I'm sick of all the 'WINNERS'

[buddha]

I am trying like hell to get an expat job over in Thailand. I have gone down the road of moving there, finding a job, and living the life. It was great. Returning back to the states was an unbelieveable bitch. My life went from very enjoyable to completely unmanageable.

 

I read the board quite often and am jealous as hell of anyone who has mastered the art of getting paid well to live in Thailand. It's not that I hate them, I long to be one of them so much so it irritates me.

 

I'm not gonna stop trying as there has to be a great situation for me somewhere.

[BelgianBoy]

buddha,

 

Great post as we are just jalous of all the whiners actually living the life in LOS

Moving there as soon as I can !

 

BB

[ThaiHome]

I think the first step to being a expat "winner" is to not focus on just working and living in Thailand, but focus on just working overseas somewhere. I think you would find that virtually all the expats on full packages here have worked in many different countries over their careers. Getting an assignment or contract in Thailand is just one place in a long list of places. Some good, some not so good, and some downright miserable. ::

TH

[..]

ThaiHome said:

Some good, some not so good, and some downright miserable.

LOL! You got that right. I am sure that no one dreams of living in an ArAmCo compound in the middle of the Saudi desert! But the contacts made are priceless.

 

Cheers,

SD

[Zorro]

suadum said:

ThaiHome said:

Some good, some not so good, and some downright miserable.

LOL! You got that right. I am sure that no one dreams of living in an ArAmCo compound in the middle of the Saudi desert! But the contacts made are priceless.

 

Cheers,

SD

 

I lived on that compound. BTW Aramco it is....thankfully it is close to the Causeway and a little piece of Thailand resides in Bahrain to keep one sane.

 

But no more for me as I am done with Saudi.

I am spending three or four months of the year in Thailand doing nothing these days and the rest doing very lucrative contracts in the west.

 

I am not sure about living full time in LOS. I like the option of shooting off here and there and then coming back for a bit of a rest. Besides my liver wouldn't last a full time stint.

[buddha]

I do appreciate the insight. OK so perhaps a career change is in order.

 

Lets say that I have a killer IT resume, a proven track record in software project management, a proven track record in Marketing for Entertainment companies, and a great work ethic. Add to that I'm single and would move just about anywhere [iraq and Afghanistan would be bettter than america], and two honorable discharges from the US military [11 Bravo].

 

Where would I start looking for a job, and what type of job, in the oil industry or other.

 

Note that it doesn't have to be Thailand, I just find that as time goes on I have less and less in common with my american contemporaries. At age 38 I am starting to find myself as the odd man out because I have no plans to marry, start a family, and buy a house. Granted I could move back to NYC, find a job, etc...but there has to be a more interesting way of life somewhere.

[..]

Well, good luck. A thorough perusal of the website I posted & links therein would provide you with a start...

 

First tip on moving to Asia: learn subtilty!

 

Cheers,

SD

[old_chap]

learn subtilty!

 

what you mean?

 

 

1 a : DELICATE, ELUSIVE <a subtle fragrance> b : difficult to understand or perceive : OBSCURE <subtle differences in sound>

2 a : PERCEPTIVE, REFINED <a writer's sharp and subtle moral sense> b : having or marked by keen insight and ability to penetrate deeply and thoroughly <a subtle scholar>

3 a : highly skillful : EXPERT <a subtle craftsman> b : cunningly made or contrived : INGENIOUS

4 : ARTFUL, CRAFTY <a subtle rogue>

5 : operating insidiously <subtle poisons>

[WorldFun]

Welcome to the club

No real good advice to give, but perhaps try enjoying where ever you manage to go & of course improve your CV preferably with LOS friendly experiences & then take it step by step towards your final destination the LOS...

Maybe see u there in a few months, years or life times?

[Mekong]

suadum said:

ThaiHome said:

Some good, some not so good, and some downright miserable.

LOL! You got that right. I am sure that no one dreams of living in an ArAmCo compound in the middle of the Saudi desert!

 

Cheers,

SD

 

SD Spot on,

 

Even though I have "Lived" in Thailand since 1991 its only the past year that I have landed a permenant (as permanent as any may be) job here.

 

In the last 15 years I have had a couple of Contracts here 18 months down at Map Ta Phut in 91-92 and 8 months with Unical in 2001, majority of the time has been Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Libya, Oman, China and the worse of the lot 12 months in Houston TX.

 

Its down to the fact that I am now a forty-something with 20+ years experience in Major Oil and Gas Projects that got me in here coupled with the fact that Thailand has been my home base for so long, married to a Thai etc.

 

Even though my office is in Sri Racha I have spent 3 months overseas in the past year, and depending who gets awarded the EPC contract for a new project I am involved in I may have to spend 7-8 months in Korea overseeing the Detailed Engineering before the 18 months execution in Map Ta Phut. The joys of Project Managment.

 

I believe that shite holes and crappy jobs are stepping stones, there is no way I would have worked in the positions I have done (and still do), if I had not gone to where no one else really wants to and demonstrate that I was capable of such.