Purchasing career in Thailand – Looking for advice

Hi everyone!

I'm Julien, working in Purchasing with 8 years of experience in the automotive industry, currently based in France.

I'm seriously planning to relocate to Thailand, ideally Bangkok or the surrounding industrial areas, and I'm currently exploring opportunities within international companies based there.

A bit about my background:

• Currently managing Purchasing activities and a team of buyers

• Experience in strategic sourcing, RFQs, supplier negotiations, cost optimization and supplier management

• Strong exposure to international suppliers and cross-functional teams

• Experience working on R&D and innovation projects

What I'm looking for:

I've already started applying and networking from France, but I'm realizing that getting the first opportunity from abroad can be quite challenging.

So I'd really appreciate any advice from people already working in Bangkok or Thailand:

• Did you manage to secure your position while still living abroad, or did you relocate first?

• Are there multinational/industrial companies you would recommend targeting?

• Do you know recruiters specialized in Purchasing?

• For experienced foreign professionals, is internal mobility generally the most realistic way to secure an expatriate position?

• And of course, if you work in Purchasing or Supply Chain in Thailand, I'd be very happy to connect!

I'm not expecting anyone to find a job for me 🙂 I'm mainly hoping to learn from people who know the Thai market, grow my network and hopefully make the right connections along the way.

Any advice, recommendation, contact or even a quick message would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Julien