Find your dream IT role:

There are a few main reasons Bangkok has become an IT and tech employment destination over the last few years, both for businesses and IT professionals.

The Contributing Factors:

– Government-led financial incentives for foreign businesses to set up in Thailand.

– Internationally competitive wages.

– Low cost of living.

– Perfect location to trade with (or travel to) China, Japan, India, Australia and more.

– Buzzing capital with incredible talent, career and growth potential.

Let’s take a look at them in more detail:

Financial incentives for IT Jobs

For IT professionals, the average salary in Thailand is good even when compared internationally. Many IT roles provide salaries upwards of 100,000 THB a month depending on the employer, which is about £2,500 or $3,100 based on current rates. Make sure you check today’s rate for an accurate representation.

While that may be nothing too spectacular to expats in the UK and USA, remember that the cost of living in Thailand is much lower in Thailand, and even in the capital city of Bangkok. Typical living expenses for a month are around 40,000 THB including rent for a 1-bed city-centre apartment (20,000 THB living expenses and 20,000 THB rent). Head out of town a bit and you can halve the rent to 10,000 THB. Worth noting at this point that Thai income for an IT professional is not tax-free.

For businesses (and good to know for IT professionals considering Thailand as a career move), the Thai government has recently introduced a raft of financial incentives and tax reductions to set up production in the country. These have been implemented through the Board of Investment (BOI) and are having a real positive effect, which is unsurprising as extra cost-savings are available if you move your business to Thailand.

Multinational businesses are increasingly viewing Thailand as a stable location with a growing educated workforce, financial incentives and a great base from which to serve customers across the ASEAN region and beyond. The Thai package makes business sense and is creating more software development jobs with top companies every month.

Location

After touching on this in the last point, it’s worth expanding on the fact that Thailand sits in a great location for both businesses and individuals. For businesses, this stable country provides a ASEAN base from which trade and stakeholders can easily reach east to China and Japan, west to India and South to Australia, as well as being in close proximity to many other emerging markets.

For individuals, and particulary millennials with the travel bug, the same benefits apply. From Thailand you can easily reach some of the most diverse cultures and locations in the world. Long weekends can give you life-changing experiences and annual leave provides the opportunity to take in China, Japan, India and Australasia without too much of a long-haul.

Buzzing Bangkok

While the dynamic nature of Bangkok might be more of a benefit for individuals, it would be short-sighted to not see the benefit for businesses too. Aside from being in a growing, innovative city and all the ideas and opportunities that come with that, businesses need to be where exciting talent is, and Bangkok is increasingly the place to be as a professional.

With plenty of jaw-dropping city centre apartments, the nightlife, incredible food and all the shops you could need, Bangkok delivers the perfect modern city experience with a healthy dose of local culture thrown in. And when you’re burnt out after a tough week in front of the screen, you can bug out to the countryside, an island or a beach.

Good to know: Huai Khwang, Pathum Thani, Mueang Nonthaburi, Phra Khanong, Pak Kret and Ban Mueang Thai are also top places for software developer jobs in Thailand.

This short video from the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) explains the priority the government has given to increasing foreign investment in the country. The result is a healthy Thai economy that’s driven by plentyful tech jobs and multiple best-in-class employers.

Yes. Income from online work, digital nomad roles and web-related jobs in Thailand is all taxable. If you’re an expat and aren’t paying tax on your Thai income in your home country, you will need to pay Personal Income Tax (PIT) in Thailand.

Also an important point for expats, if you stay in Thailand for over 180-days, you’ll be classed as a resident for tax purposes and will need to pay tax on your global income – that’s everything you earn, wherever you earn it. Although they do have an international arrangement to ensure you’re not taxed twice.

Even if you don’t have a work permit (you need a work permit to work in Thailand legally), you’re still liable for Personal Income Tax (PIT).

Thai annual Personal Income Tax (PIT) rates – 2022 (THB)

0 – 150,000 Exempt

150,001 – 300,000 5%

300,001 – 500,000 10%

500,001 – 750,000 15%

750,001 – 1,000,000 20%

1,000,001 – 2,000,000 25%

2,000,001 – 5,000,000 30%

5,000,001 and over 35%

These are correct as of the 2022 tax year. Make sure you check the latest rates.

The below listed areas are great places to live whatever your job, but they are particularly good for IT jobs, as many of the top tech employers are based nearby:

– Sukhumvit Soi 24
– Ratchathewi
– Pratunam
– Thonburi/Wong Wian Yai
– Onnut
– Phra Khanong
– Rama 9/Ratchada

You will ideally want to know where your job is based before signing a rental lease, but any of these areas provide good transport links and are great areas to live, work and enjoy.

Bangkok’s fertile digital ecosystem is home to an increasing number of multinational tech businesses (as well as exciting startups!), and they’re always on the lookout for software talent. Here are some of the big ones:

PropertyGuru – Asia’s leading online property destination, with over 25 million users. They have multiple online property sites, mobile apps, a sales platform, online property tracking and lots more services to sink your skills into.

Amadeus – One of the world’s top 15 software companies, with a focus on providing solutions to the travel industry.

Agoda – Another travel giant and part of the Booking Holdings family, Agoda is the largest and fastest growing hotel booking platform in Asia.

Expedia – Yep, you could be helping to provide even more globe-trotting tech through arguably one of the most well-known travel brands.

NCR – With 34,000 employees worldwide, NCR is a big deal and provides software and services to hospitality, retail, financial and technology sectors.

ExxonMobil – It’s more than just an oil company – ExxonMobil Information Technology (EMIT) is based in Bangkok, providing tech solutions to the group worldwide.

GE – GE is no new-comer to Thailand, it’s had a presence in the country since 1900 and today it provides tech and services to support our growing infrastructure. Expect to find roles in aviation, energy, transportation and healthcare.

Other employers include Google, DELL, Ericsson-Worldwide, Siemens, Cisco Systems, Seagate Technology and Motorola.

We’re fortunate enough to have strong relationships with many of the leading tech businesses in Bangkok – for advice on your next career move or to discover the roles we have available, get in touch with one of our team.

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When your industry moves at the speed of light – literally – you need a recruitment partner that works with you to keep you moving forward. Whether you’re an IT professional, or a company of thousands, the RECRUITdee team is an extension of your own and our combination of western expertise and local knowledge ensures you achieve the outcome you need.

From multinational corporations to disruptive startups – consultant support to in-house team members – we’re the go-to recruitment agency for IT jobs and talent in Bangkok, and we’re here for the whole journey. We’ll make sure your current goal is achieved, but we’ll also ensure you get the most sustainable solution for long-term success.