Is A Degree Required To Get A Work Permit?

[Peterocket]

Working in I.T in Thailand is degree certificate necessary in order to get a work permit?

Any info is appreciated because i cant find any list showing what jobs require the employee to have a degree in order to get a work permit.

[lopburi3]

Believe only some teaching positions have that requirement.

[Peterocket]

Thats what i thought, can anyone confirm?

[stbkk]

I work in IT and have had a work permit for 7 years with no degree.

[richardt1808]

Hi,

The question is not whether you would get a work permit, but rather whether you would find any company here willing to offer you a job. A Thai company would never hire a Thai person without a degree in IT and there plenty of well-qualified local graduates around who will certainly work for a lot less than what you would likely be expecting to earn. So unless you have something special to bring to the pot, dont get your hopes up on this one.

The other replies are quite correct, there is no rule requiring a degree for any jobs outside of teaching. If it is a reputable company and you have the skills, the WP is pretty much a formality.

[PeaceBlondie]

There is no clear-cut Thai rule that you must have a degree to teach. Some farang have extended visas, work permits, etc., without a degree.

[simon43]

As has been stated above, there is no written law that says you must have a degree to have a WP. However, from personal knowledge, I know of several foreigners without degrees who had major problems in obtaining a WP for IT work. The reason was that the Labour Office immediately asked 'What is so special about this unqualified person's skillset that means that a qualified Thai cannot do this job?'

Bear in mind that if the job can be performed by a Thai, then the WP may not be issued to the foreigner, at least not without tea money or a lot of persuasion.

Simon

[monty]

I must say that accepting your application is entirely up to the labor department.

AFAIK the only job description they are very easy on, is managing director in the company you hold shares in. The assumption here is you simply want to oversee your investment in said company.

Pretty much all other jobs, the labor department's work is protecting the Thai labor force, so they can very well put the onus on you proving that you have a skillset not found in the Thai labor force, or where there is a acute shortage.

This said, it's not only diploma's etc they consider, previous job experience, language skills etc are also taken into consideration.

[Peterocket]

OK thanks people. I already have the job just wanted to find out if im going to have to apply to the faculty of education in the UK to get a duplicate certificate as i dont have it with me. Hopefully it wont be necessary unless labour department dont feel its necessary.

[otherstuff1957]

OK thanks people. I already have the job just wanted to find out if im going to have to apply to the faculty of education in the UK to get a duplicate certificate as i dont have it with me. Hopefully it wont be necessary unless labour department dont feel its necessary.

If proof of qualifications is required, you can probably just give them a copy of your uni transcripts. I lost my original degree years ago, but the Labor Office has been satisfied with a watermarked transcript - that was a lot cheaper and easier to get than a copy of a degree!