Pilot Jobs in Thailand
 

How come there are none or very few flying positions advertised internationally for Thai carriers? What makes the Thai aviation sector different from Korea, China, Indonesia?


Air Asia Thai, Lion Thai etc must be looking for crews at some point? Just curious...

:)

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Many expats flying in Thailand, even for carriers where you wouldn't expect them. But those jobs are never advertised. You have to know someone within...

TG won't even employ female pilots so expats are probably never going to happen (again). BKP did employ a few Air Berlin FOs on contract last year and there is at least one European expat ATR Capt.

The other major Thai carriers seem to be able to still satisfy their requirements from within so there appears to be no need (yet)

As safelife states, there are quite a number of expats legally based here for non Thai operators, both European and Chinese as well as a whole raft of others on a range of other operations.

To making sweeping statements that "Thailand is only for Thai " and "they won't give visas" is factually incorrect.

If you want to work there try a foreign owned low cost such as Thai Vietjet, Thai AirAsia, or Thai Lion Air. They would want experienced Pilots due to quick expansion and lack of locals who can afford to pay for their own training.

Thai Airways would be the first choice for ex military and self funded, probably not an option for foreigners.

If you did a search you might choose not to apply to Orient Thai or Asia Atlantic after reading the threads on them.

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You are incorrect. I have a number of friends who are on work visas with various airlines in Thailand. Maybe some of the niche carriers may do what you say, but others including Nok, NokScoot, Thai Lion, and New Gen, all have expats working on visas with license validations.

Agree with above. I have know pilots with work visa in Thailand. It can be done.

The pay, however...... 🙄

Thanks for translating that guy ZFT, Thailand Os only for Thay?? Oh I get it now.
Thailand is only for Thai's.

Hogger and Turtle also correct I know of 3 Guy's working for a Thai Airline at SVB before with Thai Work Permits. They were issued for 1 year and also held Thai Validation of Foreign License whilst working in Thailand.

One less job at Thai Sky Aventures. The Pilatus Porter just got seriously bent!

The main issue if you decide to work and live in Thailand is that many of these so called "airlines" fail to pay you a cent for months for no apparent reason (JET ASIA is a shocker), others will string you along with smallish handouts knowing that what they give you will allow you to at least eat.Jet Asia simply fire you and you are owed huge amounts and have very little chance of getting anything back unless you have unlimited time and resources and the owners (the "brothers" ) know this and take advantage of your free labour.Even Thais shy away from Jet Asia they are so bad.

Orient Thai has lost 80% 0f their pilots, primarily locals because of zero salary for 7 months now.If you like to work for free please go ahead.Asia Atlantic pay but they have very very incompetent expat managers who cant train at all, and are very very nasty as well.All this info can be verified.The courts dont help much because delaying action can take up years and years.Its basically this slave labour.

Other outfits like Thai Lion and Viet Jet SEEM okay...........be warned, especially ORIENT THAI ASIA ATLANTIC and THE VERY VERY NASTY JET ASIA.This is apart from some of the horrific mechanical issues you will encounter most days due to a combination of poor maintenance and very old aircraft.Pete

Now that we are at it, anyone able to share a typical roster in Thai Lion Air? For both 737 and 330, if possible?? PM if needed.


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The roster is not so good on the NG side, expect 75-80hrs, 10+ O/Ns a month and typically 5-6 days duty each week. A friend who works there still seems to find enough time to be golfing in Pattaya for a couple of days every other week. It's become more a Lion style roster as they have a pilot shortage as there is currently a large bunch of Thai pilots switching to other airlines. Shortages all round it seems.....

The A330s are only being utilized around 5-6 hrs a day currently but that will increase next month.

I noticed that Thai Lion are doing some expat recruitment again via the aviation agent that recruitment 95% of the current expats working there. However, no more expat commuting contract anymore.

A 4 year contract though which might interest some?

@yfloyd

Thanks very much for your input, appreciated.

Yes, TG doesn't recruit any foreigners. A policy in place for well over a decade now. Interestingly, a TG sub. did recently recruit a few expats but that has now stopped.

Orient Thai and Asia Atlantic are both basically on their last legs with nearly all expat flight crew having departed......

How do they get around the following restriction 5), which prohibits foreigners operating domestic flights? The well known brown envelopes to corrupt officials? I have met some guys however who did previously fly domestically in Thailand with carriers that are no longer operating, or appear to be now shut down (Kan Air).

2.6 Restricted Occupations
A Royal Decree in 1973 listed 39 occupations and professions that were then prohibited to foreigners. This list has been amended on several occasions by subsequent Royal Decrees, the latest one in 2005;
1 Labor work, except crewmen engaging in fishery activities included under Item 2 below;
2 Cultivation, animal breeding, forestry and fishery work, except for labor work in maritime fisheries and work requiring specific skills in farm supervision;
3 Masonry, carpentry, or other construction work;
4 Wood carving;
5 Driving motor vehicles or non-motorized carriers, except for piloting international aircraft;
6 Shop attendant;
7 Auctioneering;
8 Supervising, auditing or giving services in accounting, except occasional international auditing;
9 Gem cutting and polishing;
10 Hair cutting, hairdressing and beautician work;
11 Hand weaving;
12 Mat weaving or making of wares from reed, rattan, kenaf, straw or bamboo pulp;
13 Manufacture of manual fibrous paper;
14 Manufacture of lacquerware;
15 Thai musical instrument production;
16 Manufacture of nielloware;
17 Goldsmith, silversmith and other precious metal work;
18 Manufacture of bronzeware;
19 Thai doll making;
20 Manufacture of mattresses and padded blankets;
21 Alms bowl making;
22 Manual silk product making;
23 Buddha image making;
24 Manufacture of knives;
25 Paper and cloth umbrella fabrication;
26 Shoemaking;
27 Hat making;
28 Brokerage or agency work, except in international business;
29 Engineering work, civil engineering branch, that concerns planning and calculation, systemization, research, planning, testing, construction supervision or advisory work, except work requiring specialized skills;
30 Architectural work concerning designing, drawing, estimating, construction supervision, or advisory work;
31 Dressmaking;
32 Pottery or ceramics;
33 Manual cigarette rolling;
34 Tourist guide or tour organizing agency;
35 Hawking business;
36 Thai character type setting;
37 Manual silk reeling and weaving;
38 Clerical or secretarial work;
39 Legal or litigation service, except
(a) Working as arbitrator
(b) Conducting law suits in Arbitration Court in cases where the law which enforces the dispute is not Thai Law or in cases that do not require judgment of Arbitration in the Kingdom of Thailand

As true as the saying is, 'don't ask a lawyer how to fly an aircraft'....... so is the saying ' don't ask a pilot for legal advice'! Even back in the 70s and 80s, TG had foreign pilots flying for them.

There are expats flying at the following airlines all with work permits and work visas flying both domestic and international. No need for envelops as it is all perfectly normal.
Thai Lion,
Nok (Q400 fleet - Nok did have expats on the NG fleet until late 2017),
Thai Smile,
New Gen,
Siam Air,
Orient Thai (currently in limbo).
There are a few others no longer operating like AAA, Jet Asia and City Air all of which had foreigners etc

The first 3 airlines fly domestic as well as international routes. Probably around the 30% of Thai Lions Captains are expats (including Indonesians and Malaysians). If you really think that foreigners are prohibited from operating domestic flights, then perhaps contact the Thai CAA, but be prepared to be ignored.

Are they recruiting First Officers? What are the payscales like?

It does not bother me. Still just remains on the old list of "prohibited" occupations for Aliens.