work in Thailand

[discoduck 0]

Hi sorry if this has been asked before, I am a 38 year old english guy who is a qualified aerodynamics engineer, ie degree in engineering.

 

I have been visiting Thailand for the last 4 years spending longer and longer each time between working contracts. last visit was 2 months in duration.

 

I have been seeing the same lady for the past 3 years and it is getting on great she works as a tour guide in Chiang Mai, I just want to pick someones brains and ask about viable jobs in Thailand.

 

I am getting fed up of traveling to and from Thailand to Germany and England to work and would like to spend my time in Thailand.

 

I just want to know what other people do for employment there and I am aware that I would not make a fortune but I would be happy with a livable wage being somewhere that I want to be.

 

Any advice from experienced people would be much appreciated thanks very much

[elef 0]

It depends on how your competence is compared with thai aerodynamics engineers - if you're on the same level you can expect to get same salary as a thai + you will have problem getting work permit and visa. If you're a specialist it's different and the same if you work for an international group sending you to Thailand.

 

Else you have the last alternative - teacher.

 

Thai salary maybe 15,000 - 30,000 baht.

[ginseng 0]

This is my big question too, and I know I'm not the only one. I look at websites listing Thai jobs a few times a week but after extensive review to find the job I want, (portfolio accounting with an emphasis on technology) the salary is always half or less of what I make now. Yes I know Thailand is half as expensive but what if I want to leave Thailand some day? I'll only have saved as much as that half salary allows.

 

Though it is twice as expensive to live in the USA, that doesn't mean I can't employ every possible effort to limit my spending and retain as much of my earnings as possible, thus winning out over the cost of living, if I practiced the same frugality in Thailand I'd be left with less even though the cost of living is cheaper.

 

I'd be willing to take a small cut to live in Thailand but really to fully live the dream and to be a handsome man well into old age you need to pack away some steady baht.

 

Right now my plan is to become a critical player where I work so I can negotiate telecommuting from home, at which point home will be Thailand!

 

I will continue to look for the dream job in the meantime but I certainly don't expect much.

Edited May 28, 2006 by ginseng

[Gary 4,119]

YES! I know it's not the answer you young guys are interested in BUT you would be far better off to work at home, pay taxes, put all you can possibly put into a pension plan then retire with some assets. For the US guys, had I not put all I could in what the law allowed I would still be in the US working. Even if you could find a decent job in Thailand (doubtful) you would still be missing a pension plan and maybe even Social Security. (US) I wasn't happy working in the US after living here several years, I think I bit the bullet and did the right thing for myself. I would have been much happier living here when I was younger but I am now here, secure and have no money problems.

 

This is a great place to retire but it would NOT be fun living here on a shoe string. The best thing about putting all that the law allows into a pension plan is that you will still have money enough to come over at least twice a year for your vacations. The twice yearly visits gave me the resolve to feed my pension plans and still enjoy life. Having a goal is a great incentive.

[presto3 0]

YES! I know it's not the answer you young guys are interested in BUT you would be far better off to work at home, pay taxes, put all you can possibly put into a pension plan then retire with some assets. For the US guys, had I not put all I could in what the law allowed I would still be in the US working. Even if you could find a decent job in Thailand (doubtful) you would still be missing a pension plan and maybe even Social Security. (US) I wasn't happy working in the US after living here several years, I think I bit the bullet and did the right thing for myself. I would have been much happier living here when I was younger but I am now here, secure and have no money problems.

 

This is a great place to retire but it would NOT be fun living here on a shoe string. The best thing about putting all that the law allows into a pension plan is that you will still have money enough to come over at least twice a year for your vacations. The twice yearly visits gave me the resolve to feed my pension plans and still enjoy life. Having a goal is a great incentive.

That's good advice regarding pumping as much into a pension plan as possible.

 

You can now do the same in the UK - thanks to April 6th 2006, ie Pensions 'A' day. You can now put 100% of earnings into your pension scheme during any given year. Beware, however, that if you're a higher rate (40%) tax payer then you can only claim 40% pension contribution tax relief on the portion of your earnings that you pay higher rate tax relief on.

 

You can also help hedge your bets by ensuring you are paying your National Insurance contributions (to get the UK state pension), and also ensure you are contacted into (not out off) SERPS (ie the state second pension).

 

:

[wacmedia 277]

YES! I know it's not the answer you young guys are interested in BUT you would be far better off to work at home, pay taxes, put all you can possibly put into a pension plan then retire with some assets

 

Hi,

 

That seems good advice, but it's not easy taking it when you want to do things now.

[Shilo 371]

The key to any and all questions is research

 

Before making our first trip to LOS, most of us went to the web and started doing our research. We all benefit from learning from the success and failures of those who went before us...

 

The same is true for the question of retirement. There is a ton of knowledge on this and other sites that will help anyone to figure out what is what before making the retirement plunge.

 

And per the topic of this tread, the same is true again. Don't even think of walking away from your current job back home to make the move without doing a LOT of research.

 

The thought had crossed my mind so I started reading up on the subject. First, I learned that a move to Pattaya would limit my options. Though we love the place, we should remember that at it's heart, Pattaya is a small seaside resort town. There are few schools so few teaching jobs, lots of tourist related stuff but you'll never get a job that a Thai can do, and of course you could try running a bar. The last option is the easiest to get into and the hardest to succeed at... just ask Adam (Cherry Bar) or read some of the great posting that Pete (PattayaPete) shared.

 

So if your going to have half a chance of getting a decent job in LOS you'll have to consider Bangkok. But you'll still be limited because again...you'll never get any job that a Thai can do... so that leaves you hoping that you have speacial skills that will be hard to match by a Thai and valued by an employer. Now lets say that you do find this "job of your dreams", the next issue will be the culture shift. Again, it would be wise to do some research on the "problems" working with Thais. Just a small sample of the problems would be the matter of "Face" in the workplace, the mia ben rai attitude of those around you, and adjusting to working in a team setting when all around you seem to be working with a different playbook...

 

For those who are young and determined to make the move, I would make two possible suggestions. Either start doing research on western companies that have a large expat workforce in Asia and see what would be involved in making a career shift. It might take some time (and it would be worth the effort to learn the language) but with a LOT of luck you might be able to hit the jackpot of have the Asian lifestyle with the western paycheck. Or the other option is to look at other countries like Japan, Hong Kong, or China. In the first two, the cost of living will be higher but so will be the payscale. And you'll be in the region so a trip to LOS will be there for just about any long weekend.

 

Random thoughts....

[Owen` 2]

In general, Pattaya is all about money in a LOT of different ways.

 

There is a mindset in a certain type of person that instinctively objects to ANYTHING being all about money, but in this particular matter one's mindset is irrelevant. Mathematics has total power. If you don't have money in your pocket or a 100% certain COLAed pension, it's not going to happen.

 

I do think on this board that a lot of retirement talk takes place and it is deceptive to the younger BMs. It is not obviously clear from the retirement talk that the guys talking Have Already Paid Their Dues. They endured life in the US and UK and socked cash away and now they are getting the reward that their wisdom and hard work and unyielding discipline earned for them.

 

If there was a shortcut, we all would have taken it. Work hard, seek rapid promotion in your work, save a big chunk of the pay raises, invest it, learn about money and inflation (the single quietest, most important sledgehammer that exists in anyone's future plans) and keep your eyes on the prize.

 

Don't expect to win the prize before a minimum of your late 40's, unless you inherit a ton or win the lottery or stumble into stock options of Google 3 years ago. The degree to which an exception to this would be rare is so extreme that I guess I encourage all younger BMs to put it out of their minds and not torture themselves with it.

[ginseng 0]

It is not obviously clear from the retirement talk that the guys talking Have Already Paid Their Dues. They endured life in the US and UK and socked cash away and now they are getting the reward that their wisdom and hard work and unyielding discipline earned for them.

Excellent post as usual Owen. I am grateful I have discovered LOS relatively young and can look forward to many trips over the years but the flip is I will have to endure the serious afflication known as Thailand fever for a longer period of time as well. I think the high prevelance of all encompassing Thailand fever on this board is due to the very understandable feeling of wanting life to be a non stop holiday in a tropical paradise with beautiful women being decades away since many on this board are just in the middle of their career. The anxiety is strongest the more far away and impossible it seems to attain.

 

Before I discovered LOS I didn't really care about retirement the way I do now. Of course I'd love to not work but my attitude was to live for today and worry about the 401k later in life. I also believed what I think is a fallacy. I thought by the time I'm 59.5 and can access my 401k my life will be at the tail end and I want to retire well before that age not put my life on hold another 30 years.

 

My realization that I hope is true, is that it is still smart to put money in the 401k even if you would like to retire before 59.5. The day retirement arrives is when you have enough in savings to make it until you can begin drawing from your 401k at 59.5 while also having enough in the 401k to carry you to the end of your life. So while some sacrifice is necessary depending on how much one can sock away they aren't necessarily tied to the date 401k opens up.

 

For example if a 40 year old had 1,000,000 in savings and a million in 401k they could budget to spend that entire million over the next 20 years, assuming the remaining million available once the 401k unlocks would be enough for the rest of life. One wouldn't literally have to have a million in a 401k the moment you retire as long as it was projected to grow to a million by the time it requires being drawn down (in about 20 years with this example), but this of course is a bit of a gamble.

Edited May 29, 2006 by ginseng

[winner 0]

Some wise information posted here. You can retire too early! I see some expats in Bkk who did so and they are just scraping by--a miserable existence. For US social security they count 35 years of work. If you have not contributed that many years those years get 0s. You get down to a minimum benefit real fast that way. Enjoy your trips 2 or 3 times per year as I did and then retire early (59 for me) and then consider a move. You don't want to come here and then after 5 or 6 years have to move back and find a job when your work experience is outdated! You cannot just live for today--as much fun as that might be.

[Owen` 2]

It's all a gamble, guys. You just try to play the favorable odds.

 

There is a pretty significant study out there on portfolio analysis that makes a startling claim. It appears to hold water, specifically, that 30 year planning is very suspect because wars and natural catastrophes and even personal catastrophes are essentially guaranteed over that period of time.

 

In other words, yeah, one counts oneself smart and one prepares for a future that hopefully starts in one's 50's rather than 60's, but if you turn out to be successful you were every bit as much lucky as smart. If you do everything right, you can still get screwed. OTOH, if you don't prepare at all, you will not benefit from a lucky outcome.

 

The right thing for the big Buddha to say to young BMs who make the trek up that hill for wisdom would be . . . know what you're doing, don't be in such a hurry and no, she is not faithful.

 

[EnglishPaul 3]

The right thing for the big Buddha to say to young BMs who make the trek up that hill for wisdom would be . . . know what you're doing, don't be in such a hurry and no, she is not faithful.

 

Hi Owen Not only are your posts informative and interesting - Thank You

Now getting some humor thrown in as well

It`s been a good thread.

[Rhoel 2]

I came out here to teach and accidentally fell into the same occupation I had in theUK (animation) ... I was in the right place at the right time to see an ad in the BKK - an email to the CEO's secretary and I was travelling to Chiang Mai a few hours later - still there 1 year plus: Had I been in the UK, I'd never have got the job, period. Its a gamble but if you take the chance, get in he right place and network, a surprisingly high number of doors open.

 

You can add writers to the list of work here - I write as well, publishing stuff here (technical and fiction) and abroad (travel and fiction) ... get one novel accepted and you probably wont have to worry too much about the pension plan ... a guy I drink with did just that: His book is not a million seller, but his publisher liked the potential of his first book to advance him a second. He is now on this third (he does one a year). Writing is one of the few things yo ucan still do until you fall into a coffin.

 

Exporting is another good source of income for expats. At least three guys in the condo block are linked in some way to exporting. Others sell directly on eBay (but avoid selling counterfiet as Ebay closes down your account) - one guys makes a good living selling lamps (whicjh is a constant surprise considering the miniscule profit per lamp). Teak furniture, garden stoneware and motor parts are good earners.

 

And internet business still seem to make some people in beer and BG's - get it right and adsense can be worthwhile.

 

Sitting at home thinking about it and playing safe isn't going to get you here working.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rhoel

[ginseng 0]

My employer just told me they are expanding into China sometime next year there is a small chance there would be oppurtunities for me over there. Same salary and basically same job but over there. I could care less about China, but I'd be a hell of a lot closer to LOS than I am now. I have no social life here in the USA, so I don't care if I have one in China either, however more frequent trips to LOS would be a good possibility.

 

If I get the chance think I should go for it?