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Unless: (a) you are being relocated to Thailand; or (b) you work in the oil & gas industry (Gulf of Thailand), then you should not expect to find any significant employment opportunities in Thailand. This situation is made worse (i) by the over abundance of foreigners looking for work in Thailand, which means companies can pick-and-choose their employees; and (ii) by the recent poor economy in Thailand, which means many companies are no longer hiring expensive foreigners. If anything, the Government's announcement of expected minimum salaries for foreigners in 2004 has made this situation even worse.

However, if you do find meaningful employment in Thailand, you'll find working in Thailand one of the most pleasant experiences in your working life. Although Thais work long hours (which has at least something to do with the dreadful traffic) and very hard, Thai culture dictates that one enjoy their work and so a Thai work place is always a pleasure to be in. Having said that, foreigners working in Thailand should be mindful of Thai etiquette rules and not let the happy atmosphere lull them into believing that work here is informal.

Keep in mind that working in Thailand is illegal if you do not have a work permit and under the Working as Aliens Act, work is defined to mean any "excursion of energy or use of knowledge, whether or not for money remuneration".

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