is also worth noting that overstays in Thailand result in fines and the potential to be banned from the country.

The final way of doing this type of work is by having another type of visa, for example marriage or retirement. This means you can legally stay in the country although you shouldn’t be working.

Working illegally

You are supposed to have a work permit to be legally allowed to work and stay in Thailand. However, despite a recent crackdown, it appears many people still do this. They have to leave the country every month and return back on another 15 / 30 day tourist visa. If caught by a government official you will be fined and made to leave the country, with the chance you will not be allowed back in.

This might happen if your company doesn’t want to pay the cost of a work permit and is more likely in lower unskilled jobs.

About Richard 176 Articles
British guy living and working in Bangkok, Thailand since 2013. Running LifeInANewCountry.com teaching and writer of Settling in Thailand expat book.