Thai employees vanishing without trace, have you experienced that ?

[marcofunny]

during my 15 yrs working in Thailand, I ve experienced numerous Thai employees leaving their jobs and just disappearing without any prior notice to the company , the problem is they didn't complain about any particular problem, some of the jobs had good salaries above 45K per month, latest example is this Thai guy who were hired to work on a remote IT admin job, we were happy because he could speak decent English, after 3 months of wasting time training him, he just disappeared one day claiming that his leg were broken during a football match yet refusing to come to the company to even collect his remaining 8 days payment and asking us to wire it to him which we did, he s a fresh grad with no work experience, we agreed to pay him 48K per month during training time and 65K once he start working seriously with us, any clues why middle educated Thai do that ? this is not the first time.

Edited May 23, 2016 by marcofunny

[tomwct]

They had a car accident and killed someone. They then did a runner!

[Farma]

Over the years I remember 2 staff doing runners.

One got involved with drugs, marriage split up and then vanished to start a new life.

The other was a early 20's girl who got involved with a boy her family didn't agree with. We found out later the family sent her off to live with other family members a few provinces away.

[Cloggie]

I can remember also IT staff, run away with mobile phone and laptop - never heard from him again...

[happy chappie]

Can I have his job? 65,000 a month,I'll even throw the missus in.

[marcofunny]

Can I have his job? 65,000 a month,I'll even throw the missus in.

Jobs offering 65+K a month or more is very common place nowadays in Bangkok, just take a look at http://th.jobsdb.com, however the government made it very very tough to hire any foreigners, otherwise we wont have to deal with those very few entitled Thai who fill the criteria for this kind of work.

Edited May 23, 2016 by marcofunny

[ezzra]

Not only that, they took the keys to the office with them, not to mention cash, all efforts

to recover either were futile as the person has vanished......

[yellowboat]

It happens in relationships too. Many a times you think things are going great, and then poof, gone. It has to do with maturity and taking responsibility for your actions.

[realenglish1]

Actually this can be typical irresponsible behavior with Thais. As long as they can go home to mom and have a roof over their head they will keep doing this.

I put a stop to this by paying them in arrears 3 week and had a working bonus every time they showed up for work .

It cut down on this behavior

Edited May 24, 2016 by realenglish1

[overherebc]

Looking after a job once that had a complicated weld in one area of each work piece. All stainless steel. Spent a week with the welding foreman getting the thing done properly on the first unit.

Set up a weeks training for 6 or 7 welders to work on production with the foreman. All week he was really keen to get it right.

On the Monday, first day of training he disappeared, never saw or heard from him again.

[recycler]

Could also be that he pied the wrong color at a police check and was taken to the slammer... you won't hear from them for 2 months or more.

[thaiduncankk]

Tomorrow's another day.

[puukao]

there are some questions will can never answer.

and some questions we really, deep down, don't want the answers.

you can't handle the truth!!!!

[gandalf12]

The trouble is most, not all, want the money but don't have any great love for work. The will stay a while and get some cash then get fed up and disappear off to enjoy themselves.

[williamgeorgeallen]

after 9 years of running a business here i have many stories. 2 staff asked for an advance then vanished the next day. another time 2 staff quit at the start of high season and stole 60000thb worth of stock which amazingly i managed to get back. my main thai girl who i could leave to run the business rang up with a small complaint then quit after 6 years loyal work. she was on a very good wage and i had just paid her a 60000thb bonus which she used to her breasts enhanced. now i run with a minimum of thai staff. one guy i jokingly said i would buy him a motorbike if he stayed for 5 years is still working for me so i had to pony up 47000thb for a new bike. dealing with thai staff is just another reason why you dont want to have a business in thailand.

[Bob12345]

Two things, probably related:

1. your employee was not happy with the job but never told you. That is typical Thai; they will never complain or speak up but will just leave when they have had enough. If they had told you, you could have made improvements to the job so they would have been happier, but that is not how Thai culture works.

2. they found a better job somewhere else. Related to point 1; they kept on looking for a better job or just stumbled upon one that pays better or fits them better, and since you as an employer have barely any rights (they have signed a contract with you but that means nothing) they just walk out without telling.

[Lee4Life]

We've seen the same thing, they went "back home" and then told another family member who came and visited us to pick up their belongings because they were not coming back. We can't think of any real reason why, we had good relationships and no complaints either direction.

This is one of the areas where the "Mai Pen Rai" actually comes in handy...otherwise you (and I) are just going to stress ourselves into a heart attack about it. The only thing that I could see helping is maybe a contract stating they are obligated to spend a certain amount of time with you after the training.

[Lee4Life]

there are some questions will can never answer.

and some questions we really, deep down, don't want the answers.

you can't handle the truth!!!!

As for me, I ran businesses back home for most of my life. I can handle the truth alright, just have a hard time when I don't know what the truth is.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

I also have had experience of them vanishing.

its a common occurance.

They just enter the Thailight zone

[fletchsmile]

Yes it happens. Thai culture plays a part too and includes wanting to avoid potential confrontational or uncomfortable situations, whether real or imagined.

[mike324]

I had a handful of workers whose grandpa/grandma/aunt/uncle died twice! go figure...thai workers are a funny bunch

[Steiner]

Pretty standard practice here, had droves of them disappear.

first indication is usually that they 'unfriend' the other staff members on facebook.
Had a number of them leave and never ask for their due salary.

In my experience Thai staff have a shelf life, they are OK when they arrive, although productivity around 20% of a western office is the best you can hope for.

Fast forward 6 months and they get surly, disinterested and the excuses start for days off or lateness.

Complete lack of ambition as a people: had people join as sales staff with an uncapped earnings structure and realistic minimum earnings of 50k if they put any effort in, then after 2 weeks they come and ask to be transferred to admin with a 10k salary.

Reasons have been: the office has aircon, I can eat with the other workers at lunchtime, I get a chair and a cushion (I shit you not), I only need 10k, and many more.

Had one girl who we had let stay with us until she got a place, when she split from her husband as she had no local family. Asked her to wipe a bird crap off the office window one day; "oh so that is my job now?" Never saw her again.

Asked one to empty the waste bin, never saw her again.

Told them that one person would have to stagger lunch one week in 5 to man the reception, 2 left next day saying "we can't eat lunch alone."

Had 14 people say they were coming to start on a Monday, never seen or heard of them to this day.
Had 12 leave without any warning in the 1st 2 weeks, never say a word, just disappear.

Almost every one of them has tried to steal data when leaving or by contacting staff after the fact.

When I first arrived and was asked what I thought of Thais, I used to say people are people: now I say lazy, often a bit stupid and untrustworthy.

Before the Thaier than Thai brigade pipe up about that last sentence; when I was starting the business my Thai wife, a graduate who had a good job in a successful Thai company, said it wouldn't be easy to run a business here. Her reason, and I quote "Thai people are F*****g stupid and lazy!"

[Kabula]

Some borrow money from private lenders, and can't keep up the payments.

They get scared from threats and leave so they can't be found.

Some leave to escape financial pressure from family members and constant complaints.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Kabula

[BKKdreaming]

My Thai friend would hire and train Thai boys 18-19-20 years old , they would be good for 4-6 months then find an easier job with no future ,

he gave up and started hiring Burmese who were happy to learn a craft and have so far stayed a years ?

In the West we work too much to save for old age , Thais live day to day.......

But does Toyota or Honda factories have the same problem?

[Briggsy]

The other one that some posters have touched upon is that they have gone off to set up their own operation using your customer list, the training you paid for, the processes you designed, possibly half your stationery supplies and maybe even a company logo or masthead that bears a striking resemblance to yours!

[SantiSuk]

Nothing personal as I know nothing about you, but in my experience in various countries where employers treat employees like items of plant & machinery, that can be hired and fired*, they tend to react like plant and go missing without trace form time to time!

*applies to the bottom end of the construction industry in the UK too!

[user82374298374]

In more than a few cases, I've heard of ringers who took a job precisely in order to steal competitive data, either directly at the behest of a competitor or with the idea of shopping it around.

This isn't Thai-specific - it's pan-Asian.

[seancbk]

This is not limited to Thais or Thailand.

I had staff do this in Hong Kong when I was running companies there. I've had Filipinos do it and Brits do it.

[Tomtomtom69]

Can I have his job? 65,000 a month,I'll even throw the missus in.

Jobs offering 65+K a month or more is very common place nowadays in Bangkok, just take a look at http://th.jobsdb.com, however the government made it very very tough to hire any foreigners, otherwise we wont have to deal with those very few entitled Thai who fill the criteria for this kind of work.

In what ways has it become difficult? For 65K salary and as long as you don't have more than 1 foreigner for every 4 Thais in the company I thought getting a work permit was automatic. It's not like IT is a closed profession. Please explain.

I am also extremely surprised you would be offering to pay 65K for a fresh graduate. In Bangkok, the starting salary for IT graduates is generally still only 20-30K and then after 3-5 years may eventually reach 65K. I know multinationals that are only paying 25-35K to Thai IT workers in Bangkok, where are you getting 65K from?

Edited May 24, 2016 by Tomtomtom69

[Tomtomtom69]

Pretty standard practice here, had droves of them disappear.

first indication is usually that they 'unfriend' the other staff members on facebook.

Had a number of them leave and never ask for their due salary.

In my experience Thai staff have a shelf life, they are OK when they arrive, although productivity around 20% of a western office is the best you can hope for.

Fast forward 6 months and they get surly, disinterested and the excuses start for days off or lateness.

Complete lack of ambition as a people: had people join as sales staff with an uncapped earnings structure and realistic minimum earnings of 50k if they put any effort in, then after 2 weeks they come and ask to be transferred to admin with a 10k salary.

Reasons have been: the office has aircon, I can eat with the other workers at lunchtime, I get a chair and a cushion (I shit you not), I only need 10k, and many more.

Had one girl who we had let stay with us until she got a place, when she split from her husband as she had no local family. Asked her to wipe a bird crap off the office window one day; "oh so that is my job now?" Never saw her again.

Asked one to empty the waste bin, never saw her again.

Told them that one person would have to stagger lunch one week in 5 to man the reception, 2 left next day saying "we can't eat lunch alone."

Had 14 people say they were coming to start on a Monday, never seen or heard of them to this day.

Had 12 leave without any warning in the 1st 2 weeks, never say a word, just disappear.

Almost every one of them has tried to steal data when leaving or by contacting staff after the fact.

When I first arrived and was asked what I thought of Thais, I used to say people are people: now I say lazy, often a bit stupid and untrustworthy.

Before the Thaier than Thai brigade pipe up about that last sentence; when I was starting the business my Thai wife, a graduate who had a good job in a successful Thai company, said it wouldn't be easy to run a business here. Her reason, and I quote "Thai people are F*****g stupid and lazy!"

Wow, running a business in Thailand definitely hasn't been kind to you.

My first time working in an office environment in Thailand 8 years ago, not counting English teaching (this was an Australian company) at least one office worker always had to man the phones over lunchtime and nobody complained. At times it was me (though rarely) - this was only possible due to my fluent Thai. My boss couldn't speak Thai but he never had any problems convincing the employees to man the phone, usually the front desk lady volunteered, but occasionally one of the other girls took on the task. All of the other employees would always bring lunch upstairs to eat in the office conference room anyway, never on the street, the food court or a restaurant like I saw other company employees do.

I guess it all depends on the people you hire. Hire a Chinese-Thai from a middle or upper middle class Bangkok family with half decent English and you'll undoubtedly receive a much more motivated, hardworking person who doesn't make excuses for every little thing (I realise there are exceptions here too, especially if we're talking spoiled men who never had to do an honest day's work in their life). Hire an ethnic Thai or Lao from Isan whose family struggled to get through university at some mediocre upcountry Ratchaphat campus and their attitude will still be the same as if they never left their village in Ban Nohk nowhere.