Jobs For "professionals"?

[mac1970]

Hi, so new forum and first message went to bit space. Don't wonder if you see same guy asking almost same things.

But anyway, I would like to hear your opinions and experiences starting "new life" in Thailand. Iam so called professional(technical point of view) in telecommunication business(working in international big company in Europe) and also have business creation experience in other company. But now Iam looking for new start in new place and have already some experience to work in Asia, China. China is good option too, but perhaps I like something else now. So I have seen some of your comments, experiences and especially facts concerning visa and non-imig. It doesn't look like easy to start in TH, but I like challenges, noooo-problem.

What do you think possibilities nowdays in TH? Hard work to find or even impossible? I don't know this word

[alex100]

You will find it difficult to get a job by applying to Thai companies from outside Thailand, If you want an expat salary you really need to be placed here by a foreign company operating in Thailand. You must really come to Thailand and live without income for say 6 months and make farang contacts - take up golf it would help. It is unlikely that you would get a job by applying direct to Thai companies as your application would always be behind the Thai nationals. You also must consider that even if you did manage to get a job locally your salary at best would little more than the local rate. I must say that you specialisation in telecoms has many qualified locals.

[mac1970]

Thx Alex, yep, I know that expat is the best way to do it and perhaps possible also in our company, for sure it takes some time. And perhaps change the company...

But your experiences are also important. I will make a trip to BKK on June and check more closely what's going on and perhaps go to play some golf .

I don't have high expectations about salary, because I know that locals cannot compete with international companies. But ofcourse I know my value and I don't have urgent need to change - ofcourse want to make a change.

[Upcountry]

Alex roi has some good points.

You have competition, make sure your life style will fit in with local salaries.

You'll porbably need a work permit too (which can be a catch 22 - get a job and have them sponsor your work permit).

The best thing is to check out Thialand seriously and find a way to live here without income. Then every thing else will be gravy.

Good luck.

[mac1970]

Thx to you also about comments Upcountry. Wp is one of things to be done and few others

Live without income sounds great, but that means very good background or find very good sponsor

Do you know by the way the "common" level for senior specialists or even project managers. I have checked some, but normally they're IT related. And I know that there the competition is rough.

I go to US tomorrow to see what's wrong there again, but come back home on end of next week.

Keep posting, too much info is always better than nothing at all.

Thanks.

[rainman]

I've had several job offers in thailand in the IT industry, from thai companies, with average to good salaries (50k+ baht and up). But then again, i haven't accepted them because i am not in need of a job in thailand at this point, as i have my own (offshore, not in thailand) companies where i get my income from. Maybe i get the job offers because i don't need them?

[PeaceBlondie]

My frustrations in the job market, except for teaching school in Thailand, is that employers are extremely pedantic: "Oh, we only consider IT programmers with Linux XU78 experience in applied pyrotechnics manufacturing" or "We're looking for a Dutch citizen who's fluent in Thai and Mandarin, with 6 years experience in Mumbo-Jumbo, and less than 35 years old." Merely having "six years in the finance field" may be a senior cashier at the drive-in window; being a telecommunications specialist may not be what they think it means.

Good luck. Look at the specific ads in the Bangkok Post classifieds, to see what I mean.

[rainman]

Good luck.  Look at the specific ads in the Bangkok Post classifieds, to see what I mean.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thats not the place to find a job. everyone does that. talk to people, let them know what you CAN do instead of what you can not. you'll get job offers for sure.

[mbkudu]

      to see what I mean.

thats not the place to find a job. everyone does that. talk to people, let them know what you CAN do instead of what you can not. you'll get job offers for sure.

The point PB is trying to convey is that the paper is 'not' the place to find a job.

Read between the lines.

[PeaceBlondie]

I apologize for being cryptic; you're both mostly right. I suggested that he look in the Post ads to see how pedantic employers can be. I'll bet that the advertisers throw 90% of the replies in the trash bin, and hire somebody who didn't meet their precise requirements, after all.

[mbkudu]

I apologize for being cryptic; you're both mostly right.  I suggested that he look in the Post ads to see how pedantic employers can be.  I'll bet that the advertisers throw 90% of the replies in the trash bin, and hire somebody who didn't meet their precise requirements, after all.

You have something there. Actually worse than that. When I was teaching in Bangkok a few years back a Thai student of mine told me it was very common for companies to place full or half page help wanted ads in the papers just to 'show'

that they were doing well, but in fact were not hiring at all.

[rainman]

my apologies, didn't read right. its late night, i'm sick and just had a 10 hour flight behind me.

[mbkudu]

my apologies, didn't read right. its late night, i'm sick and just had a 10 hour flight behind me.

No worries rainman, I know we're all just trying to help.

[mac1970]

Hi guys and girls, miracles happen. Network works also in in Texas/USA. Slow, but something moves anyway

So still have few comments. What do you think about companies like Manpower. I think that in TH there is also these companies and some of them are only hunting special competencies in EU. I don't have any experience about them here or there?!

I try to make some background work before visit in BKK and propably meet some people, let see....

By the way, if you earn 50k or more it's good info, but how about living costs(apartment) per month, on decent level?

[meom]

I am not familiar with the IT industry but 50K baht/month for a qualified expat seems rather low; 150K/month plus housing allowance etc. would be a better start.

[mac1970]

Hi, 50k and more are concerning local agreement, which is lower, atleast in most of deals. If I make expat agreement 150-250k is most likely the right level, but expats agreements are different case. I try to get this one ofcourse, but takes some time.

[meom]

Unfortunately it's a free market but personally I'm not to happy with all those expats accepting work for local wages thereby bringing down the "salary standard" for everybody.

[mac1970]

Hi Meom, yep I understand your concern and as I said at the beginning of posting, that atleast Iam not accepting what ever offers. But it's very good to know and understand the gaps. And if you have not noticed, international companies are more and more changing deals to local ones instead of expats, even if it's not the best choice, but it's most "suitable". Harder competition makes this happen, unfortunately. But still, experts on sale is not wanted situation.

[meom]

I'm not sure if it still applies but rule of thumb used to be that as an expat you should earn at least twice as much taxfree as you would earn in your home country. Add to that health insurance, pension plan, living allowance, car, schooling if you bring family and children plus a couple of paid holidays per year.

[Hikage]

Where did you work in China if you don't mind my asking?

[mac1970]

You can guess the company, but the city was Beijing.

[astral]

Along the Eastern Seaboard the expats are all Indian, and the

salaries are lower than westerners would expect.

[rainman]

There seems to be a big "trend" going on now with many thai companies wanting to hire farangs. I guess they want to show off that they have a farang working for them or something. I've seen companies hire farangs for the same or higher wages than they could hire local thais for.

[samran]

It all depends, I've seen some Thai companies pay their staff pretty good wages, anywhere from 80-150K per month. This is not IT mind you, more banking and finance.

While some may argue that competition from farangs accepting lower wages is hurting everyone else, I also think that Thai company's are waking up tot the fact that they have to pay their staff more as well.

[mac1970]

Back from Dallas Yes, I agree that it's good idea to hire farangs to increase a knowledge in company. It's faster, but also need to be remembered that these persons really need to improve company performance so that better salaries are worth to be paid. I think that in long term it also helps Thai to bring good exporting/technology companies to global markets. I think that it will be very hard to compete on some industry fields in the future, because China has power to do almost anything they want on Asia markets(can be wrong, just my feeling).