Working in Thailand
For many, an expatriate position in a country like Thailand is the dream job. However, pursuit of such a position should be approached with caution. After the veneer and shine of living and working in what you perceive to be a paradise has worn off, you may begin to wonder if you've backed yourself into a corner.
The reality is that you'll most likely be based in Bangkok. And if that is the case, when the initial fun of the bars etc has worn off, with the inevitable attention from locals, particularly if you are male, you'll find Bangkok has little to offer beyond that. Sure, it's got a few tourist attractions but most of them you'd see once and then not go again. At the end of the day, it's a large, hot, polluted and overcrowded city, much like other Southeast Asian capitols. On the plus side, there is a thriving expat community and travel to resort locations in other parts of Thailand is relatively quick and easy if you need to get away from the city for a while. Bangkok is also in a good strategic regional position to be used as a base for your operations and also has good medical facilities.
The real problems are likely to begin when you start to adopt the more relaxed 'what will be, will be' attitude towards work, schedules and targets. You may find yourself, without realising it, beginning to lose your competitive edge and indeed starting to forget where you were heading. You should also bear in mind (and this is a very important point) that after you have achieved what you were sent there to do in the first place, you are very likely to be replaced by a local, who will have similar skills to you but will work for a fraction of the money and with superior local knowledge... Where will that leave you?
Advertisement: Coming to Thailand? Take a look at our hotel rates: Thailand Hotels
You may even find yourself taking an inferior package just so you can stay on and continue to work in Thailand. It's not unknown for former high flyers to take teaching jobs and drop out of the executive market altogether. Before you know it and by the time you realise you're falling behind, you may well be out of the race and find it very difficult to jump back in again. Companies that are willing to spend large amounts of money placing western expatriates in exotic locations expect energetic players, not ones who have somehow slipped sideways into the easy life.
Thailand is indeed a pleasant place to live but relatively speaking, it's something of a regional backwater. If you find yourself realising the ambition has been sucked out of you, you may well be looking with envy to your colleagues in Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong, who's economies are in a far better position to throw money at someone with your skills.
It's not my intention to put you off working in Thailand, merely to warn you of certain pitfalls. The whole reason you are looking to work here is you're an international bright young thing, yes? That's great but don't let it dull your ambition when you get here. If you like it enough to stay, then do so... but don't pass up opportunities elsewhere when you're done without thinking very carefully first, or you may find your promising career over before it's even started. Don't be afraid to move on when the time comes. Thailand is not all bad but it's not all good either.
Need advice? Got a question? Go to our Thailand Forum
