66% of Thai job seekers open to international relocation

Insights at both global and national levels have been uncovered through the Global Talent Survey 2024, created by JobStreet and Jobsdb under SEEK, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network as the global partner.

This research aims to understand shifts in work locations and the desired work styles of global talent, gathering input from around 150,000 participants across 180 countries. The global survey results are based on a large and diverse sample, covering key job seeker markets.

Key Summary

●    Mobility Trends: Over 63% of workers are open to relocating for their careers, compared to 71% pre-Covid.

●    Job Search Enthusiasm: 25% of workers are actively looking for jobs abroad, driven by expectations of a better quality of life and higher salaries.

●    Virtual Mobility Trends: 66% of Southeast Asian workers are interested in working remotely for companies based in other countries without relocating, indicating high virtual mobility. Additionally, 76% of Thai professionals are now open to working overseas, a substantial increase from 50% in 2020.

●    Thai Talent Pursuing More International Opportunities: 66% of Thai talents are considering relocating abroad, with 79% of these being young professionals eager to make the move. Their main motivations include pursuing career advancement, higher salaries, and gaining more experience from international experience. Although the numbers have not yet reached pre-pandemic heights observed in 2018, the growing interest in 2023 signals a trend toward "brain drain," especially among talent in education and training, law, business management, and IT sectors.

●    Strategic Approach to Attract Global Talent: To establish international standards that attract global talent, organizations should offer support for relocation, visa, and housing management, and foster an inclusive culture at work. These strategies will help attract and retain top global talent.

Thailand: A Top Destination for Global Job Seekers
Thailand has been ranked as a top destination for global job seekers, climbing up from 39th to 31st since the global rankings in 2018. The country has successfully attracted 62% of international talents to its organizations, drawn by Thailand's quality of life, friendly and inclusive culture, and affordable living costs. As of March 2023, research indicates that Thailand employs over 2.7 million foreign employees, making up to 7% of Thailand's labour force.

Top Destination for Thai Job Seekers

79% of Thai job seekers are young talents interested in working abroad, likely influenced by various factors. This includes a strong dedication to career growth, especially in fields like education and training. In contrast, those in sectors such as financial services, administration and secretariat show less interest in relocating, possibly indicating an abundance of rewarding opportunities within the country. .

Top destinations for Thai respondents include Singapore, Australia, the United States, and as well as China which may be influenced by regional relationships, market potential, and cultural connections. As a result, 60% of Thai professionals working abroad plan to return, while 18% have chosen to stay abroad with no plan to return.

Job Field that is Willing to Relocate 

Education & Training: 85% of Thai legal professionals are seeking international roles to expand their legal expertise and build a global network.

Law: 73% of Thai legal professionals are pursuing international positions to enhance their legal skills and develop a global network.

Business Management: Business executives are seeking job opportunities abroad, particularly in Singapore and Hong Kong, to advance in marketing, digital media, and the AI industry.

IT: IT professionals are committed to working in technologically advanced countries like the United States to enhance their knowledge in software development, data science, data analytics, and collaborative development and operations.

Engineering: Engineers are eager to work for large, comprehensive organizations, with 69% expressing a willingness to relocate for their jobs.

International Remote Work Trends

The remote work trend has significantly increased worldwide including Thailand. Since 2020, the demand among Thai professionals for remote work or jobs that do not require relocation has risen from 50% in 2020 to 76% in 2023. This growing inclination towards virtual work might offer insights into the relatively stagnant interest in physically relocating abroad; if work can be conducted virtually in Thailand, the necessity for physical relocation diminishes. 

Strategic Information for Entrepreneurs in Thailand
Develop a Global Talent strategy:

1.    Plans to seek International Talent: To address future talent shortages, Thai employers should engage in strategic workforce planning especially in high-skilled fields and may consider targeting the working population from nearby countries like Singapore and Malaysia, who are the most interested in relocating to Thailand for work.

2.    Attract and Recruit Global Talent: To attract top international talents, Thai businesses need to revisit their employee value proposition, focusing on aspects that matter to global workers like quality of life, welcoming culture, compensation, taxes, and living costs. Partnering with recruitment platforms that have extensive regional networks, such as SEEK, can also broaden their reach in finding suitable candidates.

3.    Relocation and Onboarding: Thai employers should assist global employees relocating to Southeast Asia including assistance with visas, housing, and relocation. Additionally, providing structured onboarding and effective orientation can facilitate their adjustment during the first months.

4.    Global Talent Integration & Retention: To unlock the potential of organizational culture, it is essential to create an inclusive workplace by using English as the working language and promoting diversity through cross-cultural teams, bias training, and respect for different customs.

According to the ‘Decoding Global Talent Survey 2024’ by Jobsdb by SEEK, this showcases significant growth in Thailand as an attractive destination for professionals, both in terms of career opportunities and improved quality of life, while Thais' interest in working abroad is clearly increasing. Adjusting strategies to attract and retain talented employees is therefore essential to respond to these rapidly changing 

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