I was told by a colleague that to work as a psychologist in Thailand you must have a license here (not to be confused with a work permit or visa).

This is the first I heard of this requirement.

I searched Google using variations on this topic and cannot find anything that even mentions this requirement, nor any items on how to get licensed for this job in Thailand.

Does anyone have any information about Thai licensing for Clinical Psychologists?

The colleague who shared this information with me was told of this requirement when they applied for the position of "psychologist" at a large hospital in Bangkok.

Thank you all.

Why are you so surprised that in Thailand a clinical psychologist needs a license? Don't they need a license in your own home country - or anywhere in the world, for that matter? We are talking about a university-degree medical profession here, and that requires a license to practise anywhere in the civilized world.

Anyhow, I understand that in Thailand the rules for obtaining such a license are extremely stringent for foreigners; otherwise the place would just be brimming with foreign psychologists and medical doctors, wouldn't it? In addition to the license (and provided you can obtain one) you'll still need a work permit eventually.

Your best bet to inquire about regulations and procedures is to contact the Medical Council of Thailand. But in my opinion your chances of obtaining one in order to open a private practice are pretty much nil. You might have better odds if you intend to join a local hospital (which has an open position for a clinical psychologist and cannot find a suitable Thai candidate for it).

Why are you so surprised that in Thailand a clinical psychologist needs a license? Don't they need a license in your own home country - or anywhere in the world, for that matter? We are talking about a university-degree medical profession here, and that requires a license to practise anywhere in the civilized world.

Anyhow, I understand that in Thailand the rules for obtaining such a license are extremely stringent for foreigners; otherwise the place would just be brimming with foreign psychologists and medical doctors, wouldn't it? In addition to the license (and provided you can obtain one) you'll still need a work permit eventually.

Your best bet to inquire about regulations and procedures is to contact the Medical Council of Thailand. But in my opinion your chances of obtaining one in order to open a private practice are pretty much nil. You might have better odds if you intend to join a local hospital (which has an open position for a clinical psychologist and cannot find a suitable Thai candidate for it).

How did you know the OPoster was surprised? I keep reading the OPost and can't get a sense of his/her emotional state. Sometimes I'm slow.

i think it is reasonable to infer from the op,s post that he has been experiencing a mental state of surprise (albeit in a mild and transient rather than intense form) concerning this issue.

He says that when a colleague mentioned to him that to work in Thailand, as a psychologist ,one needs a licence that it was "the first i heard of this requirement."

Also he has made some effort to check it out via a google search and cannot find anything to support what his colleague states. This, and the fact that he has posted the question on here ,would suggest that he is somewhat sceptical regarding his colleagues assertion.

in conclusion i would say it was reasonable for Misterwhisper to suggest that the OP had experienced feelings of "surprise" concerning this issue. It seems likely that these feelings were at their most intense immediately after he first heard his colleagues assertion but likely they are persisting even now though at a milder level.

Edited February 14, 201313 yr by wordchild

There are a number of people working legally in Thailand who are licensed in their own countries, but they don't have a specific Thai license. As with Doctors, to obtain a medical license the examinations are all in Thai, from what I can remember there are only a couple of Westerners with Thai Medical Licenses. There are some limited options open, through hospitals and some counseling centres, in particular those that cater for foreigners.

i think it is reasonable to infer from the op,s post that he has been experiencing a mental state of surprise (albeit in a mild and transient rather than intense form) concerning this issue.

He says that when a colleague mentioned to him that to work in Thailand, as a psychologist ,one needs a licence that it was "the first i heard of this requirement."

Also he has made some effort to check it out via a google search and cannot find anything to support what his colleague states. This, and the fact that he has posted the question on here ,would suggest that he is somewhat sceptical regarding his colleagues assertion.

in conclusion i would say it was reasonable for Misterwhisper to suggest that the OP had experienced feelings of "surprise" concerning this issue. It seems likely that these feelings were at their most intense immediately after he first heard his colleagues assertion but likely they are persisting even now though at a milder level.

On the floor! No kidding, how much for a 50 min. session? I've got issues that need attending to.

i think it is reasonable to infer from the op,s post that he has been experiencing a mental state of surprise (albeit in a mild and transient rather than intense form) concerning this issue.

He says that when a colleague mentioned to him that to work in Thailand, as a psychologist ,one needs a licence that it was "the first i heard of this requirement."

Also he has made some effort to check it out via a google search and cannot find anything to support what his colleague states. This, and the fact that he has posted the question on here ,would suggest that he is somewhat sceptical regarding his colleagues assertion.

in conclusion i would say it was reasonable for Misterwhisper to suggest that the OP had experienced feelings of "surprise" concerning this issue. It seems likely that these feelings were at their most intense immediately after he first heard his colleagues assertion but likely they are persisting even now though at a milder level.

Thank you for concurring and thus supporting my initial diagnosis, my dear colleague ;-)

Edited February 14, 201313 yr by Misterwhisper

Maybe the OP can contact the provincial MoPH headquarters in the province they intend to practice in for advice.

I believe each province has a department that processes, checks qualifications and approves applications before a person can practice in that province.

You can't practice any form of Psychology in Thailand, if your prospective patients are Thai, unless you speak fluent Thai and are half Thai!

You can practice, if your patients were to be farang only, and that would mean the employ of a Private Hospital for foreign cases only, such as Bumrungrad.

You need a contract and work permit from the hospital, after applying to the Medical Board and being successful, although this is rare as the majority of psychologists at such institutes are Thai, and speak perfect English having studied abroad for over 7 years, as a minimum requirement.

I am qualified, have contacts, but have never pursued employment, as I prefer to engage in different fields.

Regards,

-mel. (MSc. Applied Psychology)

A few years ago the only psychology field available was as a basic psychomotricien/counselor... I was told that psychotherapy was unregulated, but that a THAI MD/psychiatry license was needed to practice in a hospital... Who knows now? TIT...

I have serious doubts as to the competency of someobe that does not first approach the relevant association for information.

Thai Psychological Association

Chulalongkorn University

Faculty of Psychology, 16th Floor, Witthyakit Building, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand

Phone: +662-218-9923-5

Fax: +662-218-9923

Considering the member name and non-return believe we can sum this up as a troll and end it here.