Jingjok
The jobs foreigners actually do
kruu-dtàang-châat
Most foreigners working legally in Thailand are teachers, followed by staff in hotels and tourism, dive and fitness instructors, digital and international-company roles, and a growing number in property and cafés they run with Thai partners. Every one of these jobs needs a work permit, and some occupations are reserved for Thai nationals, so check before you accept work. Real-estate rules matter too: foreigners can buy condos within the โควตาต่างชาติ but not land. What all these jobs share is that Thai turns a visitor into a colleague: the teacher who can talk to parents, the instructor who can brief in Thai, and the café owner who can banter with suppliers all get further.
Try this today
Learn the ten words you would need most in your own job in Thailand and use one at work this week.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Professional domains” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Culture cards in Jingjok are tied to the words that carry them, each ending in one thing to try today.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.