How To Get A Job With A Foreign Company In Thailand?

[norbdemn]

I have been out here a year (now living in Songkhla) and have visited here numerous times previously. I taught Mathematics and and am currently teaching English in a village. I have mixed feelings about teaching here. I love the kids, but at times I hate the office politics and lack of organization. Above all, it does not pay much (obviously I am not teaching for the money but it would be nice to get a higher salary). Being an American citizen I need to make a salary comparable to the US in order to fulfill obligations there.

I would love to get out of teaching and pursue something else but remain here. I am very fond of the culture and the people. I have no fluency in the language yet.

I possess a marketing degree (BA degree), teaching experience, computer literate..etc.. I can give more information if there is a promising prospect.

I prefer to work for an American company but will consider a British or Australian company. I know this is vague. What is the best way to go about getting this type of work here? I know its possible.

Thanks

[GuestHouse]

I was employed back home by a multinational which then sent me to Thailand. My obervation was that these companies tend not to recruit locally (we have never recruited one 'raw' foreigner locally in over 15 years)

By Raw foreigner, I mean someone coming into the business who was not already employed by one of our competitors or who had not previously worked for us elsewhere.

I think if you want to move into an industry/sector then Thailand is a very difficult place to do so. One of the problems is how much companies have to pay foreigners, while another is the 'expendature' of a work permit on an un tried foreigner.

As a start take a look at the BKK Post/Nation, I personally believe that a lot of the adverts there are attempts at 'poaching' rather than raw recruiting, but if you have the time and the inclination a few applications can't hurt.

GH

PS. If office politics bother you, then you might want to reconsider, it is one of the worst aspects of working in Thailand (all to do with the restricted job oportunities if you ask me).

Edited June 13, 2006 by GuestHouse

[JimsKnight]

I have been out here a year (now living in Songkhla) and have visited here numerous times previously. I taught Mathematics and and am currently teaching English in a village. I have mixed feelings about teaching here. I love the kids, but at times I hate the office politics and lack of organization. Above all, it does not pay much (obviously I am not teaching for the money but it would be nice to get a higher salary). Being an American citizen I need to make a salary comparable to the US in order to fulfill obligations there.

I would love to get out of teaching and pursue something else but remain here. I am very fond of the culture and the people. I have no fluency in the language yet.

I possess a marketing degree (BA degree), teaching experience, computer literate..etc.. I can give more information if there is a promising prospect.

I prefer to work for an American company but will consider a British or Australian company. I know this is vague. What is the best way to go about getting this type of work here? I know its possible.

Thanks

This is a question many of us would wish to come true, foreign land cheapness with homeland wages! A golden age for the bachelor workers! Yeah!

It aint gonna happen in our lifetime mate, the laws of this land are far too stringent for johnny foreigner to waltz in and get a decent job. You have to get work in your home country, this work needs to be with a company which has heavy clout in the world of business, THEN if your lucky get an expatriate package to thailand on it! As it is about approx 95% of falang 'working' in thailand are in local outfits on pittance wages.

From what qualifications you just told me you have about zero chance of getting work with a foreign company! Got to be blunt on that one!

Now if you have a technical degree/Engineering degree and loads of experience then you have a shot at the some of the Bangkok post 'wonder' jobs! But as the other poster stated, the work permit shenanagans means its too much faffing around to recruit falang.

[norbdemn]

GH and JimsKnight : Thanks for your input! I have considered everything you guys said previously. I am probably better off trying to get setup in my home country with a job that will enable me to work out here.

I have applied to jobs on the BKKPost before with no luck. I even applied for a job with the BKK post.

LOS is a tough nut to crack!

Thanks again

[GuestHouse]

Don't be too disheartened, all kinds of jobs do turn up its all about luck and NETWORKING

Joining the right clubs is always a start (The Siam Society would be my starting point, but fees are high and you need a referee who is already a member).

Best of luck.

GH

[Introspection]

So, what are some companies (any field) who are big out in thailand?

I know Accenture, the consultancy company who I have an interview with, operate out there and offer relocation, as do Shell, but who else would be worth investigating for trying to get a job in the uk but with a view to relocation in the future? or maybe a better question would be which sectors are most likely to offer relocation here?

Edited June 14, 2006 by Introspection

[thaihome]

So, what are some companies (any field) who are big out in thailand?

I know Accenture, the consultancy company who I have an interview with, operate out there and offer relocation, as do Shell, but who else would be worth investigating for trying to get a job in the uk but with a view to relocation in the future? or maybe a better question would be which sectors are most likely to offer relocation here?

Oil, Gas and Chemical engineering, construction and operations. Same as the rest of the world...

TH