Part of a series of articles on bettering the lives of you and your Thai Partner

What  companies  look  for:  Thai/English  speakers,  their  degree  of fluency  in  English  and  what  types of jobs are available to them and at what salary. We’ll also examine the side benefits of these jobs and what the earning ceilings are.

After  all,  if  you’re  shelling  out money for your partner, you are entitled  to  know  what  the  payoff  is, both  in earning power and  in communication  between  you  and  her. It also enables both of you to expand your contacts with people who speak both Thai and English.

For many expats, having a partner who works outside of their home is a compromise. The amount of time she or he spends cooking and cleaning is greatly reduced. But look at it this way: a fraction of the money she/he earns can pay for the condo or house to be cleaned once a week by an outside person for 300 baht.

Who  would  know  more  about which  jobs  use  English-speaking Thais  than  employment  agencies? No one, of course. So I called a few and here’s what I learned. First, a visit with Au, of the Pattaya Job Center. I spent 40 minutes peppering her with questions and was impressed with her knowledge of the business. The  Job Center,  located on  the  soi  behind  Carrefour,  has been doing business since January of 2007, a recognition of the need for English speakers  in  the workplace.

English,  I  learned,  is  important in  these  four  areas:  sales,  administration,  computers  and  service. For  sales,  entry  level  jobs  begin around  8,000  baht  plus  commission, which depends on how much you sell, so the sky’s the limit here and  you  need  to  speak  clear  (but not necessarily fluent) English. In the administrative field, including clerks, secretaries, administrative assistants and telephone operators, salaries  begin  at  10,000  baht  per month  and  can  climb  to  20,000 baht and more.

In  the  computer  field,  Thais found  here  are  knowledgeable  in both  English  and web-design  and graphics. At a salary range of from 12,000 to 30,000 baht, this sounds tempting enough to get special training in this “hot” area.

The  vast  majority  of  service work  –  restaurant  servers  comes to  mind  –  salaries  are  relatively low,  around  4,000  baht/month, plus tips, to start ,with a low ceiling, since  the field  is so  transient. The one factor that raises the value of the job is that meals are usually included, free.

What  about workers  in  the  field of  health  –  hospitals, medical  and dental  clinics?  They usually don’t hire through employment agencies.

Are there job benefits that we should mention?  Social security is usually split evenly between the employer and employer, amounting to 10% of the salary. Workers average a 6-day work week, with 13 days of vacation each year unless in a tourist related job.

Do Thais need to pay to register at an employment agency? No, there is no charge, except to the company looking for workers.

Finally,  what  fluency  in  English  do  the  various  jobs  generally require  in Pattaya? Service workers, such as waitresses or massage therapists, need only know enough English to perform their work.

Sales  reps,  on  the  other  hand, must have a good working knowledge  of  both  understanding  and speaking  English,  part  of  their impression as reps of a product or service.  Administrative  workers need enough fluency to both serve the  public  if  they meet  or  talk  to them on  the phone  and  especially if they have a non-Thai boss.

A telephone conversation with Simon Matthews, Thailand manager of Manpower, produced some interesting information about Thais seeking work and their knowledge of English. He said sales and sales promotion starts from 7,000-9,000 baht per month and up, depending on the number of commissions.

Customer relations requires social  English,  while  working  directly with native English speakers  often  requires  knowledge  of business  English.  This  may  involve  in-training  classes  while working,  which  would  certainly make the employee more marketable,  a  win-win  situation.  This is  true  of  work  in  Administrative jobs, such as personal secretary  to a higher  level supervisor, which  would  command  a  higher salary, benefiting from  the greater  ability  to  both  understand  and speak English. Banks also require a  good  conversational  level  of English,  since  so  many  employees  have  contact with  the  public and  salaries  reflect  that: 9,000  to 12,000 baht a month.

There  is  always  a  struggle  employers  have  in  balancing  three balls  at  once:  English-speaking ability,  formal  Thai  education and  experience.  Currently, 80% of employers  hiring  through  employment  agencies  require  a  high school diploma. As for the need to hire English speakers, in today’s marketplace, the need for English-speaking Thais has never been greater.

In addition  to  the  salaries mentioned  above, Thai  labor  laws  require  an  employee  to  get  13  paid public  holidays  a  year  and  6  vacation days after being on  the  job

For 12 months unless their job is tourist related.

Manpower  Pattaya  is  located on  Sukhumvit Road(0383782125) and  is open Monday  through Fri-day,  8:30AM  –  5:30PM. Anyone can register online in English at www.manpower.th.com.