Trying something a little new. Over the months, I have received a lot of questions and figured it can help other people if I make them public. Also, other people can offer insight too by commenting. So, be on the lookout for more Q&A posts.
1. What is the best place to go where I can find employment that will sustain two people?
Anwer: The highest paying jobs are in Bangkok. If you have an education degree or a masters you can probably teach in an international school. To survive in bangkok you’ll probably need to make at least 40,000 – 60,000 baht per month. If you only have a bachelors and it is not in education then it may be tough to make more than 30,000 – 40,000 baht, unless you work two jobs. If that’s the case you can easily exceed that number.
2. How possible is it to successfully find childcare in these areas?
Answer: There are tons of day care centers, and you can even have a nanny for 7-8k baht per month. I am not too familiar with prices so you’ll have to do a bit of searching.
3. Are there certain areas to avoid due to racist behavior?
Answer: Hard to say, if you go to touristy areas, they do target foreigners to pay more money for things Thais would pay less. I would try to stay out of rural towns maybe? If you’re in the city then you’re a melting pot of hundreds of nationalities. These parts of Thailand don’t feel so foreign when you’re here, so I’d say get to Bangkok or Chiang Mai if you can.
One thing I’d like to point out though is that there are racists everywhere. Thais are a lot more relaxed, they prefer white skin, but will like if you’re chill. I haven’t seen any “racist behavior” since I moved here. There was a bit of a thing last year I think where a girl had dreadlocks and said she couldn’t find a job because of it. Also, the teaching industry is well known for discriminating against non-white applicants. In my opinion, it stems from a customer expectation (students) that was created by racial preference and amplified via marketing ads. It also doesn’t help that the popular image of most black people isn’t a popular one, thanks to social media globally broadcasting ratchet behavior.
With that being said, you need to find foreign managed agencies. They will gladly hire you and protect your best interests.
Hope this helps,
Mike