Working in Thailand Series: How to be an Underwriter in Thailand

Insurance looks like a closed shop for foreigners in Thailand, yet two expats found a way in: one headhunted from Singapore, one hired after a six-month internship in Bangkok. They explain how they got the jobs and what the work pays.

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 interviews with people in seventeen professions in Thailand. They share what they did to get a job here, the requirements, and what to expect.

Key Takeaways

Foreigners do work in Thai insurance, mostly in specialist roles such as liability underwriting where trained local staff are still scarce.
Industry experience is the strongest selling point, and Wan was headhunted for his track record in young insurance markets.
A multinational insurer with a regional office in Bangkok is the easier way in, and a transfer from your current employer is easiest of all.
An internship can turn into a full-time job, as it did for Ava, especially if you bring a language the company needs.
Headhunters, networking events and friends in the industry opened doors for both interviewees.
Expect a local salary rather than an expat package; the interviewees put the range at roughly THB30,000 to THB100,000 a month when the book was written.
Every foreign employee needs a Thai work permit, ASEAN passport or not.

The Underwriters

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes by Wan Shahrezal and Ava (last name withheld for privacy), underwriters.

Earlier in this book we met Isaac, who held the atypical position (for a foreigner) of legal consultant in Thailand at a Thai company. In this chapter, we’ll meet two foreigners working in a field that many would assume is also strictly off-limits.

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