Advice Needed! How To Get A Career In Thailand?

[LetsCleanUpTHAILAND]

Just now, sawadee1947 said:

So you don't speak Thai but want to communicate with Thais? 

Silly. 

You don't have any qualification? Just inspired by "Yes I can"???

Silly. 

Mate, I think you should not dream but face reality : there is no need for you here. 

(1) ive interned in the west and in thailand - both dead-end despite my hard work. (2) millions of other graduates are stuck in a catch-22 of not having professional work experience and not being able to get it because most employers only want to hire experienced professionals (even for entry-level positions) (3) Thailand is thai-land, not farang-land. Any ideas by a farang will not be adopted. Any business must be headed by a thai. 

[LetsCleanUpTHAILAND]

On 2/4/2020 at 1:18 PM, Matzzon said:

Ok, first! Can you speak Thai fluently? NO, you can´t! You will need that to communicate with Thai municipalities. Was that helpful enough?

 

Your profession falls under something that is considered as a prohibited Thai profession. However, you might in some way find a way to get around that.

 

As a single consultant you can not get a visa and work permit.

 

Your only chance is to start a Thai LTD. To work there yourself, you must employ a minimum of 4 Thais.

 

Yeah, after that you must be ready to put out a lot of money out of you own pockets to be able to land the contracts. Here no contracts at that level goes for free.

 

Then you must have a good contact net, so other authorities will not try to get a piece of your cake. As you are working with Thai authorities you will always be very vulnerable.

At last! Good Luck! So, go on now! Make the One Farang Difference. I have already created the shortcut OFD!

Your comment was as gentle as an anal exam, but insightful. Thank you very much good Sir ????

[LetsCleanUpTHAILAND]

On 2/4/2020 at 1:43 PM, faraday said:

If you can't speak or write or read Thai, how on earth could you advise a Thai Municipality?

 

I'm really intrigued....

 

Edit: I see Mattzon already asked you

Yeah, Any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. Thai's are proud of never being imperialized. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator. So even if I learned Thai to fluency, it would be a waste of my time. Farangs should be the brain of the business, a Thai should be the face and the mouth. Correct?

[sawadee1947]

4 minutes ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

(1) ive interned in the west and in thailand - both dead-end despite my hard work. (2) millions of other graduates are stuck in a catch-22 of not having professional work experience and not being able to get it because most employers only want to hire experienced professionals (even for entry-level positions) (3) Thailand is thai-land, not farang-land. Any ideas by a farang will not be adopted. Any business must be headed by a thai. 

I can understand that you're not happy with this situation. 

But again: learn something which ends with an academic or vocal degree in US. Then apply for a job in order to be send to Thailand. Also - if you think your destiny is Thailand-go for the language. 

 

[MASSMAN]

I strongly suggest that you follow Thai news on this and other news sites before making this decision.  You will definitely learn about the uniqueness of Thailand.  It is rarely whatever newcomers think it is.

[Isaanbiker]

Not interested in a non active job? Oops, sorry, that's only for Thais. 

[PatOngo]

54 minutes ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

you included because you are unable to give me any useful information... as for your claim, not true. Haven't you hear of SpaceX? 

I had a 30 year career in the construction industry in Thailand and SEA. How? I came with knowledge and learned the language right off the bat! Best of luck!

[VocalNeal]

8 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

and learned the language right off the bat!

I didn't but the advice is good.

[metempsychotic]

1 hour ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

Thank you for your insightful reply. This is actually useful! What about this --> I've come to notice that any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. Thai's are proud of never being imperialized. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator. So even if I learned Thai to fluency, it would be a waste of my time. Farangs should be the brain of the business, a Thai should be the face and the mouth. Correct?

unclear as to what you did for 9 years without learning thai.

also confused as to why you would want anyone to be the mouthpiece or face of your business when you had no way to verify what they were saying or doing while you act the brain.

a good friend of mine set up a marine consultancy for the study and mitigation of the effects of coral bleaching.

he learned thai, and now works hand in hand with the marine department, provincial governments, local fishermen and thai and foreign universities implementing studies and solutions.

Its been 7 years now.

He has a doctorate of marine biology and worked with a major university as an instructor while he simultaneously completed a basic bachelors in the thai language.

a second friend of mine has for the last 25 years been the head of a major wildlife conservation ngo. 

years of fieldwork in SEA he has contacts with major thai politicans, the thai police as well as the cambodian and laos governments. he cut his teeth working with the us government in DC graduated on to field work in the region and eventually broke off to form his own ngo on the strength of his dedication and thai language ability and contacts. 

CNN has done live reports on his work in the region and he even had a television show (albeit briefly running) filmed about his exploits. He receives funding internationally as well a locally and has a fair share of very prominent hollywood sponsors as well. 

As entitled, unqualified and experienced as you are you will never get a foot in the door.

 

stick with teaching.

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by metempsychotic

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

You think you are smart, but you clearly don't understand Thai culture. Any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. Thai's are proud of never being imperialized. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator. Get it? So even if I learned Thai to fluency, it would be a waste of my time. Please read my post in full. If you aren't going to be helpful, then don't say anything. 

"Any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator."

You don't know what you are talking about, I work for a multinational that works with both very big Thai companies and the Thai government. They are adopting non-Thai solutions.

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

Thank you for your insightful reply. This is actually useful! What about this --> I've come to notice that any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. Thai's are proud of never being imperialized. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator. So even if I learned Thai to fluency, it would be a waste of my time. Farangs should be the brain of the business, a Thai should be the face and the mouth. Correct?

NO

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

see? attacking the person again. and you have no facts to back up your claims. if you give people your negativity, you will get negativity in return. and your lesson learned today is what? 

My lesson for you today is, either chance your attitude or forget about working in Thailand.

[recom273]

1 hour ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

Decent careers in consulting? Any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. Thai's are proud of never being imperialized. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator. So even if I learned Thai to fluency, it would be a waste of my time. Farangs should be the brain of the business, a Thai should be the face and the mouth. 

You lost me there mate. You think that a Thai company will take on a westerner who can’t speak Thai, maybe SEO of a retail chain with a proven track record of many years around the world. 

 

I think a couple of posters have also suggested that communication is one of the most important skills, no company is going to going to employ a ‘brain’ who can not communicate. Communication is the key and Thai culture places emphasis on qualifications.
 

I was actually highlighting the fact you consider  teaching  ESL a “trap” I have a couple of friends I who realised this after a year and studied A degree in Thai and ended up in decent positions, others studied education masters in BKK and ended up in real schools and ended up in other countries, ESL is what you make it.

 

You do have a valid point. After busting my nut for 30K in a sweaty BKK classroom, I ended up working in the oil industry in the south of Thailand, before the market dropped out you would find westerners in all kinds of jobs, not just management, jobs that were done done to a better standard with western logic, BUT it’s an English speaking environment often for American companies, it also demonstrates how fragile your position as a westerner working a job here, suddenly the bottom can fall out and you are replaced the following month by a bilingual local.

 

[faraday]

3 hours ago, LetsCleanUpTHAILAND said:

Yeah, Any farang solution for Thailand will NOT be adopted by anyone in Thailand. Thai's are proud of never being imperialized. For any farang business to be successful, a Thai must be the face of the business and the communicator. So even if I learned Thai to fluency, it would be a waste of my time. Farangs should be the brain of the business, a Thai should be the face and the mouth. Correct?

Yup, there's some negatives here, but we have to work with it.

You could, if you really wanted, learn Thai. Why not study Thai full time first?

 

[Guest]

On 2/4/2020 at 3:39 PM, NCC1701A said:

marry a Hiso's daughter. 

 

BINGO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

I am trying hard not to literally laugh out loud.  

Try this on for size.  A Thai National with no formal education, no practical experience,  and who can not speak English decides he wants to start his own consultancy for American Municipalities. 

OK, you take it from here ... What are his chances? 

[manchega]

Hi lets clean up thailand.

 

First thing to accept is that you bring nothing to the table engineering wise or know how wise than the average Thai graduate.  The average skilled engineer  will have a take home of 60 to 100 k a month.  

So you can see what you are competing with. You do not speak the language either.

 

What there are is a few old yanks boomers if you will, who are part of the old boys network siphoning money from the ADB and other US type charity organisations. These networks keep a few sexpats lifestyles running smoothly.  Some of the oldies may well have the experience you don't. They also have access to the taps and choose to bring who they want onto their projects - interpret that as educated young attractive Thai girls or boys if they are that way inclined.

 

Yes there are opportunities, but probably not earning that much more than you would as a teacher.

 

With respect to the work you want to achieve, yes it is admirable but municipalities already have people wishing to make these changes, I know some who do things with their own money, that is no grant 

 

good luck

[simon43]

On 2/5/2020 at 11:30 AM, PatOngo said:

There seems to be a distinct shortage of rocket scientists and brain surgeons!

I have an MSc from London University in Rocket Science.  I worked for years in Europe in the space industry, designing space-flight and ground station systems.

 

When I emigrated in 2002 to live in Thailand, their fledgling space organisation refused to employ me because I wasn't Thai.....

 

I decided to build hotels instead ????

[SkyNets]

Wow, what a train wreck lol.

[simon43]

I'll try to give some realistic suggestions.

 

You're very interested in environmental conservation etc.  You have no academic qualifications and minimal job experience. You don't speak/read/write Thai.  You do have experience as an ESL teacher.

 

I'd listen to the advice given by others concerning your extremely slim chance of gaining legal employment in Thailand in this sector.  But all is not list! There may be some related work that you could perform, and which would give you an income and individual responsibility.

 

I teach online (I previously taught at international schools in Laos and Myanmar).  The vast majority of my lessons are not teaching ESL.  Rather, they are teaching school level Science to young students in China, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.  Many of these lessons are all about the environment, recycling, sustainability, pollution, global warming etc - topics which are closely related to your sphere of interest.

 

I'm swamped with demand from young students for my online lessons.  I have the freedom to work as many hours as I wish, and I get paid about $20 an hour.  

 

Perhaps this would be a good channel for you to follow?  You could of course, also offer online environmental courses for the adult sector.  (I prefer to teach young kids because it is way easier than grappling with higher level Physics with a university student - that gives me a headache!).