How people in Thailand earn their living

By John Shoane

Not long ago, circa the 1980's, people would be correct in assuming people in Thailand spent their days in the rice fields or on fishing boats as a way to make their living. Fast forward a decade or two and you'll notice that agriculture has taken a back seat to manufacturing as Thailand moves towards a more industrialized economy. When tight rolled jeans and mullets were popular in America, about 70% of Thailand's laborers were involved in some sort of agriculture sector while now almost half of Thai residents have found jobs in manufacturing.

What do Thai people do

Basically, the answer to what most Thai residents do for a living is build things. Toyota, General Motors, Honda and Ford are two automakers that have contributed to Thailand producing over one million automobile units a year. The electronics industry is another area seeing large growth as Thai residents spend their days in factories putting together computer components, stereo systems, high-definition televisions and more. The third main industrial job in Thailand is within the textiles factories as even with heavy competition from China, this industry strives. Most Thai laborers make 300 Baht a day which is about $12 USD.

Despite all the manufacturing advances, agricultural services are still an important part of the Thai economy. Rice is the country's most important crop and local fish and fishery products such as canned tuna and frozen shrimp are equally essential to the Thai economy.

Thailand is heavily involved in manufacturing

Can foreigners make a living in Thailand?

While the Thai government certainly welcomes foreigners to move to Thailand and contribute to the local economy, they want it to be done without taking jobs away from locals. Because of this, some of the fastest growing industry positions in Thailand are off limits to foreigners. For instance, manufacturing, construction, metal working and textile production jobs are banned from anybody besides Thai nationals. Still, there are a number of ways for foreigners to earn money and enjoy the lower Thai living expenses.

• English Teacher – Because of the familiarity in the English language that an American or British person has, they often find positions teaching English as a Second Language.
  
  
• Internet Jobs – Basically any job that doesn't require you to be in the office would be perfect for a transplant living in Thailand. From web or graphic design to screenwriting or engineering consulting there are global opportunities everywhere.
  
  
• Dive Instructor – People visiting Thailand to learn to scuba dive like a familiar voice as they dive the countries great dive spots.
  
  
• Beer Bar Owner - While not exactly a job, you can be a 49% owner in a beer bar. Actually you are not able to even sweep the floor or pour a beer legally, but that doesn't stop an endless supply of foreign men living their dream and enduring the stress of owning a Thai beer bar full of pretty very freindly girls. This is perfect for many men !
  
  
• Owning a Farm – While you can only own 49% of the farm unless you have BIO approval from the Government, many western men end up farming in Thailand, after meeting a pretty young Thai lady in tourist areas and she brings him back to the village in the middle of no-where and he starts to grow produce out of boredom or to get by to support his new in-laws. It is very difficult to make any decent money doing this, but that doesn't seem to effect many foreigners trying this.
  
  
• Orchid Production – While this is part of the farming section, most people do not know that Thailand is the largest exporter of Orchids in the world and it is a very lucrative market. It does require lots of learning, however there are courses available. Many foreigners are making a great income growing Thai Orchids and other exotic species of tropical flowers for export that are used by florist all around the world. Many times they have the edge over Thai's in marketing their flowers abroad as they understand western markets and provide a high level of service. 

In conclusion, the Thai economy has recovered nicely from the devastation of the Tsunami and where it stands now they show no signs of slowing down, it is actually booming.


About the author: John Shoane is a leading expert on Thai orchids and is based in Bangkok. He also design flower arrangements for Gogo Florist Delivery in Bangkok and contributes to their blog, “All Things Thai”. He can be contacted directly at Google+.

* Images author owned and licensed