Free Software/it Jobs - How Is The Market ?

[daniellinux]

Hi everyone,

I new here...just arrived.

My name is Daniel and I from Brazil. My bride is a Thai woman, so next year I am moving to Thailand. I always worked with IT...more specified... Free Software/Linux. I have a big experience as system/network administrator. I have a degree and two books published too. One about how the Linux works and other about DNS. I would like to know how is the Thai market in the technology field ?

Would be hard or easy for me get a job ?

Thanks !!

Daniel Zilli

Edited November 11, 2007 by daniellinux

[Gumballl]

Do you speak Thai? If so, that would help immensely. Do you know any IT persons in Thailand that could offer you a job as a consultant? You could always set up your own company, however then you have to worry about getting customers. That's why being able to communicate in Thai is important.

Anyhow, windows is still the prevalent OS in Thailand because it is practically "free"... that is, the knockoffs. With Windows being at such a low price, Linux has not made tremendous in-roads into the Thai market yet. However, that's not to say it won't change. What is lacking in Thailand is e-Commerce. Sure there is a small market, but it lacks the professional touches as seen in the West. With e-Commerce, there is a need for servers; perhaps Linux servers.

Anyhow, it would be a long stretch to get a job in Thailand. Keep your hopes high though. For me, it is more advantageous to work in the West, make loads more money than I could ever possibly make in Thailand, and save for retirement. In Thailand, even if you were to get a job, more than likely it would not pay enough to provide you with the opportunity to save for the future (and for your family).

P.S. None of the above is "factual". Just my opinion.

Edited November 11, 2007 by Gumballl

[daniellinux]

I don't speak Thai and I know that in the west I could make more money, but as I told, I am moving for personal reason. Let's see what will happens. I worked for 4 years in a company that is expert in internet/intranet websites incluing e-commerce. Maybe a hope here.

Are there job sites that I can looking for job at Thailand ?

Thanks for your reply.

Daniel

Do you speak Thai? If so, that would help immensely. Do you know any IT persons in Thailand that could offer you a job as a consultant? You could always set up your own company, however then you have to worry about getting customers. That's why being able to communicate in Thai is important.

Anyhow, windows is still the prevalent OS in Thailand because it is practically "free"... that is, the knockoffs. With Windows being at such a low price, Linux has not made tremendous in-roads into the Thai market yet. However, that's not to say it won't change. What is lacking in Thailand is e-Commerce. Sure there is a small market, but it lacks the professional touches as seen in the West. With e-Commerce, there is a need for servers; perhaps Linux servers.

Anyhow, it would be a long stretch to get a job in Thailand. Keep your hopes high though. For me, it is more advantageous to work in the West, make loads more money than I could ever possibly make in Thailand, and save for retirement. In Thailand, even if you were to get a job, more than likely it would not pay enough to provide you with the opportunity to save for the future (and for your family).

P.S. None of the above is "factual". Just my opinion.

[Gumballl]

Try "jobtopgun dot com". They advertise a lot in Thailand (BKK), however I have never read a post of any foreigner getting a job through them.

Btw, I didn't mean to discourage your search for employment in Thailand, but merely to point out that the odds are against you. There are laws that prevent companies from hiring a foreigner if the very same job can be done by a Thai national. It's also more costly to employ a foreigner than a Thai national.

I for one have never worked in Thailand (although I spent 7 months living there). My opinions are derived from what I have read here on the TV forum. I'm a competent software engineer, however without the ability to speak Thai, I found it difficult to approach companies that require IT professionals. Ironically, many of the jobs posted in the job website I provided above are posted in English, yet require the candidate to be a Thai national. Go figure!

As for the companies I was "eyeballing", these included Shin Corporation and Bombardier (which is a multi-national corporation). Bombardier was/is contracted to provide the Skytrain with radio-based control equipment, which is probably some sort of SCADA (supervisory control & data acquisition) system. Shin Corporation, or whatever it is called today (Temasek?), is in the satellite communications business. They don't build the satellites, they just manage them. The satellites are more than likely built in the US, by either Boeing or Lockheed-Martin... or maybe a company in the EU.

Anyhow, you should look at the other forum here on TV (I forgot the exact name) that contains information about Jobs and Business.

Edited November 12, 2007 by Gumballl

[daniellinux]

Thanks very much for the informations.

Bests,

Daniel

Try "jobtopgun dot com". They advertise a lot in Thailand (BKK), however I have never read a post of any foreigner getting a job through them.

Btw, I didn't mean to discourage your search for employment in Thailand, but merely to point out that the odds are against you. There are laws that prevent companies from hiring a foreigner if the very same job can be done by a Thai national. It's also more costly to employ a foreigner than a Thai national.

I for one have never worked in Thailand (although I spent 7 months living there). My opinions are derived from what I have read here on the TV forum. I'm a competent software engineer, however without the ability to speak Thai, I found it difficult to approach companies that require IT professionals. Ironically, many of the jobs posted in the job website I provided above are posted in English, yet require the candidate to be a Thai national. Go figure!

As for the companies I was "eyeballing", these included Shin Corporation and Bombardier (which is a multi-national corporation). Bombardier was/is contracted to provide the Skytrain with radio-based control equipment, which is probably some sort of SCADA (supervisory control & data acquisition) system. Shin Corporation, or whatever it is called today (Temasek?), is in the satellite communications business. They don't build the satellites, they just manage them. The satellites are more than likely built in the US, by either Boeing or Lockheed-Martin... or maybe a company in the EU.

Anyhow, you should look at the other forum here on TV (I forgot the exact name) that contains information about Jobs and Business.

[sajal]

Ive heard of foreigners working IT jobs here in Thailand. I think many of them on the senior positions.

A better place to ask would probably be Blognone Job section( http://blognone.com/jobs ) Blognone is kinda like slashdot for Thais and many open source minded people there... perhaps someone Thai people working in IT companies can give you more insights...

[bkk_mike]

You could always try and get a job elsewhere working remotely. The pay would generally be better than the pay in Thailand.

i.e. The 12 hour time difference with NY means that you're in the right time zone to cover stuff overnight.

However, this is obviously a lot easier with a company that knows you. i.e. Your first contact should possibly be to see if your current employer will consider letting you work remotely, rather than lose your services completely.

(The other obvious option if you already write books is to write them from Thailand).

I do remember when I was looking a couple of years ago, one Australian company was interested in my CV, and, even though I'm not Thai, came back to the agency (in London), saying they'd be interested for me for a position in Bangkok if I spoke Thai. (I don't so I ended up in Tokyo where not speaking Japanese wasn't an issue).

I've never actually tried to get a job locally through a local agency, mainly because there's no way I could cover the kids school fees with a regular Thai salary.

[gabrieldowntown]

Yes, I agree with many of the replies here.

Another site to try is jobsdb com, I replied to a few jobs there today and got one reply.

...

To introduce myself, I am System Administrator with a few years experience.

Definitely looking to network with others and hopefully find a job in Bangkok or SEA.

My resume here:

docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfs4gx2s_0zdsrxhdn

[markk]

Hi Daniel,

How are things going, have you managed to secure a job in Thailand yet?