A lot of people email me and ask about what sort of jobs are on offer to foreigners in Phuket. My answer is always rather bleak - there isn’t a whole lot of work down here. If you’re a language teacher, or at least if you want to work as one, there are plenty of opportunities to work in local schools, but I’m unsure exactly how rewarding such a route is after seeing the state of some of Phuket’s language teachers.

Phuket attracts a bunch of budding photographers, who usually come to the island with more talent than they find the local media scene can cope with. There are some really good photographers in Phuket, but finding well-paid work is a challenge. If you want to be paid to take photographs in Phuket, you need to network, network and network and then the jobs will come up.

For writers, the island is a lot more forgiving. There are countless publications in Phuket and the Andaman region that will pay decent money for travel articles. It’s just a case of finding them. A number of Bangkok publications will also pay you to write about bits and pieces in Phuket. Again, networking will open up new possibilities.

Another popular line of business is property, but if you’re thinking of going down this route, you will need to be well connected and have a solid game plan. The property market in Phuket is utterly over saturated.

If you want to work in Phuket, you need to meet people and understand the way the island works. It can be a little cliquey at times, but if you can get your foot in, the rest will follow.

This post was written by Matt from Phuket Vogue and Thailand’s Lost Boy.

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