Avik Ashar landed his Bangkok startup job through a friend, while Vitaly Podkopaev needed an MBA to get into Agoda. Here is what strategy and business development jobs in Thailand demand, and what they pay.
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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Key Takeaways
- Avik Ashar heard about his startup job through a friend, and networking is still the most reliable way into Bangkok startups.
- Startup work trades job security for experience, so Avik’s advice is to save while you work.
- Zilingo, the startup Avik worked for, has since closed.
- Agoda sets a high bar for business roles, and Vitaly Podkopaev got in with an MBA, a project management certification and years in telecoms.
- Outside tech or a highly specialised field, you’ll need local work experience or Thai language skills to compete.
- English gets you by with senior clients, though some Thai helps with local staff.
- Avik put a comfortable Bangkok salary at THB50,000 to THB60,000 a month in your mid-twenties, rising to THB80,000 to THB100,000 or more once you hit 30.
The Strategists
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes by Avik Ashar and Vitaly Podkopaev, strategists.
It’s hard to pick just one.
This is what Avik Ashar says when asked what his favorite part of his job is.
Casual clothes (shorts for the win), flexible hours, awesome team and energy, Beer Fridays—alternate Fridays at six we crack open a few beers and relax.
Developing and growing a business may be many things, but few associate the process with cracking open a few beers and relaxing. However, Avik works at a startup—and startups tend to do things a little differently.
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