WORKING AND SETTLING IN ASIA

by various contributors to Long Yang Club International

If you want to work or settle in East and South-east Asia, this may become a reality for you if you are really determined. Some planning and research , however, need to be done. For this article, we did some research for you, but should you wish to know more, there are references to enable you to carry out further research

Q: "Just where do I start? Which country should I choose? Asia's such a large continent."

A: "Many people visit a country before they decide to work or settle there, some do that several times. Although visiting the place is not the same as living and working there, at least they can get a better 'feel' for the environment and its people. You can also get hold of the local English language newspapers and browse through the 'vacancies' columns to see if there is anything that may be of interest to you and for which you might qualify."

Q: "Do some Asian countries have more jobs for expats than others?"

A: "Yes, if you look at the countries with low unemployment and a high rate of economic growth like Malaysia and Singapore, they offer better opportunities for expats. Hong Kong is also very attractive in spite of the fact it has been taken back by China. Opportunities in China itself are increasing at an unbelievable rate as the ‘Middle Kingdom’ opens its doors and its economy expands. The number of Western companies in China has increased significantly over the years, and Shanghai and Beijing now have substantial number of expats, the same also applies to Japan.

In the past, Thailand being a ‘labour exporting country’ may not have had too many opportunities for expat workers, but as the Thai economy has grown, this has changed. There is now a substantial expat population, including a significantly gay expat community in Thailand, thanks to its economy."

Q: "Do some people get work whilst they are on a visit to one of these countries?"

A: "Sometimes, but that is not usual . More often, in the case of senior positions you are invited for an interview and you may be sent an air ticket plus hotel accommodation and expenses to come over . In other words, you'd get a free trip."

Q: "That's interesting, but what are the more common ways of getting to work there?"

A: You look at what kinds of professional skills are in demand and then try to match what you can offer to fill it. For instance, if you are an engineer, check advertised vacancies in www.expatengineer.net  on the web. The web is really wonderful and enables you to specify your country of choice. For jobs in China, try www.chinapulse.com/jobs. For jobs in any country in general, try the www.overseasdigest.com.  For chefs, check the Global Chef site www.globalchefs.com/career/showcase/coj009wor.htm

Q: "What other fields and professions are there?"

A: "It would be a long list top put them all down. But basically, most professions and qualified skills are in demand-accountancy, medicine, law, teaching, management, finance, lecturing, computer programming, PR & advertising, travel, hotel management, interior design etc. It would be an advantage if you have working experience behind you in addition to your degree and/or qualifications as you will now be competing with many of the Asian graduates there , many of whom qualified in the West. But one of the jobs most in demand for a Westerner, is to teach English especially if that is his mother tongue. Obviously, competence in the local language is a big advantage.”

Q: "Really? Please tell me more..."

A: "It is one of the most popular ways to live and work in the region. You don't need to have a qualification but having completed a Teaching-English-//as-a-Foreign-Language (TOEFL) course gives you an edge. Two of the most recognised TOEFL courses are the RSA/Cambridge TEFLA (Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults) and Trinity College TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). These courses are quite expensive, but you can take it full time for 4 weeks or part time over several months. The advantage of going to one of the colleges is that they usually have a list of establishments which they could recommend for you to teach in overseas. Check beforehand if these placements are Asian countries."

Q: "How do I get more information?"

A: If you are in Europe, go to International House www.ihlondon.com which provide information on TEFL courses in the UK. In North America, check the TEFL websites at www.teflcourse.net. Apart from the list of colleges offering these courses, there are jobs available on the net. You can check the net if you are in other Western countries too.

If you wish to teach English in Japan, go to www.teaching-english-in-japan.net

Q: "Supposing I don't fancy any of the above options are there other ways I can be in Asia?"

A: "Yes. You could be a consultant in a certain field, or work for a company (in your country) that has business interests in that region. You could be sent there on business and enjoy the perks of business class travel and deluxe class hotel accommodation. If you are a good writer, you could also become a writer for many of the English language magazines that is thriving out East."

"...And if you have good looks..."

Interjection: "I do, I do..."

A: "....you may even try to become a model for a modelling agencies! In Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan, sometimes you find they have Western models in their advertisments. A surprise perhaps in some Asian countries is that you find expats doing jobs like being a building worker or a bar tender

"And if you are so inclined, you could also become a volunteer worker –check websites like www.sci-ivs.org  or www.vfp.org

Or else, you could become an adult student or retire out East."

Q: "Becoming an adult student or retire out East ? You can't be serious!"

A: " Why not? Thousands of Western students have studied Mandarin Chinese in Universities in Taiwan, and whilst there some of them moonlight by teaching English. We even have a Long Yang Club member who has done this! " Just put “Study Mandarin Taiwan” in your web search and you will find information to links like www.aacircle.com.au/mandarin.htm  or www.studyabroadinternational.com/Taiwan/Taichung/Taiwan_Taichung.htm

"For those who feel they could retire, they might like to look into the Philippines or Thailand. The Philippines is particularly attractive to retirees - the government even set up an organisation called the Philippine Leisure Retirement Authority (www.plra.gov.ph/home.php) to encourage foreigners and ex-Filipino citizens to retire in the country."

"What's more you can apply to retire even when you are only 35 years old!"

Q: "Wow! Please do tell more"

A: If you are 35-49 years old, you'd need US$75000 but if you are 50 years old or older , it's only US$50,000. They also offer benefits, like exemption from customs duties for importation of personal effects worth US$7,000, multiple entry to the Philippines, tax-free interest from money deposits in a Philippine Bank account. (check to see if that bank if recognised for this exemption). And the same goes for pensions and annuities remitted to the Philippines. You can get more details plus a leaflet "How To Get An Indefinite Multiple Entry Visa In 5 Days" from the Philippine Embassy or the Philippine Dept of Tourism office nearest to you."

Malaysia has its own retirement program called Malaysia My Second Home (formerly known as the ‘Silver Hair Program’!). You have to have savings of Malaysian Ringgit RM100,000 or monthly income of RM7,000. There is no age limit and you do not have to have silver hair to qualify. For details go to www.expat.com.my/silverhair.htm. Or write to the Malaysian Immigration services at www.imi.gov.my.

You can also retire in Thailand. Some of the requirements include a minimum age of 50 years old, the applicant must have no criminal record in Thailand or their home country, and his passport must be valid for at least 18 months. Go to www.thai-la.net/visa/retire.htm for more info. For tips on retiring in Thailand, go to OR http://www.retirement-resort.com/thailand/

A site on retiring overseas is at http://www.escapeartist.com/retirement/Overseas_Retirement2.html

Q: "Going back to seeking work, are the embassies of any help?"

A: " It depends. In London, the Singapore High Commission which seems almost to go to great lengths to help provide info to expats to work there. It also has a good reference library with local newspapers. The Japanese embassy provides a free booklet which though is in English, is rather complicated

As an additional tip - if you wish to live in Thailand, and if you are a Long Yang Club member ( from any of the LYC groups in any city), you can get in touch with Long Yang Club-Thailand in Bangkok (website www.longyangclub.org and email Thailand@longyangclub.org ) in Bangkok and they could give you some advice. Likewise for Manila, contact LYC Manila (website: www.longyangclub.org/manila , email manila@longyangclub.org) and for Hong Kong, LYC Hong Kong may be able to assist (website: www.longyangclub.org/hongkong  email: hongkong@longyangclub.org). Some members are expats living there so they may be able to give you some extra tips."

Q: "How is life living and working there? Will I get 'culture shock' "

A: "You may get 'culture shock' but to what degree depends on where you live in Asia. If you live in say Singapore, Hong Kong, or Kuala Lumpur which are relatively westernized, life working there should be quite similar to the West. However, if you are going to work in some off-the-beaten-track area where the locals have little contact with the rest of the world, life would be quite different. You would also find attitudes of people may also be different. However, if you have mixed with Asian members in Long Yang Club, you should not find that people there will surprise you too much.

What is important to note too is that if you are working for a Western company , or sent by a Western company to work there, your standard of life would most probably be comparable, if not higher than if you are in your home country. This is because you would most probably be paid in the level you would be paid at home, and that is usually higher than in many Asian countries. In addition , they tend to have additional overseas allowances.

However, if you work for an Asian company, you may find some unwelcome surprises. Working hours can be long and leisure times and holidays limited by Western standards, and the bosses can be very demanding.

Check out http://www.thailandtips.com for Thailand. For tips on moving and living in the Philippines, go to http://www.livinginthephilippines.com. At www.expat.com.my  provides useful information in Malaysia. For expats life in Hong Kong, go to www.asiaexpat.com.hk. And for Singapore, try www.expatsingpore.com. For Japan, try www.japan-guide.com/e/e625.html. For Taiwan, try www.taipei.asiaxpat.com  OR www.outpostexpat.nl/taiwan.html. For Korea, go to http://www.outpostexpat.nl/korea.html 

A very good site on avoiding culture shock is at http://www.asiatraveltips.com/AvoidingCultureShock.shtml

Q: "What about the gay life?"

A: " There are gay bars in practically all major Asian cities (except perhaps in Burma ). If you are in Bangkok, Asia's gay capital, it is no problem although for those expats who wish to have an Asian lover who is not a bar boy, he may have to spend a little more time find one! (That's why LYC-Thailand was formed for gay professional Thais, Asians and Western friends!) In Malaysia, although homosexuality is officially illegal , the authorities tend to close one eye .

There are gay bars in KL and Penang. Gay life in both Tokyo and Hong Kong is quite enjoyable. For the former, there are only certain selected bars that welcome Westerners (whilst some are catered only for Japanese clientele), and for the latter, whilst the gay life is now quite good, most gays are still rather closeted . Taipei has some gay bars and sauna but they may be rather difficult to find unless you read Chinese! Gay life in the Philippines is not bad if you are in Manila - but it's always good to have a local friend to show you where to go. Singapore has several bars, the best one is Vincent's. However, the island state has a strong anti-gay police authority that has sent officers to gay establishments and took names and pictures of patrons."

The best source of gay Asian bars, clubs and other venues remains to be Utopia-Asia (www.utopia-asia.com) and Dragoncastle Gay Asian site at http://dragoncastle.net . Fridae (at www.fridae.com ) is also recommended.

You might like to get to know friends in Asia before you go. Try personal ads like Long Yang Club’s own personals for free. (www.longyangclub.org/newsite/personals.htm)

Q: "What other things should I think of before I go to work in an Asian country?"

A: "This article is just a 'starter'. You might like to find out, if you have a job offer, what the salary is - and is that the gong rate in that country? Do you get any "perks" or overseas allowance? .

"Also consider, is the work environment changing? In Singapore for instance, an expat may have to work with the same employment and pay conditions as a local - no more expat overseas allowance and 'perks'. What is the cost of living and the income tax level and other taxes? Can you stand the weather? Is there a need for air-conditioning? Do they have reciprocal agreement with your country on taxes? Are you used to the food there and is Western food readily available? Are recreational facilities available? You should also be able to make a list of your own once you get the ball rolling. Good luck!"

© Long Yang Club International, 2004.

The article is only a reference resource. The information can change, and the readers should take responsibility to check their information to ensure it is correct. The author or Long Yang Club International do not take any responsibility for the outcome of any actions of the individuals

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