Thailand (TH)

Thailand is one of the world’s largest expat hubs, combining Bangkok’s regional business ecosystem, Chiang Mai’s remote-worker scene, Phuket and Pattaya’s retirement and tourism communities, and strong international schools and hospitals.

Capital: Bangkok

Region: Asia

Language: Thai

Currency: THB (฿)

Cost of living: Very affordable (index 35)

Emergency: 191

Jobs & Work Permits

Everything you need to find work and get authorised to work in Thailand.

Department of Employment

Krom Kan Chat Ha Ngan

Most professional expats find jobs through employers, recruiters, schools, chambers, or LinkedIn rather than public job centres. Work permits are employer-sponsored and role-specific.

Services offered:

✓Labour-market information
✓Foreign worker management
✓Work permit systems
✓Job fairs
✓Employer services

Expat eligibility: Foreigners need an appropriate visa and work permit before working. Many occupations are prohibited or restricted for foreigners.

Visit Department of Employment

💼 Work Permits

EU Citizens

EU citizens do not have free movement rights in Thailand. They need the same visa/work permit analysis as other foreigners.

Non-EU Citizens

Most foreign employees need a Non-Immigrant B visa or other work-authorising route plus a Thai work permit before starting work.

EU Blue Card

Thailand has no EU Blue Card. High-skilled routes include BOI-promoted company work permits, SMART visa, and Long-Term Resident visa for qualifying categories.

Freelancer Visa

Thailand is not a simple freelance-work jurisdiction. DTV can support remote work for overseas clients, but Thai clients, Thai employment, or local business activity normally require Thai work authorisation and tax advice.

⏱️ Work Culture

Typical hours Office roles often 40-48 hours/week. Hospitality, schools, factories, and startups can be longer. Bangkok commutes matter.

Annual leave Statutory paid annual leave is modest after one year, often 6 working days minimum, but multinationals and international schools offer more.

Sick leave Thai labour law provides sick leave, with paid sick leave commonly up to 30 working days per year with medical certificate rules.

Trial period Probation is commonly 119 days so employers avoid severance crossing the 120-day threshold.

Notice period Often 30 days by contract; severance depends on length of service.

Salary range English teachers THB 35,000-90,000/month; mid-level professional roles THB 80,000-180,000; senior regional roles THB 200,000-500,000+.

Pay frequency Monthly bank transfer is standard.

Contract types

·Permanent employment
·Fixed-term school contract
·BOI-sponsored employment
·Regional assignment
·Consulting via Thai entity
·Remote overseas employment under non-local route

🔍 Job Boards

JobsDB Thailand

Major Thai job board for professional roles.

Best for multinational, tech, finance, NGO, hospitality management, and regional roles.

JobThai

Large local job platform; Thai language often needed.

Ajarn

Long-running platform for English teaching and school jobs.

WorkVenture

Thai startup and professional job platform with employer branding.

Michael Page / Robert Walters / PRTR

Recruiters for management, finance, tech, manufacturing, and regional roles.

🌍 Expat-Friendly Resources

🌍

American, British, Australian, German, and French chambers

Chamber events and member directories are strong sources for senior expat roles.

🌍

Bangkok Expats and city Facebook groups

Useful for networking, school roles, hospitality, and referrals; verify legality before accepting work.

🌍

International school career pages

Best route for qualified teachers and administrators.

📝 Application Tips

CV format: Use a concise English CV for international roles and consider Thai translation for local employers. Include work-permit status honestly.

Cover letter: Expected

Language: Thai is not always required in multinationals and international schools, but it is a major advantage for local companies, HR, government-facing roles, sales, and operations.

Interviews: Interviews are polite and relationship-oriented. Salary, visa sponsorship, probation, work permit, benefits, and reporting lines should be clarified directly but calmly.

🤝 Networking Tips

→Most good expat roles come through referrals, chambers, school networks, recruiters, and existing Thailand connections.
→Verify that the employer can sponsor a work permit before resigning or moving.
→Check whether your role includes prohibited occupations for foreigners.
→Ask whether the company is BOI-promoted; BOI routes can simplify some work-permit ratio and reporting burdens.
→Keep copies of every contract, pay slip, tax withholding certificate, work permit page, and visa extension.

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