Candidates: working in thailand
Living in the Land of Smiles can be one unforgettable experience. As a matter of fact, visitors flock to Thailand from all over the world and end up staying longer than they have planned.
With its colorful landscapes, stunning beaches, and unique culture, this country indeed holds a lot of treasures for everyone to discover.
The people are charming, the food is extraordinary and the life style and the good transportation links in this strategically well located country to do business in the region have attracted many expatriates. Thailand for its part welcomes foreigners both as tourists and on a more long term basis.
Thailand shares land borders with Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar. Travel between all of these countries can be done by land via sanctioned border crossings. With improved highways, it is also becoming easier to travel from Thailand to China.
economy
Thailand is regarded by many as the financial and economic hub of South East Asia. Despite the current climate, Thailand’s current growth is still increasing steadily and poised for greater increase in the future.
Thailand’s retail sector witnessed a sharp increase in new investment with both local and foreign players in 2002 despite uncertainty and cautious consumer spending. The retail sector has been active throughout the year while protests from small local retailers against national discount stores were growing. However foreign retailers shrugged off the protests and continued to open stores nationwide.
The biggest retail development is Siam Paragon, a joint venture between Bangkok Intercontinental Hotels Co (BIHC) and the Mall Group. The luxury shopping project, worth 10 billion Bahtis due to be built on the site of the former Siam Intercontinental Hotel, in the centre of Bangkok.
business hours
Most government offices are open from 8.30am to 4.30pm weekdays. Some government offices close from noon to 1pm for lunch, while others have Saturday hours (9am-3pm). Banking hours are typically 9.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday.
Privately owned stores usually operate between 10am and 5pm daily. Most local restaurants are open 10am until 10pm, with an hour’s variation on either side. Some restaurants, specialising in morning meals, close by 3pm.
Please note that all government offices and banks are closed on public holidays.
climate
Tropical with a high degree of humidity. Average temperature is 82 F or 24 C. Thailand has 3 seasons : Hot (March to May), Rainy (Ju ne to October) and Cool (November to February)
clothing
Normally the tropical climate calls for washable-cotton, light and loose dresses with comfortable shoes or sandals. During the Cool Season visitors are advised to bring a sweater or a jacket. Umbrellas are necessary during the Rainy Season.
time
GMT-Plus 7 hours.
currency
The currency of Thailand is the baht which consists of 100 stang. Copper coins are valued 25 and 50 stang. Silver coins are in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 baht. Banknotes are valued at 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 baht.
language
Thai, mainly, English is widely understood in hotels, gift shops and restaurants especially in Bangkok and other major tourist areas.
transport
Taxi : Metered taxis are available in Bangkok. If taxis do not have meters, fares must be agreed upon before starting off. Average fares in Ban gkok are between 50 – 200 baht.
Public Buses: Plentiful and cheap. Bangkok maps with bus routes are available at most hotels, bookshops and TAT head office at 35 baht. Fare is 5 baht maximum for non air-conditioned, 6 baht minimum to 16 baht maximum for air-conditioned buses in Bangkok.
