Degree Required For Work Permit?

[xml]

i have a situaiton here, hopefully someone can help me and point me in the right direction. my girlfriend is thai and i plan to move to thailand over the next months. i am 23 and have owned several internet companies. all of them with good profit. now i intended to either join a computer-related company in thailand (preferred) or start my own IT related business but now i see that you need a degree to get a job and work permit in thailand. is that 100% correct? i dont have a degree, but i know the ins and outs of computers very well as i worked in the industry for many years and i master over 5 programming languages and several database systems.

is it true i need a degree to get a work permit in thailand or is there a work around? if i need one, my dreams are blown

[Indo-Siam]

It is not true that you MUST have a degree to get a work permit. In think that current government policy DOES require that you have a degree to be a tecaher -including and English teacher.

There is a specific form and procedure at the work permit office that must be filled out for foreigners applying who have no University degree. It must be signed by a company director.

The short of it is: if you do not have a degree, then you want to bring as much documenttaion as you possibly can concerning what credentials and experience you do have. If you have documentation showing that you have been to any technical certification courses (MSCE, or Cisco certification, or whatever) - bring it. If possible, bring employment letters from employers covering at least the five most recent years - they need to identify the employer, the nature of its business, your job position, the dates held, what your job responsibilities were, and that your performed well - and be signed by the company CEO/President/Managing Director, on company letterhead - with stamps, seals, even notary apostilizations (if possible - but not required) - the Thai officials eat this stuff up.

Lacking a University degree, it is up to you to DOCUMENT that you have adequate actual work experience, and then your supervisor needs to certify thart he/she has reviewed your qualifications, finds you suitable to perform the function, and that a Thai cannot reasonably be expected to be hired to do the job instead of you.

Good luck!

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

[email protected]

www.thaistartup.com

[astral]

The previous post gives the legal details.

Basically your employer has to show that you have experiece that he cannot find in the local employment market.

As you age is only 23 I very much doubt that will be the case.

There are many young and very skilled Thai people in the computer industry here.

You will be better off if you can start your own company.

Search this section about investment rules

Alternatively make lots of money on contract work in Europe/Middle East for half the year, and then come to Thailand for the other 6 months, put you feet up and enjoy yourself.

Edited August 8, 2004 by astral