Is Realistic To Find A Job With A Western Salary In Thailand?

[juanmedin]

Hi,

As many people I fell in love with Thailand when I visited it one year ago. Since them I've been trying to find a way to live here. After almost one year and a half, tired of waiting for the "perfect golden opportunity" -that usually never comes- I quit my job, took a project as a freelance and came here to Bangkok to live. I wanted to look for a job in the city in my field (IT software development, my business card used to say "Senior Software Architect") in an international company.

Now I've started to actively to look for positions in my field. What I find googling for them are:

- Jobs aimed at locals in local job boards. Very, very low paid.

- Messages in many blogs stating variations of "every farang is looking for a job in Thailand, so forget it"

- People who, in order to stay here, had to create a new way of life, not always for the best.

- Expats who got their expat-package from their company and are living in a comfortable standard

- Expats who got into the job market here by their own means (very few of them and often by referrals) and also living comfortably.

- People who noticed a business opportunity and took advantage of it.

It's not in my nature to abandon a reachable goal, so I'm going to look for solutions. The posting in this forum is to ask insiders their opinions in order to get some information to focus my efforts. The questions are:

- Is it really close to impossible to find a job in a western / Japanese company here?

- Can anyone share his success or a failure history?

- Any advise that could help to concentrate the effort in some way?

Now I'm going to start my campaign to look for it, so any advise would be really welcome.

I've the chance to go back to my company, as that was offered by my manager, but that'd be like being a zombie: alive but without living in the old Europe.

Again, thanks in advance for any comment.

Juan

[gotlost]

If you are with a western company that sends you hear then yes, but if you find something hear the salary will be low by western standards.

[PoorSucker]

My old business card said "Senior IT Consultant, junior partner."

I have stopped looking for IT jobs with western salary three years ago.

Now I have a shop with my wife and a Rock bar.

[MattFS218]

The only way to get a western salary in Thailand is to start your own service company selling services to the Western world. Unless you have some skill that no other expat has, it's not likely you will find a western salary here....why would anyone pay you a western salary when you can get below a western salary hiring local or an expat who doesn't demand a western salary.

[Soutpeel]

The only way to get a western salary in Thailand is to start your own service company selling services to the Western world. Unless you have some skill that no other expat has, it's not likely you will find a western salary here....why would anyone pay you a western salary when you can get below a western salary hiring local or an expat who doesn't demand a western salary.

Absolute <deleted>,

.....plenty of expats working here on Western salaries ++ in Thailand...

To answer the OP's question: It is very very difficult to get a decent paying job in Thailand, but not impossible and generally on a word of mouth basis/referral basis...I wouldnt bother with job advertisements etc etc as chances are you will get no where.

[tonititan]

I agree - it's not impossible to get a western salary, but it's not too likely, unless you're an international school teacher at a top school. It seems like of all the people on this forum who are looking for a job in Thailand, the majority of them are in the IT or Graphic Design fields. I can't imagine that there's enough good jobs for all of them. I do know that there are some people in Bangkok who work for Microsoft, but I don't know if that's an option for you as it sounds like you need to find a job in a hurry.

[dave111223]

Why not continue with the freelance work, and build your own client base?

[chiang mai]

If you have marketable skills that are in demand, best best is to seek out a secondment or overseas posting form within the UK/Europe etc, unless you're connected in Asia and known, you stand little chance getting work here, from here, on your own.

[kurnell]

I'm a thicky and I have a western salary in Bangkok. Have done for 10 years and hired locally.

[chiang mai]

I'm a thicky and I have a western salary in Bangkok. Have done for 10 years and hired locally.

Congratulations but I was referring to smart people.

[Soutpeel]

I agree - it's not impossible to get a western salary, but it's not too likely, unless you're an international school teacher at a top school.

[kurnell]

I earn more than my smart friends

[LuckyFive8888]

depends what's your job is, my salary is based in USD and is quite reasonable. let say i can earn as much as 15K baht a day, all inclusive rate but not bad for living in Thailand. OK, honestly it's very high but i deserve it because of what i do.

Edited November 14, 2009 by LuckyFive8888

[PattayaParent]

The only way to get a western salary in Thailand is to start your own service company selling services to the Western world. Unless you have some skill that no other expat has, it's not likely you will find a western salary here....why would anyone pay you a western salary when you can get below a western salary hiring local or an expat who doesn't demand a western salary.

Absolute <deleted>,

.....plenty of expats working here on Western salaries ++ in Thailand...

To answer the OP's question: It is very very difficult to get a decent paying job in Thailand, but not impossible and generally on a word of mouth basis/referral basis...I wouldnt bother with job advertisements etc etc as chances are you will get no where.

I half agree with Soutpeel on this as I beleive he's in the O&G business same as me so yes you can get expat salaries fairly easily.

But in IT when Thais can do the job cheaper probably not so easy unless you can get sent from head office of an expat company.

Edited November 14, 2009 by PattayaParent

[PoorSucker]

Maybe an idea for you to market IT-specialists in the Kingdom.

[zzaa09]

Shouldn't a caveat apply towards how one cares to live? Everyone has a different comfort zone....

[wasabi]

You could try some type of telecommuting but the legality has been oft debated with the general consensus being it's not legal. I know there are many doing this who fly below the radar but you'd have to decide if you can accept a level of risk in your career. I too would love to live in Thailand (not Bangkok) but there are no realistic career options for me there.

[bifftastic]

I'm a thicky and I have a western salary in Bangkok. Have done for 10 years and hired locally.

I'm thick too, gis a job, I can do that

[tutsiwarrior]

I'm a thicky and I have a western salary in Bangkok. Have done for 10 years and hired locally.

I find that hard to believe...if you were sent on assignment from the western office you would get the western salary and expat package...if you approached the local office of the same organization to do the same work they would pay you a local salary; I've seen it happen here and other parts of the world...it's a trap that lures those that will do anything for local employment...don't give the bastards the satisfaction, I say...

unless, of course, one is in the oil and gas business and has 'contacts'...

[tonititan]

I agree - it's not impossible to get a western salary, but it's not too likely, unless you're an international school teacher at a top school.

What? I still believe that the biggest chunk of people making western salaries are international school teachers. There are hundreds and hundreds of them.

[Soutpeel]

I agree - it's not impossible to get a western salary, but it's not too likely, unless you're an international school teacher at a top school.

What? I still believe that the biggest chunk of people making western salaries are international school teachers. There are hundreds and hundreds of them.

I still believe statisically you will find the number of expats employed on western salaries out side teaching exceeds the number of expat teachers teaching at a "top school" on a western salary....

[khunjake]

Ask yourself this: Do you have a specialized skill set in IT/Programming? How would you differentiate your skill set from a local Thai that can do the same job? What sector of IT/Programming do you work in (energy/materials/finance/etc.)

Honestly if you have the same skill set that a local can do then you will have a very tough time, especially if you can't speak fluent Thai. Even western companies are shying away from have high $$$ expats on payrolls due to severe cost-cutting measures. Your skill set will have to contribute to the companies bottom line in a drastic way otherwise you just won't stand a chance. I have only met one expat in the last few years that had a very specialized IT/Programming skill set and has several brand name companies chasing after him still. The guy literally lives wherever he pleases and gets his requested pay rate as a result.

[Jonathanpattaya]

I earn more than my smart friends

If you were to elaborate, that may be helpful.

[kurnell]

I'm a thicky and I have a western salary in Bangkok. Have done for 10 years and hired locally.

I find that hard to believe...if you were sent on assignment from the western office you would get the western salary and expat package...if you approached the local office of the same organization to do the same work they would pay you a local salary; I've seen it happen here and other parts of the world...it's a trap that lures those that will do anything for local employment...don't give the bastards the satisfaction, I say...

unless, of course, one is in the oil and gas business and has 'contacts'...

I can show you my work history and bank statement. Locally hired and reckon I earn more than most. 4 different companies, started on 70k.

[kurnell]

I earn more than my smart friends

If you were to elaborate, that may be helpful.

What do you want to know?

[Jonathanpattaya]

The bottom line is, if you want to work in Thailand legally and earn a "Western salary" you have to possess some skill that places you in a position that cannot be filled by a Thai. Hence, most people work as English teachers and are paid a reasonable salary by Thai standards.

Frankly, unless you can walk on water, you will be hard pushed.

[Jonathanpattaya]

I earn more than my smart friends

If you were to elaborate, that may be helpful.

What do you want to know?

What is it you do?

[neverdie]

Edited November 15, 2009 by neverdie

[kurnell]

I earn more than my smart friends

If you were to elaborate, that may be helpful.

What do you want to know?

What is it you do?

Logisticicky stuff

[suprasimon3000]

Personally i think if you want to stay here and earn western wages then you really need to think outside the box a little .Theres multiple oportunities here to make money but you need to do things different to the Thais .

At the end of the day though its getting more expensive to stay here and the things that set you back heree can take up most your time and you have to aks yourself am i really better off here or not.

Here on Samui it seams like prices have gone up 3 times what they were 3 years ago.Its not the bargain place it used to be .