How Good Are The Chances To Get A Job For Me?

[buzzman]

Hi there

my wife an me have this idea of working for 1-2 years in Thailand and then returning back to Switzerland, or if it's "fun" we could also stay there forever. So I'm doing some research and try to find out how good the chances are of finding work.

Here are some facts from me:

- Married to a thai woman (who grew up in Thailand until she was 12 years old, since then she lived in Switzerland and is now 30 years old). She has a swiss passport and speaks/writes fluent german and thai.

- I'm also 30 years old and a Swiss citizen, we visit Thailand like 4 weeks each year.

- I'm a computer specialist (I work now as a "Test Engineer Professional" and earn around 100k/year US$)

- Computer skills: Microsoft MCP, Office, IBM and HP software (for example Quality Center), have a lot of experiance in HP OVO, System monitoring too and support. Mac experiance too. I have several IT diplomas (for example "IT specialist with Fed. Diploma of Higher VET", a swiss diploma close to a bachelor degree).

- I speak German, English, some French, some Italian, want to learn more Thai.

- We have houses to live in from her family somewhere in Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.

So, how hard will it be to find work in the IT industry? What salary could I expect?

Are there any good job homepages to look at? Or do you think this is hopeless?

Thanks!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Hi there

my wife an me have this idea of working for 1-2 years in Thailand and then returning back to Switzerland, or if it's "fun" we could also stay there forever. So I'm doing some research and try to find out how good the chances are of finding work.

Here are some facts from me:

- Married to a thai woman (who grew up in Thailand until she was 12 years old, since then she lived in Switzerland and is now 30 years old). She has a swiss passport and speaks/writes fluent german and thai.

- I'm also 30 years old and a Swiss citizen, we visit Thailand like 4 weeks each year.

- I'm a computer specialist (I work now as a "Test Engineer Professional" and earn around 100k/year US$)

- Computer skills: Microsoft MCP, Office, IBM and HP software (for example Quality Center), have a lot of experiance in HP OVO, System monitoring too and support. Mac experiance too. I have several IT diplomas (for example "IT specialist with Fed. Diploma of Higher VET", a swiss diploma close to a bachelor degree).

- I speak German, English, some French, some Italian, want to learn more Thai.

- We have houses to live in from her family somewhere in Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani.

So, how hard will it be to find work in the IT industry? What salary could I expect?

Are there any good job homepages to look at? Or do you think this is hopeless?

Thanks!

Not a great deal of chances here I am afraid. See what others say.

[Tomkagai]

Think you may have possiblities, but only working in BKK and wouldnt have thought you would attract the sort of salary you are used to earning...I am not in the IT game, but generally finding jobs for farangs is not easy.

How about setting your own company up and offer consultancy work to companies, may be a better option to think about

[buzzman]

Thanks for your replies.

We live a great life here in Switzerland and we don't need to go there. But sometimes...you know. Sometimes you would just love to go where the weather is warm and where other people are for holidays.

Bangkok is so great, in 2 hours you are at a nice beach and when you drive 2 hours in the other direction you have great nature in Kanchanaburi. And the people there seem happier than in Switzerland even if they don't have as much as we have (money, houses, cars, ...).

Founding an own company is also an option, but could be hard as well. We have friends with big hotels, so maybe there's a possibility to manage a club or something, I'm in the middle of a further education in management.

We would love to try it out for 1 oder 2 years and decide afterwards if it is something we could imagine for the rest of our lifes.

[teacup]

If you can afford or be able to take 1-2 yrs off from the work, why don’t you just try it out first and see what will happen once you are in Thailand. Forget about looking for a job first, you may not be able to stand it for more than a few months. Coming to Thailand 4 weeks at a time is sooo much diff from living there all year round. I’m a thai/woman and still not sure at this point if I can live in Thailand permanently again or not. If you wife has been living and working in Swiz for several decades, once in Thailand “long term” she may not like the weather, quality of the air, sewer smell, quality of housing, or just about bits there and bits here about the thai culture and traditions, especially for a westernized thai women like her. She may be came from Thailand or born there but that was soo long ago, by going back to her old country but this time with the new her. She has changed, Thailand has changed, and she will be going back with the new her, new personalities, and outlooks in life or of Thailand.

To live in thailand as a westernized thai woman is sooo much diff than a thai woman who hasn’t experienced life outside Thailand, and to be living there as a woman is also diff than living there as a man such as youself. The availability of friends and types of entertainment venue will also be diff between the two of you.

You can take this mini break of yours to build up connections, or networks while in Thailand if you still think that by moving to Thailand permanently later on will still be worth it.

TC

[Prakanong]

Think you may have possiblities, but only working in BKK and wouldnt have thought you would attract the sort of salary you are used to earning...I am not in the IT game, but generally finding jobs for farangs is not easy.

How about setting your own company up and offer consultancy work to companies, may be a better option to think about

You might not be in IT but you pretty much hit the nail on the head.

When I worked in IT in Bangkok I had to set up my own company and do consultancy to get a half decent income.

I am now a Regional IT Manager for a MNC bases in Singapore and for Thailand I would be employing Thai's - skills the OP has are worth maybe 40,000 THB a month in Thailand - even here in Singapore a local might only get 3000 Sing

[tb86]

Use a international search firm to help thats what ive done in the past

[PattayaParent]

You're both young enough to take a sabbatical from work for a couple of years, provided you have saved some of that $100k over the years that is.

Just come here and try it and see how it goes. If you can't make a life here you can go back home and resume your career there fairly easily, just be sure to keep up with what's happeneing in the IT world while you're here.

Then you have options to explore work, consultancy or management and if nothing comes of it you've had a great 2 year holiday.

[Darknight]

Been there, tried that, doesn't work ... back in europe making big cash again. will come back to retire ....

Same situation, IT consultant , thai wife , no jobs to be found and if you find one , it pay's a pittance....:-)

[Prakanong]

You're both young enough to take a sabbatical from work for a couple of years, provided you have saved some of that $100k over the years that is.

Just come here and try it and see how it goes. If you can't make a life here you can go back home and resume your career there fairly easily, just be sure to keep up with what's happeneing in the IT world while you're here.

Then you have options to explore work, consultancy or management and if nothing comes of it you've had a great 2 year holiday.

You alluded to keeping up with IT but that might not be enough - a 2 year break from IT is a long time and I know guys who found it very hard to get back into it after even a year out.

Their skills were stil useful but I guess it might be a bit of prejudice as well against people with any time away.

As an IT Manager it would not bother me though as long as they still had the skills I was looking for and the right attitude.

[hanibal7]

If you havent lived in bk before my suggestion is to look at the place first.the shock will be the polluted air compared to swiz.the second shock will be the snobbish people there.

i would stay where you are or go some were else esp since your wife hasnt lived in thailand for 18 years.will be hard for her to get into the hi-so life there.

[buzzman]

Thanks for all your answers.

We could afford a 1 or 2 year sabbatical, we have enough savings for that. We're just not sure what to do. With our savings we could buy a house/appartement here in Switzerland or we just go to Thailand and see how life is there and forget about a house in Switzerland.

My wife has been back in Thailand for some longer occasions. In 2002 she spent a whole year back there because her grandfather was sick. So she knows the situation back home. But you're right, life is probably not the same like in the 1980s.

If it is that hard to find a decent job (or a job at all) we might go there just for a long one year holiday. One wish was, to show our 2 children their second home.

[dave111223]

http://www.jobtopgun.com/search/popup/indu...sp?idIndustry=7

[RonD]

If you havent lived in bk before my suggestion is to look at the place first.the shock will be the polluted air compared to swiz.the second shock will be the snobbish people there.

i would stay where you are or go some were else esp since your wife hasnt lived in thailand for 18 years.will be hard for her to get into the hi-so life there.

• Just come with the expectations of being Tourist for a long-term holiday. Once in place in Thailand, it's easier to find job openings, and potential employers will take you more seriously, as you're here long-term anyway.
  

• Finding jobs, whilst outside Thailand, doesn't yield much success. It will be easier if you have professional connections within your local/European network, for companies that have SEA offices.
  

• Don't have high expectations from the start, about salary, job role, work environment etc.
  

• Once in the job search/market in Thailand - do expect "cultural shock" challenges and it will take at least 6 months to a lifetime to learn and get somewhat accustomed to.
  

• Learn Thai language! Even if you could just manage basic conversations but still "fluent" (e.g. not any "pidgeon" language) - you will have a much, much better opportunity.
  

• Consider going into management positions instead: Your western skills and experience and with regards to the cheap Thai labour avialable here (Technical) are more suitable in Thailand for knowledge transfer and management. If you can get some management experience prior to coming here, that would look better on your profile as well.
  

Cheers,

J

[buzzman]

Thanks for the interesting opinions!

Some of you think it might be possible to get a (decent) job, some think it would be hard if not impossible.

Of course it would be a big step to move to Thailand. It means leaving all behind and spending (probably) all the savings.

We have not yet decided what to do. My further education will end in 2009 or early 2010, so we have some time to think about it. And my knowledge of the thai language will be better then. I can learn every day some words as our children are learning it too.

Right now, it seems best to take a one year sabbatical and go there with no job just for vacation. If some opportunity comes along, I may can apply for a job then or move back to Europe and had a good, long vacation.

[Prakanong]

"Some of you think it might be possible to get a (decent) job, some think it would be hard if not impossible."

I always tell people to network at the various countries Chambers of Commerce - I know a few guy's have got their positions through that. The ones I know had to take anything that came up to get a foot in the door then moved on to bigger and better things.

If you learn Thai you will show comittment and can only put you in a better light.

Its not that there are not IT Jobs in Thailand its just they tend not to be not too highly paid as its the going rate for a Thai that is low - they can be well qualified too with the language to boot.

A lot of the regional IT jobs are based mainly in Singapore or HK - I have not really met another Regional IT Manager outside of Singapore - the guy's I have known in Thailand were working on pretty much local contracts or had been brought in for Subscriber Management - Billing Systems for Telecoms and for ERP projects

Its not impossible in Thailand but itis harder to get anything one the scale I would take now - I could have had my position moved up there but that was a favour and as I was humming and haaing about taking the position.

To be honest I think I would find it hard to get something in Thailand even with my MBA which I should complete next year - I already have a post-grad in IT and just under 20 years experience ranging from PC Support through Systems then Business Analysis to Department Manager to Project Manager to Regional IT Manager - I have just never seen anything to go for.

[PhilHarries]

I'm not an IT specialist in any way, just a rough old mechanical engineer, so I won't try and advise you professionally but I have been through the Thailand shredder for 12 years.

However you drop a couple of little bombshells in you last post that were not mentioned originally.

First is children. How old are they and what stage of schooling are they at. From your ages I'd guess they are still young but you have to take into account the quality of the schooling they are likely to receive and the costs/locations of international schools.

Second you mention that the venture will probably blow all your savings. Leaving aside the old "don't invest more in Thailand than you can afford to walk away from" it certainly is always worth considering very strongly leaving behind a sum that will be enough to start over should it all go pear shaped in Thailand.

[PattayaParent]

"With our savings we could buy a house/appartement here in Switzerland"

"Of course it would be a big step to move to Thailand. It means leaving all behind and spending (probably) all the savings."

If you have enough money to buy a house in Switzerland then you have enough money to live the rest of your life in Thailand.

[buzzman]

About the money:

A house in Switzerland is not as expensive as you might think (about 15-20 million baht), and that's about the money we would have in a couple of years if we would save hard.

And that is exactly the point...I don't know how much money we would need in Thailand. Of course, it depends on how luxurious you want to live.

We could live for free and eat for free, there are some houses from the family of my wife. But that's not exactly what we want. At least a rent or the food or something we would like to pay.

In four or five weeks of vacation we always spend easily around 150'000 baht...so that's not the standard we could afford for a long time.

Our children are 3 and 1 years old. So, again, it depends on how long we would be there. If it were only for 1 or 2 years, they could easily go to school back in Switzerland.

[wasabi]

I would highly suggest coming for an extended stay of say 4-6 months to see if you like it here. Everyone told me living here is different than vacation and I laughed. I do enjoy living here but to my surprise I miss some of the efficiency and my sense of knowing how things work and that they are going to work in the USA. I think to your surprise you will miss the same about Switzerland. Sure it's cold and people are probably uptight but it's amazing what you suddenly can put up with when old annoyances are replaced by new ones. My main problem with living here is the lack of career opportunity and that limited opportunity is even further limited by the limitations on foreigners in obtaining employment. I am here to study Thai language and will continue with that as I am enjoying myself a great deal but after only being here for 1 month I already have some doubts about the prudence of spending my top earning years in Thailand. I realize some pull it off but I'm sure many more do not.

Suddenly the thought that I may have to return to the west someday isn't so horrifying in fact I'm grateful I have that option if I need it.

Edited June 3, 2008 by wasabi

[dave111223]

You'd have to be living pretty high on the hog to blow through 15-20million baht in 1-2years in Thailand.

[teacup]

Well if I have a high paying job in Swiz, I would rather spend my productive years there esp if I have little ones & save as much as I can. Then rethink of the plan again when I’m in 40s or after the kids have gone to uni. Then and only then I would use my saving to pursue many of my passions or life of hapiness in Thailand, but I wouldn't be looking to work under someone else again in thailand. If I have/want to still working while in thailand, I would rather set up a business of my own. Well if I don’t have any kids that would be a diff ball game altogether. Just me

How in the world can you spend 20 mil in 2 yrs, in thailand?

[buzzman]

Not that you get a wrong image. We don't have 20million baht left right now.

We could have have this much money in some years time if we would work for our "big dream" and save every penny.

[Prakanong]

"I already have some doubts about the prudence of spending my top earning years in Thailand. I realize some pull it off but I'm sure many more do not.

Suddenly the thought that I may have to return to the west someday isn't so horrifying in fact I'm grateful I have that option if I need it."

Very sensible - I have seen quite a few guy's who do find the idea of returning to the west horrifying and take naff paper boy's salary paying jobs just to stay - they will regret it one day.

[Naam]

How in the world can you spend 20 mil in 2 yrs, in thailand?

Beluga caviar and a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 1990 for daily breakfast would do the trick in a few months.

[PhilHarries]

How in the world can you spend 20 mil in 2 yrs, in thailand?

Beluga caviar and a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 1990 for daily breakfast would do the trick in a few months.

Alternatively take up with a bar girl and leave your bank statement lying around. I'm not sure about a few months but she would certainly break the 2 year limit.

To the OP.

From the age of the children I'd say stay put and work towards your Swiss dream house. Once they are through uni and set up you can look to selling up, or down sizing, and trying Thailand out. Then you'll be on a more solid financial platform.

Alternatively if you could go to Thailand now when they are young, stay a couple of years, not blow all the savings and go back to a guaranteed work position then, yes, I would say do it. But your kid's futures must be paramount in your thinking today.

[teacup]

How in the world can you spend 20 mil in 2 yrs, in thailand?

Beluga caviar and a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 1990 for daily breakfast would do the trick in a few months.

Cavier is disgusting w/ vile tasting ..... and I think the only people who like it are those that convince themselves that they should because it is expensive (esp the expensive one & overratted likes the Beluga) and even then, I don't think that they truly enjoy it. I can see it now why you have to wash it down with the whole bottle of that "Louis Whatever" instead of just a glass. What a way to waste your hard earned money, me think!

[Prakanong]

How in the world can you spend 20 mil in 2 yrs, in thailand?

Beluga caviar and a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal 1990 for daily breakfast would do the trick in a few months.

Cavier is disgusting w/ vile tasting ..... and I think the only people who like it are those that convince themselves that they should because it is expensive (esp the expensive one & overratted likes the Beluga) and even then, I don't think that they truly enjoy it. I can see it now why you have to wash it down with the whole bottle of that "Louis Whatever" instead of just a glass. What a way to waste your hard earned money, me think!

I have only had it twice - hated it the first time but enjoyed it the second time - second time was on Thai Air First Class and its best to wash it down with ice cold Vodka - we had the vintage DP afterwards ;-)

Doubt I would pay for it myself though

[PattayaParent]

How about staying put for the next couple of years to buy your dream home and then rent it out and live off the rental income here in Thailand?

That way you get the best of both worlds although I admit I don't know the sort of income rentals in Switzerland generate.

[buzzman]

The rent for an appartement in Switzerland is about 60'000 to 70'000 baht/month (about a 5 room appartement with 130 square meters, in the suburb of big cities).

And yes, your idea sounds good. It's worth considering it. We're still young and have many alternatives, so we have to consider carefully.

Edited June 5, 2008 by buzzman