TravelerEastWest

Recruiting Thai Staff and Salaries:

A while back there was an interesting thread on salaries for Thai staff and recruiting ideas which was helpful.

I am looking for new ideas we are in Bangkok.

We have an export craft business where we make a number of different products. Eye hand coordination, patience and some math skill as well as common sense is needed and the ability to work independently.

Training will be provided in a 3 month training program with 280 baht per day then 8000 per month with vacations and monthly and annual bonuses as well a retirement plan. Raises are based on skill so after two years around 15,000 per month.

University grads are not interested even when w offer more than they will get elsewhere. No education is required although we prefer high school.

Work environment is AC, Thai music lunches out etc..

Finding workers is easy but finding workers with talent who want a career is difficult.

All my business friends say you need some luck to find the right staff. I want create my own luck.

Any ideas on how to find talented staff?

Should I rasie my pay?

Thai schools are aiming for world class standard, which means teaching science, maths, computing, social studies all in English.

Surely, you're jesting, yes? It's never been apart of the Thai educational system to widely attain any such attentive progressive strides within there sphere of influence. Promoting critical and independent thought process is not in the works. Less in their native Thai. less in English. Though, I certainly can appreciate your good intent but your observations are less than innocent. And added note: what might world class standard mean?

Agreed 100%.

Possibly in the city of Korat you may find a couple of OK schools and a nice private hospital.

I tried life in a Isan town and found the schools and hospitals of a low level and I am very sad that I even gave the small town life in Isan a try.

We have two small kids and live in Bangkok now and are very happy.

I can't really answer your question about what Mac you should buy as they are all pretty good, fast machines! Get the best you can afford and then buy some extra memory at Fortune Town.

However, I would just keep looking at them for now. According to the 'Macrumors.com buying guide' (google it) the average time between updates is 226 days and the current days since update is 223. In other words they are due for an update soon. IMHO the best time to buy is right after an update. Personally I would probably order online direct from Apple to make sure I got the latest model.

Very interesting I will go visit 'Macrumors.com right now.

Thanks everyone for your advice basically I hear buy the best that is in my budget.

I am not sure that a SSD is in my budget just now but I will; probably upgrade again in 2 to 3 years. But then again maybe I can ... I shall see.

Currently I am using a 3 year old core 2 Acer Desktop AMD 2.01 with 4 GB RAM it is OK but I would prefer a much faster machine - double the speed would be nice.

I am looking at an iMac as they are safer and more beautiful. If easier to use that is a bonus.

I use Photoshop daily as well as Dreamweaver.

Once a week perhaps video for family videos.

I am looking at an iMac with a quad core 5 CPU and 4 GB Ram a 1 TB hard drive 27" screen.

Is this more than I need for my purposes? Or should I get a Core 7 and SSD?

What about Applecare - a good idea?

Also should I buy from iStudio (I am close to Bangkapi or Fortunetown) or Apple direct?

1966 Red Convertable Plymouth Valiant with a slant 6 225 engine.

I loved that car and should never have sold it.

The engines ran forever.

Confirmed in Bangkok - but remember the known person rule.

What really bothers me is the slowness of mail to America now both registered and EMS.

Zomig is available in Thailand for around 500 baht per 3 tablet package.

Although for a short while it will be unavailable I am told at Bangkok drug stores.

For hard to treat cases it can be the drug of choice as in turning unbearable pain into no pain in 15 minutes.

Is the net profit after salaries and taxes?

The problem with the small neighborhood vegetarian restaurants is the palm oil and using too much oil as well as too much chili.

But the food is much better than in the food courts which often have cold food.

There is no required minimum income for a work eprmit, only for an extension of stay. Indeed many people who don't have the required income stay in Thailand on entries of a (multiple) non-B and just don't get the extension but do a border run every 90 days.

As a practical matter will the work permit be issued for say 25,000 baht per month in Bangkok for an American?

I have heard that they need to see at least 40,000 baht per month - no reflection on the actual law.

Vonage does a good job and has a very broad base of free countries. Including local Thai calls. I have no problems with dropped calls.

8x8 seems to have less countries and a higher price.

Skype has a good video service.

I paid 30% + just yesterady for running shoes imported through the mail with gift marked.

Not fun but what can we do that does not take up a lot of time?

If you are looking to keep costs low and paperwork simple to test your plan:

Break the 50 items up into packages of less than 2 kilos

Mail them to the UK using airmail small packet rate via registered airmail. The registered cost is exactly 55 baht. The small packet rate will be around 300 baht plus minus a bit. allow one to three weeks and a signature will be required for delivery.

Mark the customs form which you glue to the box with the true Thai value and a general description.

You will most likely not have any duty or VAT to pay

No certificate of origin needed. No invoice, no paperwork other than the customs form.

If you use UPS you will need roughly 3 copies of a commercial invoice they can give you a template example via email. One copy of country of origin form which you will sign yourself. Again UPS will give you a template.

For small amounts the above will work fine. I just sent some silk fabric to the UK via UPS so the forms are fresh in my mind. It is possible that finished clothes might need an extra form or two. Simply call UPS in Bangkok their rates are high but they will help you understand the forms needed.

Keep in mind using the mail is the way to go to test small amounts.

Soutpeel & Monty,

Good posts - thank you.

I have my workpermit the old-fashioned way - a company - proper bookkeeping audits - taxes paid and so on... but ThailandBluegrass's post interested me.

As we all know different Thai government offices do things differently so who knows maybe where he lives the paperwork is easier?

My wife has a sole proprietorship and it is so easy in terms of required bookkeeping as in almost none at least for expenses. In America it would never be so easy.

I have not heard about recent wps via sole proprietorships and the service companies are not interested in trying which makes me think that while legal it would be a lot more paperwork hence the lack of interest by most service companies.

Probably a large accounting or law firm could do it but the fees would be high.

I wonder if article 6 is cut in have with a Thai spouse?

You can rent a few rooms for 3,000 baht a month plus/minus depending on location and condition (AC etc).

Depending on how you structure your school you may need to have a director on staff with the correct license/education - typically this is done with a ghost employee who is paid to be your director and sign documents as needed....

Oxford can be a plus if the locals have heard of it....

Charging for children's class would have two possibilities - village kid- very little it is a struggle for them to pay for a small private school fee of 2,000 a month.

For the children of business people more but I am not certain how much.

Not too many adults will attend in the daytime.

If you are in Korat you will of course do better than in a village.

Correct, but I heard that they are now handing out stickers: KNOWN PERSON to be put on well known clients' foreheads to make it easier for the (newly appointed) staff to recognize a fully trusted client, shipping parcels over 450 grams to the US without any dangerous content.

LaoPo

Sounds good to me - smiling....

Thai PO is quite a competent organisation. I've received pretty good advice in the past. The thought that anyone can get any better done with a cheeky smile or tea money bribes is crazy. .....

Actually if you are comparing the Thai post office to the US post office you may be correct.

If you are comparing the Thai post office to a well run business anywhere in the world then I will politely say that they have a great deal of room to improve. Our current discussion is a perfect example the managers know the "known person" rule but do not train their staff - in many post offices throughout Thailand - probably not all...

Now can you get better service through politeness - yes to an extent. Can you get better service through other types of offers a good question... I can say that give I gift baskets of fruit at New Years but no alcohol, and they do go the extra mile to help and explain the rules to me. But this is in the countryside I do not do this in Bangkok. The staff and managers both change often.

Thailand BlueGrass,

Are you saying that you can get a work permit as a "company owner" which will allow you to actively work?

And are you saying as a company owner you do not need Thai employees etc?

Where you required to have a VAT license?

Monty,

Are you saying that as a sole proprietor a Thai spouse can hire a husband and get a work permit if one of the conditions that you mention is met?

Is a VAT license required?

Do you know of anyone who has been able to get a workpermit from a sole proprietorship in the last year? (Bangkok area if that matters) I ask because I was told that it used to be possible but not anymore.

TEW, when I asked the Nana Post Office staff guy about the notice, he seemed to be trying to tell me that I could mail a larger package via EMS anyway...

But his English was only marginal, and I couldn't get him to explain HOW/WHY I'd be able to mail such a package when the notice said I couldn't...

That day, I wasn't trying to mail a larger package... I just had an envelope to go via EMS... But I was taken aback by the notice, and hadn't recalled seeing anything like that before...

FYI, the photo I posted was the entirety of the message they had posted on the counter in English... There was nothing else in the English version that was there on the counter.

Yes, I understand - you are not wrong - the notice was completely misleading.

But then again you do not get rocket scientists typically working at post offices...

From a practical point of view many people ramble on about how much harder it is to do business in Thailand and at first glance this post office issue seems to back up the negative folks - but in reality those of us who take a "Wimpy" view of doing business in Thailand simply keep going and just make things happen.

Most of the time everything works out if you have patience, smile and keep going...

Wimpy is correct...and the restriction on airmail packages to the U.S. over a certain size apparently is ongoing until later this year (Feb. 7 on the notice)...

I already posted on this in a separate thread here, and included a photo of a notice re the restriction I found on the counter at the Nana Post Office...

See that notice here... It's the doing of U.S. Homeland Security...

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4118598

Actually, that notice is very misleading as it is a partial translation.

In Thai the notice goes on to explain that known senders are exempt from the rules.

Also you do not need to be a business and 30 days of regular post office useage = "known sender"

There is no link. The post office has the instructions from Homeland Security, which they are happy to show you if you ask - and can read Thai.

Wimpy,

I want to thank you for your thoughtfulness in posting the correct information on the current rules for mail to the USA.

You are an example of a businessman who does not take no for an answer.

The clerks at our local post office had no idea what you were talking about so yesterday I followed your advice and went upstairs to the managers office.

Sure enough there was a message from the main office in Thai that had the important points highlighted in yellow marker.

The bottom line is that you must mark the box "Known Sender" and add detailed information about weight and value on the customs form the invoice in clear plastic is an optional step and not required.

Now our airmail small packet boxes are going out smoothly with no extra charges.

Once again you have my thanks and if you lived near me I would take you out for a drink.

There is nothing wrong with counterfeit goods. It's good competition for the real goods, helping force the legitimate goods' prices lower.

Can you cite your source for the assertion that counterfeit goods force legitimate goods' prices lower?

As far as what's wrong with it goes:

1) It's against the law and it's up to members of society to self-police for the most part or face anarchy

2) The counterfeits are usually inferior quality (but not always) forcing the consumer to ultimately spend as much or more in replacement

(I can show you many counterfeit DVDs that were shot from a theater screen and are basically unwatchable)

3) I believe that honest competition is superior to intellectual property theft because the creativity is rewarded and not penalized

4) People justify intellectual property theft to themselves and others using specious and unverified arguments such as yours

5) If the prices of genuine goods are too high ... GO WITHOUT - one will not die because they haven't seen a movie or worn a fake watch

Exactly - end of story stealing is wrong.

have you ever spent more then 3 weeks in phuket before?

oh, I'm sorry, do most people arrive, decide to stay for a few years, then start a business????

Some do believe it or not... ....

" travellereastwest" is spouting business text book theroy. ....The text books dont address the weekly contributions to the "Policeman's Ball" ,how as a Farang deal with competitors who are trying to burn down your bar/business etc

Not trying to put you off, but as suggested in my previous post...do your reasearch...certainly the news stories of things which go on in Phuket/Pattaya etc

Soutpeel,

Actually - I am describing reality - I have a growing business in Thailand and know many others Thai and Expat who also do well as long as they have skills and prior experience doing a good job running a business. Cultural awareness helps and grows over time.

Some do well without experience or education but it can be more of a challenge.

The majority of those who do not do well have only their own actions to blame and blaming the system is not a healthy way to be...

Thailand does indeed have special challenges as does most locations but dealing with fires etc is not typical not in Bangkok anyway. A bigger concern can be recruiting and training and keeping staff.

Understanding basic visa and tax rules can be learned in a week with some reading and questions to pros. Over the next 10 years learn Thai and you will be ready.

But the most important part of a business in Thailand is the same anywhere - business skills - end of story. Do you understand accounting, business law, recruiting. marketing and so on? If you do you can adapt.

If you started a business or two before and done well you will be fine in Thailand. Most of those who post about business problems in Thailand have little business experience.

For every special problem here there is something good to offset it.