Thailand Growth Driving IT and Tech Jobs Boom

Find your dream software developer role:

There are a three big reasons Bangkok has become a tech employment destination over the last few years, both for businesses and software developer professionals. We’ll look at each in detail, but if you’re short on time – here are the main factors, at a glance:

– 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:

The financial incentives

For software developers, the average salary in Thailand is good even when compared internationally. A Mid-Senior can expect to earn 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.

While that may be nothing too spectacular to ex-pats in the UK and USA, remember that the cost of living in Thailand is much lower, even in 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 a software developer is not tax-free, more about that coming up.

For businesses (and good to know for software developer 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.

Admittedly, these are great places to live whatever your job, but they are particularly good for software talent 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

Obviously, you’ll want to know where your employer is based before signing a lease, but you won’t regret choosing one of these great areas to live, work and play.

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.

See More: The top IT companies hiring in Bangkok, Thailand

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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