Looking for jobs in Thailand? You have come to the right page. If you have qualifications or job experience in the sort of business, commerce or industry that Thailand needs, there are hundreds of opportunities for jobs in Thailand.

You do not have to be a Thai National to work in jobs in Thailand.

The Thai newspapers, "The Bangkok Post" and "The Nation" offer comprehensive classified sections on available job positions for work in Thailand.

But what if you are not a civil engineer or an oil field diver?

Let's say a guy or girl comes to Thailand for a holiday and links up with a Thai partner. They want to come back to stay in Thailand but can not afford to live in Thailand without working. What do they do?

Webmaster Job

If you have computer skills you could operate a web site from your home. Many foreigners do this. They create their own online money making system that they can control from anywhere in the world including Thailand.

How do you make an income from a web site?

Good question to which there are a many answers. Follow this link to learn how you can build your own online business that you can control from anywhere in the world.

Teaching English Job

Like many countries which do not have English as their native language there is an increasing demand for English Teaching jobs in Thailand. Here are some of the reasons why.

• A lot of the schools have had to increase the number of English teaching staff at elementary and kindergarten level.
• The Universities often teach their subject in English, so a department is needed to improve the general English usage of both staff and students.
• There is a rapidly increasing number of private English Language schools and colleges.
• The advent of Internet and computers in general has created an increased awareness amongst Thais of the need to learn and understand 'the language of the computer'.

To teach English in Thailand the minimal qualifications are a bachelor's degree in English or Linguistics. If the degree is in some other field, some kind of ESL or TEFL credentials, as well as being a native speaker of English, are required.

"But, I'm not an English Teacher ", I hear you say. There are broadly two routes you can take to teaching English in Thailand.

Top private language schools such as Stamford College usually recruit experienced and qualified teachers from countries like England, Australia and the USA, but there are probably just as many vacancies for less experienced teachers.

Having a TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) helps, so you may consider taking a course back home in your own country first.

Courses are available in many countries such as Australia, Europe, UK and USA. Completing a short TEFL course will give you the qualification you need and boost your confidence. Courses are fun and you get to practise with other teacher trainees.

There are also on line courses of 40 to 60 hours. With these courses you can learn at your own pace.

ECC Thailand offer a range of training courses that will give you the basic skills you will need to start your teaching career. For suitable candidates ECC also offers immediate employment on completion of training. These courses must be executed in Thailand.

It is not impossible, however, to become a teacher in Thailand without qualifications or experience if you have the spirit for it. It is important that you enjoy teaching and can make your students happy. Thai students love to have fun while they are learning. An understanding of Thai culture and customs is necessary.

So where do you start?

1. Experienced Teachers, you should know what to do. Check out advertising in "The Bangkok Post" and The Nation , both of which are English language newspapers published daily in Thailand.

For the most comprehensive job listings for teachers in Thailand try Ajarn.com

2. Less experienced or no experience. What should I do? Writing letters is NOT the way. You need to meet the school or college principal face to face. But do prepare a CV. So on your next trip to Thailand check out the schools and colleges in the area you wish to stay. There are lots of small privately owned schools which offer jobs to English speaking foreigners. You might be pleasantly surprised.

If you have no experience or are not qualified then do your potential students a favour and acquire some basic skills and knowledge through reading and taking a TEFL course.

Teach On Line

You might also find this online teachers employment website helpful. It provides you with contacts to students who are preferring to be tutored online. The website has an extensive database and plenty of teaching resources to help you with your lessons.

From this site you don't have to teach just English, you can teach your favorite skill to students who have signed up for online tutoring. Go take a look at teaching on line.

Visas and Work Permits

If you get an official post at a major school or university your visa and work permit will be arranged for you. This could take some time depending on the relationship that your pending employer has with the MoE [Ministry of Education]

Some schools have poor relationships with the MoE and need to jump through numerous hoops to get their teachers legal. Other schools have good relationships and find the whole process fairly painless.

If you are coming to just 'take a look', just turn up as a tourist and do your research. If you decide to take a job, then that's the time to think about getting your passport sorted out. However you will have to leave Thailand to get your NON Immigrant "B" visa.

To work legally as a teacher in Thailand you will need a non-immigrant visa category "B", a work permit and a teachers licence. You get the visa from a Thai Consulate outside Thailand and the work permit from the Labour Department in Thailand, usually situated in the provincial capital, within easy distance of your place of work.

The teachers licence and work permit should be arranged by the school. To get the Visa you need some kind of contract of employment or at the very least a letter from your prospective employers.

Many schools do not actually know how to get licenses and work permits for foreign teachers, or do not have a member of staff who has ever done it. In this case things can get very drawn out with the application being postponed indefinitely.

Private Tutoring

Many foreigners build up their own tutoring business by travelling to the student's office or home to present their lessons. This is quite easy to do in Bangkok where there is a huge population. Access to the students can be executed by public transport such as motor bike taxis and busses or your own private transport preferably a motorbike.

One of the big advantages of working as a private tutor is that you become your own boss. You can arrange your schedule just as you would like it. You will also have the opportunity to set an attractive hourly rate higher than you would receive from an employer such as an agent or school.

Integrating With Thais

If the Thais like you and you like them you've probably got the job. Thais outside Bangkok can be a little shy of foreigners and also remember that although they're often depicted as fun-loving, happy-go-lucky folk (which they often are), they are also very strong-minded and have struggled for centuries to preserve their spirit of independence.

The Thais are a proud and independent race of people. But perhaps more important, don't be afraid to try. If you really want to have a job in Thailand, you've got to start somewhere. Taking the personal approach (visiting your potential employer) will give you a better chance to secure your job in Thailand.

Make sure you dress well. Clean your shoes till you can see your face in them, wear a long sleeve shirt, long trousers, no beard, and cut your finger nails short. Good Luck [ CHOK DEE ]

Jobs For Westerners

Here is a list of some of the jobs that a Westerner may hold in Thailand.