What Jobs Can I Do In Bangkok?

[james1979]

I am English and have a degree in Molecular biology. I have two years work experience in Banking and Administration.

I'm thinking maybe I could be an english teacher, or hotel worker,...?

Anyone got any ideas?

[Jimjim]

What's your experience in the hotel industry? With your experience it's not likely. Possible to get in banking selling financial services, but a lot of people on this board hate people like that. You could teach biology and science at an international school. Teaching is not restricted to just teaching English.

[james1979]

What's your experience in the hotel industry? With your experience it's not likely. Possible to get in banking selling financial services, but a lot of people on this board hate people like that. You could teach biology and science at an international school. Teaching is not restricted to just teaching English.

hmm..interesting

i worked in a hotel for a few months once a long time ago thats all.

teaching biology sounds like it could be a winner. ive never taught before though, dont you need teaching qualifications/experience to work in thailand?

[Jimjim]

If you have a BA in something molecular biology you can swing getting a work permit to teach that, I'm sure.

[james1979]

If you have a BA in something molecular biology you can swing getting a work permit to teach that, I'm sure.

I've got a BSc, desmond tutu

cool, i suppose i have to come over before i apply for the jobs?

[johnnyk]

The real International schools won't hire you without a proper teaching certificate from a western country. They won't hire you without experience. And they won't hire you off the street without references. They prefer Master's level with teacher certification and experience. They don't toss 85-150K baht and per month at just anybody.

Public schools and private language schools won't offer you much more than 40K a month, enough to live in a crappy room and enjoy a night out once a week. Wears thin after a while.

[grtaylor]

What's your experience in the hotel industry? With your experience it's not likely. Possible to get in banking selling financial services, but a lot of people on this board hate people like that. You could teach biology and science at an international school. Teaching is not restricted to just teaching English.

hmm..interesting

i worked in a hotel for a few months once a long time ago thats all.

teaching biology sounds like it could be a winner. ive never taught before though, dont you need teaching qualifications/experience to work in thailand?

To work at a reputable international school, you would need a degree in the subject (which you already have), teaching certification from your home country, and a couple of years experience of teaching in a school somewhere else.

Some schools might take you just with the degree.

[james1979]

ok, so i'd stand a much better chance of getting a job if i did a tefl online course.

such as

http://www.teflonline.com/?gclid=CMK9kJ3m6pUCFQuJ1QodHy1VfQ

im still stuck without any experience

[james1979]

The real International schools won't hire you without a proper teaching certificate from a western country. They won't hire you without experience. And they won't hire you off the street without references. They prefer Master's level with teacher certification and experience. They don't toss 85-150K baht and per month at just anybody.

Public schools and private language schools won't offer you much more than 40K a month, enough to live in a crappy room and enjoy a night out once a week. Wears thin after a while.

ok, thanks for the reality check

have you taught in Japan, are things easier there?

[Jimjim]

Yes, BS not BA, sorry I misspoke. Duh. Mental error.

You don't have a chance probably at those 85K+ baht/month international schools so don't worry about it. They usually hire teaching professionals which you are not. However, not all international schools are at that level. There are tons of international schools (even real ones with WASC or other accreditation but just not as expensive as the big names) and you can get 40K-50K baht/month salary at some of those and they often hire those with no experience. TEFL course might help with the paperwork but you'd probably enjoy teaching science more which is certainly possible.

As for 40K salary lasting, it really depends on the person. It doesn't go as far as it used to but if you are good with money, you could get a decent studio for 5K baht/month and then that'd be plenty of money to last the month or it could be nothing to you. It all depends on the person and I find it annoying when everyone tries to apply their own spending habits to others. For me, 40K is a great salary as I'm not a big spender, and yet I can still go out way more than just one night a month. Give me break just have some smarts with your money and with that salary you can have plenty of fun in Bangkok. But for some, it's just not enough as they want to spend spend spend all the time or they say the can't eat Thai food and want to spend 300 baht or more for every meal to have western food. So, I'm obviously giving my viewpoint here but it's really up to how you manage. Some people are quite happy managing that much, while others can only be happy if they can spend as much as they like.

As for Japan, I've heard it is incredibly easier there to get legal as a teacher. Little red tape compared to Thailand perhaps because it's so dam_n expensive there and thus they don't have the hoards of westerners looking to teach that Thailand has.

Edited September 20, 2008 by Jimjim

[Bangyai]

Forget teaching in Japan. The wages are better but the cost of living is a killer. If you don't hit the ground running you will quickly run into financial difficulties. At least here you can survive on very little between jobs.

Other possibilities are Disc Jockey ( if you are lucky ) or Estate agency.....but for this you need a bit of capital to start up.

[james1979]

I think I would have much more fun in Bangkok than I would in Japan, although I really want to visit Japan as it looks so whacky.

So what's the best thing to do as far as working in Bangkok goes? Buy a plane ticket and come packed with a suit and degree certificate?

How much cash do you think i'll need as a safety net?

[johnnyk]

If you aren't wedded to the idea of being in Thailand you might want to look into teaching in Taiwan.

Check out www.tealit.com

[james1979]

If you aren't wedded to the idea of being in Thailand you might want to look into teaching in Taiwan.

Check out www.tealit.com

Does working in Taiwan pay better?

[james1979]

do you know what the nightlife is like in taiwan?

[AdventureAsia]

I would say Thailand ha the best Nightlife in all of Asia and Japan is highly overated. The girls are mostly fugly and there r not many cool clubs of course there r some but its an overated country.

Just stay away from Pattaya unless u like drugs, gangsters and dirty hoes. Horrible place!

[Soutpeel]

I would say Thailand ha the best Nightlife in all of Asia and Japan is highly overated. The girls are mostly fugly and there r not many cool clubs of course there r some but its an overated country.

Just stay away from Pattaya unless u like drugs, gangsters and dirty hoes. Horrible place!

Nice to see someone who really knows what they are talking about.... ....believe this is the same indivdual who was intending walking to Norway from Thailand, or so I am told...

[stephaniee]

do you know what the nightlife is like in taiwan?

sounds like op is more interested in girls than teaching.

bangkok is the place to be sir!

[Soutpeel]

do you know what the nightlife is like in taiwan?

sounds like op is more interested in girls than teaching.

bangkok is the place to be sir!

Yeah nice to see, someone who has decided to take up the honourable career of being a teacher with the intent of expanding/developing young minds, and he is preapared to travel internationally to do it.... we could do with more of them in Thailand...

[james1979]

i was in pattaya for two weeks in aug/sep so i know what it is like.

[Soutpeel]

i was in pattaya for two weeks in aug/sep so i know what it is like.

Ahh...a long term resident...two weeks..

[Super Hans]

Is it actually possible to get non teaching jobs in Thailand? The OP says he has a background in finance/admin etc - are there any jobs for farang in these fields? I'm talking at a lower level here - no specialist qualifications or skills etc.

[AdventureAsia]

Is it actually possible to get non teaching jobs in Thailand? The OP says he has a background in finance/admin etc - are there any jobs for farang in these fields? I'm talking at a lower level here - no specialist qualifications or skills etc.

i think its possible but extremely hard...

P.S Pattaya is a dump

[TEFLMike]

I think I would have much more fun in Bangkok than I would in Japan, although I really want to visit Japan as it looks so whacky.

So what's the best thing to do as far as working in Bangkok goes? Buy a plane ticket and come packed with a suit and degree certificate?

How much cash do you think i'll need as a safety net?

If you want to teach, bring with you your University TRANSCRIPTS and Academic Summary.. They now require these for you to get a Teachers' Licence.

[Soutpeel]

Is it actually possible to get non teaching jobs in Thailand? The OP says he has a background in finance/admin etc - are there any jobs for farang in these fields? I'm talking at a lower level here - no specialist qualifications or skills etc.

Yes it is very possible to get non-teaching jobs in Thailand, but its usually a case of not what you know, but more to do with who you know. Lower level jobs without specialist skills/qualification....difficult but not impossible

[Soutpeel]

Is it actually possible to get non teaching jobs in Thailand? The OP says he has a background in finance/admin etc - are there any jobs for farang in these fields? I'm talking at a lower level here - no specialist qualifications or skills etc.

i think its possible but extremely hard...

P.S Pattaya is a dump

Thought you where walking to Norway...??

Pattaya....one mans dump...another mans paradise.....