The biggest problem with choosing on your own to move to Thailand is what you are addressing: work for foreigners who are not transfered here by the company is tough to find.

First, Thai law discourages foreigners from working here.

Second, the inability of most foreigners to speak the local language is very limiting.

Some companies want or need foreign managers or technical people, but they tend to transfer them into the country rather than hire local expats (can you say “local expats”?).

So… job opportunities exist, but they are not plentiful.

You may want to look at the jobsdb website; it’s probably the first place you’ll find opportunities on the internet.

I tend to think there are only three REALISTIC options for foreigners who want to work here.

1. Get transferred here by your company. Usually great work if you can get it, since it usually comes with an attractive pay and benefits package.

If you come on your own, I think there are two other choices for most people:

2. Set up your own company offering some service or product, and give yourself a work permit. If you do this, there are several agencies that can help you with the necessary paperwork, accounting and legal compliance. You can see my links column on the right for the Thailand Guru website. He is one of the agencies. The Sutlet Group is very competent as well. You can probably Google them, though they used to have an ad on the TFS2M blog… not sure if it’s still there.

The one that’s probably best known has an office on Sukhumvit near Soi 14 but just at the moment I’m drawing a blank on the name of the company. I’ve heard mixed reviews about their service.

3. The final option, and probably the easiest for most people, is to teach English language. The pay is usually not great, but it’s livable. Getting work in an international school can pay pretty well, but most jobs in public schools or adult language institutes pay “just enough”.

In the end, your work will almost by definition involve you in something that requires or allows for English language. Running a pub frequnted by foreigners is a popular choice.

IF you want to do management consulting then you might set up a company to work with foreign (non-Thai) business owners and managers.

You may also look at some of the large multinationals like KPMG, PWC or others who use a lot of English and employ a lot of foreign managers.

If you want to expand your range of customers then you might look at offering training in cross-cultural communication or something of that sort. The training can be delivered in English to professionals who have to frequently deal with foreigners in their work.

If you have the skills to run a team, then you might simply set up a company that employs Thai staff who actually deliver the service, while you organize the business and manage the team.

The same companies that do company setup for westerners, of course, offer other services as well. You might be able to promote your consulting services through their businesses or even get hired to a salaried position inside one of those companies.

Again, I think you need to look at what you can do in a country where you don’t speak the language. Your job possibilities are limited because — in local terms — you are illiterate. Unable to read and write the language, and unable to speak or understand conversations you are at a disadvantage.

Also it helps to understand that the typical family income in Thailand is probaly less than US$3,000 per year. If you want to earn money that is livable for you (probably 20 to 50 times what a typical Thai family earns) you have to offer a lot of value to someone who can afford to pay you.

If all this sounds unappealing, then Bangkok or Thailand may not be for you. Perhaps Singapore or Hong Kong would be better choices.

On the other hand, if Thailand is your aim, then you may need to be very creative in your ideas about how you plan to make a living.

I’m happy to invite other readers to offer their input. Many of them are successful and well paid in careers here in Bangkok. I know computer programmers, stockbrokers and salesmen who make very attractive livings here. Penfold manages to make his beer money by offering personal fitness training to other expats in Bangkok. One reader lives in Laos but does a lot of his work in Thailand; he is a specialist in writing environmental impact studies which are required before major infrastructure projects (like building a dam) are undertaken.

Many of these guys have a wealth of knowledge about being financially successful in the Land of Smiles and may have better advice than mine.

Good luck!

I read your blog quite often and I have to admit it is rather entertaining. From reading some of your posts it seems that you do quite a bit of work in Thailand although I’m not sure what type of work. I am interested in relocating to the area but I’m having trouble finding decent job opportunities. I currently work for a management consulting company and I would be interested in similar work in the APAC region. Anyway, I doubt this is something you want posted on your blog as a comment so please remove it if you wish. Let me know if you have any contacts or ideas for my job search. Any help is much appreciated.
Cheers.