So Your Not A Web Designer

[whitevan73]

I want to move to Thailand in 8/10 years time. I don`t want to teach and i am not the kind of person who can web design or fix your computor. So what kind of job can a english man do who currently installs kitchen furniture in the UK? I can project manage my own work and enjoy working with people on projects. I am a do`er but do not want to be on tools anymore. I am 34 at the moment and be prepared to re-trian to get a suitable job in Thailand. The kind of things that appeal to me would be helping to build small resorts or maybe managment on construction projects.

Is this kind of work available or in demand in Thailand? We will be moving to Khon Kean but would travel if needs be.

Paul

[GuestHouse]

This is an almost impossible question to answer other than to give generalities that will likely become meaningless in the next 8/10 years.

My advice would be don't focus on 8/10 years from now, enjoy life now (that may or may not mean moving to Thailand now).

However, that is not to say you shouldn't make long term plans - at 34 you ought to be planning for your long term financial security and retirement - This is a plan will bring you choices as you get older, one of those choices may be Thailand.

8/10 years from now you will be in your 40s, if you are like most the rest of us you will be married with children and coming into your highest earning years - with mouths to feed and bills to pay it is unlikely to be a time when you will be able to move over to Thailand.

So, either have a go and move over for a couple of years now - or make long term financial plans to move over later in life.

I say financial plans because the single biggest mistake people make when moving to Thailand is to be underfunded. Unless things change, getting a job that pays your bills and provides for your long term future in Thailand is a rare thing.

[whitevan73]

[Thailand.

So, either have a go and move over for a couple of years now - or make long term financial plans to move over later in life.

I say financial plans because the single biggest mistake people make when moving to Thailand is to be underfunded. Unless things change, getting a job that pays your bills and provides for your long term future in Thailand is a rare thing.

Thanks for your advice. Not having long term financail support is a big worry, being stuck in the uk for the next 20 or so years is a big disapointment. I do not want to retire to Thailand, i want to work and live in Thailand. I do not care for beaches or bars. Quality of life is the issue and my quality of life in the UK is not going to improve, the UK is not going to improve.

I am wishing to start a new career before i get too old, if i can find a good posting in Thailand and can think about building a succesfull career there, maybe start a business. What i want to do, is to make sure that i am taking the right steps to have a long term stint in the Far East (away from the madness of the UK)

Paul

[Prakanong]

Its a difficult question - what will be the skill sets a foreigner needs to get a job in Thailand in 8-10 years?

I would say its not going to be manual (unless you get into O&G right now with time to work up to a job in LOS) but be a knowlwdge based worker - this usually requires at least an undergraduate degree if not post-grad these days.

I work in IT and would not be employed in a general IT job in Thailand and why should I - plenty of Thai's with the skills and at MNC's the language too for much cheaper than I am prepared to work for.

You might want to look at work you can do online - not a web designer but other area's.

You could look at where the economy is going and where advantage will be had in Asia - a medical tourism agency taking advantage of the cheaper prices in Thailand as something off the top of my head.

[Khun Jean]

Forget about working in Thailand. Anything else then an English teaching job is just to hard and with that little money.

If escaping the UK is the main reason why not have a look at Australia or New Zealand?

Those countries are nice as well, and they don't kick you out when you don't have a job anymore or some other unforseen circumstance. Once you get in you can stay.

Edited April 27, 2008 by Khun Jean

[steveromagnino]

Forget about working in Thailand. Anything else then an English teaching job is just to hard and with that little money.

If escaping the UK is the main reason why not have a look at Australia or New Zealand?

Those countries are nice as well, and they don't kick you out when you don't have a job anymore or some other unforseen circumstance. Once you get in you can stay.

I earn about $12-15k USD a month working in Thailand I guess, that is more than I could probably earn in NZ; Aussie is ok. And I don't earn expat wages, just typical local wages in my areas of expertise (which aren't much).

Any country has more need for specialist skills than generalist; in Thailand there are a ton of opportunities (and many of my Thai friends earn far more than I do) in specialist areas of finance, law, marketing, specific industries such as boat building, automotive parts manufacturing, that sort of thing.

Saying you want to live here without having a clear career is a road to nowhere Talking Heads style.

Better to plan 5 careers that you would be happy to do the rest of your life, and then see what the fit is with Thailand, you can jimmy something together, but you will probably need to either have supreme expertise in some specialist area to make it work here if you don't speak fluent Thai, nowadays foriegners speaking Thai well enough to do business in Thai are commonplace, not speaking Thai is tough unless you work in an industry also full of foreigners.

You can always work for yourself, possibly easier and more profitable IF you have a really good idea.

If you aren't too bothered to work hard, then Singapore and Malaysia are probably easier, Singapore being a bit more 'up tight' and quite expensive but a country funded by the hard work of expats, Malaysia being that magical combo of the stress of Singapore with the inefficiency of Thailand and the ocassional burst of dislike for foreigners as per Indo. But actually, not a bad place in many respects.

[Tomkagai]

Its a difficult question - what will be the skill sets a foreigner needs to get a job in Thailand in 8-10 years?

I would say its not going to be manual (unless you get into O&G right now with time to work up to a job in LOS) but be a knowlwdge based worker - this usually requires at least an undergraduate degree if not post-grad these days.

I work in IT and would not be employed in a general IT job in Thailand and why should I - plenty of Thai's with the skills and at MNC's the language too for much cheaper than I am prepared to work for.

You might want to look at work you can do online - not a web designer but other area's.

You could look at where the economy is going and where advantage will be had in Asia - a medical tourism agency taking advantage of the cheaper prices in Thailand as something off the top of my head.

Just to comment on the O&G angle in LOS, basically the business is undergoing some serious nationalisation and as the years go on, fewer and fewer of the currently employed expats will be working LOS O&G...so would not advise going that route....most of the guys working and living in Thailand involved in O&G are waiting on places like Vietnam and possibly Cambodia to open up....The biggest selling point for a person in O&G is the experience...irrespective of have graduate or post grad, people with bits of paper are 10 a penny....its the experienced people that are in demand these days

[Gumballl]

I earn about $12-15k USD a month working in Thailand I guess, that is more than I could probably earn in NZ; Aussie is ok. And I don't earn expat wages, just typical local wages in my areas of expertise (which aren't much).

$12-$15K USD a month? That's a lot more than "pats" make in their home countries. Do you mean $1200-$1500 USD per month?

[Prakanong]

Its a difficult question - what will be the skill sets a foreigner needs to get a job in Thailand in 8-10 years?

I would say its not going to be manual (unless you get into O&G right now with time to work up to a job in LOS) but be a knowlwdge based worker - this usually requires at least an undergraduate degree if not post-grad these days.

I work in IT and would not be employed in a general IT job in Thailand and why should I - plenty of Thai's with the skills and at MNC's the language too for much cheaper than I am prepared to work for.

You might want to look at work you can do online - not a web designer but other area's.

You could look at where the economy is going and where advantage will be had in Asia - a medical tourism agency taking advantage of the cheaper prices in Thailand as something off the top of my head.

Just to comment on the O&G angle in LOS, basically the business is undergoing some serious nationalisation and as the years go on, fewer and fewer of the currently employed expats will be working LOS O&G...so would not advise going that route....most of the guys working and living in Thailand involved in O&G are waiting on places like Vietnam and possibly Cambodia to open up....The biggest selling point for a person in O&G is the experience...irrespective of have graduate or post grad, people with bits of paper are 10 a penny....its the experienced people that are in demand these days

Thanks for the update. I know the guy's in Thailand had to have a lot of experience to get their positions there but did not know about the changes - I do not work in the industry but have very close pals who have done for donkey's years.

I reckon its much the same everywhere now - you have to have the specific experience to offer not available locally - its cheaper to employ locals and if they can do the same job company's now go for it. I see it all the time in my company. I have a local+ contract but a job just advertised when an aussie left is going pure local T&C

[Prakanong]

I earn about $12-15k USD a month working in Thailand I guess, that is more than I could probably earn in NZ; Aussie is ok. And I don't earn expat wages, just typical local wages in my areas of expertise (which aren't much).

$12-$15K USD a month? That's a lot more than "pats" make in their home countries. Do you mean $1200-$1500 USD per month?

I do not think it was a typo

[GuestHouse]

I earn about $12-15k USD a month working in Thailand I guess, that is more than I could probably earn in NZ; Aussie is ok. And I don't earn expat wages, just typical local wages in my areas of expertise (which aren't much).

$12-$15K USD a month? That's a lot more than "pats" make in their home countries. Do you mean $1200-$1500 USD per month?

Remember to take all claims made on internet web boards on how much money people make (wages, income from investments, profits from gambling, income from property) with a large dose of salt.

It's not the truth that matters... what matters is do we have fun reading it.

[Prakanong]

I earn about $12-15k USD a month working in Thailand I guess, that is more than I could probably earn in NZ; Aussie is ok. And I don't earn expat wages, just typical local wages in my areas of expertise (which aren't much).

$12-$15K USD a month? That's a lot more than "pats" make in their home countries. Do you mean $1200-$1500 USD per month?

Remember to take all claims made on internet web boards on how much money people make (wages, income from investments, profits from gambling, income from property) with a large dose of salt.

It's not the truth that matters... what matters is do we have fun reading it.

So I take it you personally know Stevermangino - thought not! ;-)

Yes we can all make claims on the net and we can also imply others lie like you just did - what counts though we can have fun reading it

[GuestHouse]

I didn't say anyone is telling porkies, I simply say I take ALL claims relating to income and wealth made on internet web boards with a large dose of salt.

Everyone I've ever met tells the odd lie now and again, some people exaggerate, many just get the sums wrong and let’s not forget the ever-present hubris.

The OP is asking for advice on a possible move to Thailand, he would be wise to consider news of incomes well above those earned by most people in his own country, let alone Thailand, ought to be regarded with caution.

After all, the worst advice is often the advice that you ‘want to hear’.

[A_Traveller]

I have no reason to dismiss the content of Steve's post, though as a caveat to the OP, one should point out that if memory serves, Steve holds dual nationality so business areas are potentially open to him, {though he still has to work hard} that would be difficult for those who do not.

Regards

[samran]

I have no reason to dismiss the content of Steve's post, though as a caveat to the OP, one should point out that if memory serves, Steve holds dual nationality so business areas are potentially open to him, {though he still has to work hard} that would be difficult for those who do not.

Regards

I can confirm that stevo has started wearing much nicer brand lable clothes of late.

He has always been a bit of a clothes horse...not that there is anything wrong with that mind you but his shoes, suit and shirt collection has grown expodentially recently....

[Tomkagai]

I earn about $12-15k USD a month working in Thailand I guess, that is more than I could probably earn in NZ; Aussie is ok. And I don't earn expat wages, just typical local wages in my areas of expertise (which aren't much).

$12-$15K USD a month? That's a lot more than "pats" make in their home countries. Do you mean $1200-$1500 USD per month?

I do not think it was a typo

$12-$15K, nothing unusual about the amounts, the vast majority of expats in the oil and gas game in Thailand are making this sort of money after tax if not more in some cases...