Architect Firms In Thailand.

[Lotti -1]

Hi.

Me and my partner have recently returned from thailand and are now planning on working and living out there. My partner is an architect and we arefinding it surprisingly hard to find firms especially in Southern Thailand (which is were we were planning on moving to). Does anyone have any advice they can give us with regards to this??

Thanks, Charlotte

[kc_phil]

I am an architect who is involved in such a search as well....its pretty rough.

PM me if you like.

[BKK90210]

I believe for Thailand - no foreign architect is allowed to practice in any private sector project. However, there are some major government projects that require a foreign architectural firm to form a joint venture with a local firm. Since you, as an individual or independent subcontractor -You might be able to work in/or with the local firm as an “architectural consultant only” but not as the main principal architect on the project. Assuming you have a professional licence back in your home country and will obtain a work permit when in thailand

Below are some names related to practicing as an architect in Thailand. You might want to swing by or call them for more info on the names of local firm in various parts of Thailand or any question you might have.

It is a government agency: Requirement & licencing & practicing

The Office of the Board of Control of Engineering and Architectural Professions, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior,

Visuthikasat Road Bangkok 10200, Thailand

(662) 282-2161; (662) 281-1421 Fax (662) 281-7886 ext. 51540

The Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage

248/1 Soi Rong Rien Yeepun Rama 9 Road, Huay Kwang Bangkok 10310, Thailand

(662) 319-6555 (662) 319 6419.

Edited July 13, 2006 by BKK90210

[manjara]

I believe for Thailand - no foreign architect is allowed to practice in any private sector project. However, there are some major government projects that require a foreign architectural firm to form a joint venture with a local firm. Since you, as an individual or independent subcontractor -You might be able to work in/or with the local firm as an “architectural consultant only” but not as the main principal architect on the project. Assuming you have a professional licence back in your home country and will obtain a work permit when in thailand

Below are some names related to practicing as an architect in Thailand. You might want to swing by or call them for more info on the names of local firm in various parts of Thailand or any question you might have.

It is a government agency: Requirement & licencing & practicing

The Office of the Board of Control of Engineering and Architectural Professions, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior,

Visuthikasat Road Bangkok 10200, Thailand

(662) 282-2161; (662) 281-1421 Fax (662) 281-7886 ext. 51540

The Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage

248/1 Soi Rong Rien Yeepun Rama 9 Road, Huay Kwang Bangkok 10310, Thailand

(662) 319-6555 (662) 319 6419.

There are plenty of farang architects working on private projects in Thailand! Are you saying they are all working as architectural consultants only? I doubt it. I suspect that you are not entirely knowledgeable on this subject...

[BKK90210]

I don’t care about all those falangs you knew and how they got their work permit!

But below is what the law said and I’m just answering some of the OP questions base on what I know legally!

Appendix II: Types of Business Restricted by the Alien Business Law

Category A

Agriculture Rice farming

Salt farming including manufacture of efflorescent salt but excluding rock salt mining

Commerce Internal trade in local agricultural products

Trade in real property

Services Accountancy

Practice of law

Architecture

Advertising

Brokerage or agency

Auction

Haircutting, hairdressing, and beauty treatment

Other Business Building construction

Appendix III: List of Occupations & Professions Prohibited to Aliens

1) Assessment, system planning, research planning, testing, and supervisory and advisory work in connection with construction and civil engineering, except work requiring specialized skills

2) Designing and preparing drawings of buildings and architectural structures including consultation, cost estimation, and construction supervision of the designs

3) Controlling, auditing, and accounting service, except occasional internal audit

4) Legal service and litigation

5) Clerical and secretarial work

6) Brokerage or agency work, except work connected with international trade

7) Auctioning

8) Shop front selling

9) Hawking of goods

10) Barbering, hairdressing, and beautician work

11) Tour guiding and tour promoting

12) Rice farming, animal husbandry, fishery, and forestry, except supervisory or specialist work

13) Nielloware making

14) Manual silk weaving

15) Manual cloth weaving

16) Manual silk product making

17) Tailoring

18) Thai language typesetting

19) Lacquerware making

20) Driving of motor vehicles or non-motorized vehicles and domestic aircraft piloting

21) Buddha image casting

22) Manual rice - paper making

23) Manual cigarette rolling

24) Hat making

25) Mattress and blanket making

26) Cloth and paper umbrella making

27) Shoe making

28) Wood carving

29) Knife making

30) Gem cutting and polishing

31) Making of gold, silver, and other metallic ornaments

32) Pottery or ceramics

33) Thai musical instrument making

34) Thai traditional doll making

35) Bricklaying, carpentry, and other forms of construction

36) Alms bowl making

37) Mat weaving and making of wares from national plant fibers

38) Stone inlay wares making

39) Manual labor

[samran]

There are plenty of farang architects working on private projects in Thailand! Are you saying they are all working as architectural consultants only? I doubt it. I suspect that you are not entirely knowledgeable on this subject...

You are both right. Plenty working here....as consultants. For all intents and purposes they are doing the same job back home, but you'll never see their name on any of the work they do, as ahem.....they officially aren't supposed to work here in that capacity. They are only here to 'consult'...offically.

The same situation exists with foreign lawyers. The work is done by the expat, but the senior Thai partner is the one that signs off on it, making that work offically theirs.

[OldAsiaHand]

.......There are plenty of farang architects working on private projects in Thailand! Are you saying they are all working as architectural consultants only? I doubt it. I suspect that you are not entirely knowledgeable on this subject...

Have you ever noticed how frequently it is when posters here get the information they request, but it's not the information they want to hear, that they respond by slamming the advice-giver as ignorant and uninformed?

Jeez, I can't imagine why people who are already so knowledgeable even bother to ask for information in the first place. And sometimes I really can't imagine why so many of us waste our time trying to help them out............

[samran]

Just a point of order...manjara wasn't the OP, who hasn't followed up yet.

But, OAH, again, you are very correct.

[tjo o tjim]

If you want to do architectural design work, there are options. Not great, but options none the less.

If you are feeling adventureous, try to act as an owner's representative for construction projects to make sure things get built with the materials and methods that they are paying for. There is so much construction going on, this is easy work to find, and you will be able to make more money than doing design. Many of the people having homes, shops, or resorts built just don't have the time to be on-site sufficiently to make sure it meets their needs. If you are a professional architect, you can easily bridge that gap and keep things from being re-worked constantly.

The problem with that is that you will likely make some people mad, which could be hazardous to your health...

[Bredbury Blue]

Send me a personal message with your email and i'll see if i can help