Working in Thailand Series: How to be a Journalist in Thailand

Two journalists in Bangkok, a foreign correspondent and a digital travel producer, explain how they got hired, why reliability beats a degree, and what the job pays, from THB60,000 a month for entry-level editing to THB300,000 and up.

The following post is a chapter from our book, Working in Thailand: How to Ditch the Desk, Board the Flight, and Land the Job, written by Patrick Taylor and Karsten Aichholz.

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Our premium subscribers get access to this book for free, including the interviews with people in seventeen professions in Thailand. They shared what they did to successfully get a job here, the requirements, and what to expect.

Key Takeaways

Bangkok works as a base for covering all of South-East Asia and even India, not only Thailand.
A journalism degree helps, but freelancing, internships and a portfolio of published work matter more.
Most jobs come through word of mouth, so a reputation for clean copy handed in on time is what gets you hired.
Pay ranged from about THB60,000 a month for entry-level editing to over THB300,000 for managers at international media companies when the book was written.
Local English-language publications pay less than international media, but they have more openings.
Freelancers get freedom to pick their stories, and no social security or pension.
Foreign correspondents based in Thailand need the media visa (Non-Immigrant M), a work permit and usually a press card.