How to live and work in Thailand
Thailand is among the 50 largest countries in the world. Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is the only country in the region that was not colonized by Europeans. Living in Thailand can be inexpensive, but requires the appropriate documents. Tourists who extend their stay in the country and those who travel to Thailand to work can rent housing and dine on a variety of cuisines. While English is spoken in Thailand, learning to speak Thai will help you to smoothly transition into a life among the people of "The Land of Smiles."
Steps
- Acquire the appropriate documents for entry into Thailand.
- Apply for a passport if you do not have one. A passport is a form of identification that verifies your citizenship in a country and allows you to travel to other countries.
- Check to see if you need a visa for entry into Thailand. This is required for visitors from some countries. A visa is a document that authorizes a non-citizen to enter a country. Visas are time limited and for a specific purpose. For example, a work visa may allow a non-citizen to work in Thailand for a specific length of time. U.S. citizens can enter Thailand without a visa, but must have a valid passport. You will be allowed to stay in Thailand with only a passport for 30 days if you entered the country by air and 15 days if you entered from a bordering country. Your time in Thailand can be extended for up to 90 days in a 6 month period. After the 90 day period, you must apply for a visa to remain in the country.Click Here!
- Make sure you acquire a tourist or retirement visa before entering the country if you are planning to live in Thailand for longer than 90 days or are retiring there. Contact the Thailand Immigration Bureau or the Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. You may obtain a work permit on your own through the Thai Embassy; however, if you have accepted a position with a company that operates in Thailand, the company will obtain the work visa on your behalf.
- Apply for a passport if you do not have one. A passport is a form of identification that verifies your citizenship in a country and allows you to travel to other countries.
- Find accommodations and transportation.
- Choose accommodations based on your proposed visit length. Thai hotels provide modest to expensive accommodations for short term living in the country. For long term stays in Thailand, non-citizens may rent an apartment or house, live with a host family or purchase a condominium. Condominiums are the only property non-citizens are allowed to buy in Thailand.Click Here!
- Investigate the costs of utilities, including electricity, water, and phone, and learn how and where you will need to pay them every month if you won't be staying at a hotel. Residents of some apartment complexes, for example, receive an itemized statement at the end of the month that includes their rent and utilities.
- Review your transportation options. In the urban areas of Thailand these usually include bus service, car taxis, motorbike taxis, samlors (also called rickshaws), train and boat services. Walking is also an option based on where you live in proximity to work, shopping and entertainment.
- Non-citizens can purchase cars and motorcycles in Thailand.
- Choose accommodations based on your proposed visit length. Thai hotels provide modest to expensive accommodations for short term living in the country. For long term stays in Thailand, non-citizens may rent an apartment or house, live with a host family or purchase a condominium. Condominiums are the only property non-citizens are allowed to buy in Thailand.Click Here!
- Work in Thailand.
- Consider teaching English, a popular job for non-citizens in Thailand. The pay for teachers in Thailand is modest.Click Here!
- Research companies operating in Thailand that hire outside of the country. The industries that offer the greatest opportunities for non-citizen workers are finance, computers and engineering. Many companies operating in Thailand will offer potential non-citizen employee packages that include the offer for work and subsidies for housing.
- Consider teaching English, a popular job for non-citizens in Thailand. The pay for teachers in Thailand is modest.Click Here!
- Open a bank account. If you plan to live and work in Thailand, having a bank account will be helpful in navigating everyday life.
- Decide on the type of account you will open based on whether or not you have a work permit. If you don't have a work permit, you will be able to open a savings account with a passport and a recommendation letter from an Embassy. Without a work permit, your savings account will be limited to a passbook and ATM access with a debit card. Online and telephone banking requires a work permit. To open what is called a current account for which checks are issued, you will need a work permit and a passport. Both the savings and current accounts require minimum deposits that vary by banking institution.
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- Consider opening a foreign currency account. This type of account allows you to deposit a variety of currencies. You can open this type of account with a passport and you will receive a checkbook and ATM card.
- Decide on the type of account you will open based on whether or not you have a work permit. If you don't have a work permit, you will be able to open a savings account with a passport and a recommendation letter from an Embassy. Without a work permit, your savings account will be limited to a passbook and ATM access with a debit card. Online and telephone banking requires a work permit. To open what is called a current account for which checks are issued, you will need a work permit and a passport. Both the savings and current accounts require minimum deposits that vary by banking institution.
- Learn the language.
- While 85 percent of natives speak some form of Thai, most business is conducted in English. However, you should learn as much of the Thai language as you can to assist with navigating daily life among the Thai people.
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- Options for learning Thai include taking classes facilitated by native Thai speakers; learning to read Thai using text books and Thai-English dictionaries; hiring a native Thai speaker to be your conversation partner; or taking an online course that offers free and fee-based materials.
- While 85 percent of natives speak some form of Thai, most business is conducted in English. However, you should learn as much of the Thai language as you can to assist with navigating daily life among the Thai people.
- Explore Thailand.Click Here!
- Thailand offers numerous sights and forms of entertainment as well as a variety of eating options. Food is cheap and ranges from traditional Thai to German cuisines to American fast food chains. The primarily Buddhist country offers meditation retreats and tours of several shrines. There are also cruises, cultural theatrical shows and boxing for entertainment.
Tips
- Certain jobs in Thailand are restricted to Thai natives including barber, beautician, carpenter, and secretary.
- Baht(B) is Thai currency.
Things You'll Need
- Passport
- Visa
- Accommodations
- Transportation