What is a gemmologist's salary today in Bangkok?

Leel · **Joined:** Mon Aug 02, 2021 4:45 am **Posts:** 7

How much does a FGA/GG experienced gemmologist get paid in Bangkok? At laboratories such as GRS, Guild, Lotus?

Kyriakin · **Joined:** Mon Feb 08, 2016 2:25 pm **Posts:** 17

I don't know about the other two, but i believe Lotus's staff consists of Richard Hughes, his wife and his daughter, so is probably not applicable to this discussion.

It should also be noted that Thailand has a strict 4:1 rule for Thais vs. foreigners, and it is therefore a huge advantage to be able to do something Thai nationals cannot do to the same standard.

In 2023, this essentially only amounts to language-related advantages, whereby the ability to teach, write, sell (etc.) in a non-Thai language (especially Mandarin) is what will make you worthy of using up a precious spot within an organisation's 20% foreigner quota.

Unfortunately, unless you are a bearded industry titan, the role of a hands-on gemologist doesn't really fit this criterion. Or, to put it another way, a Thai national can do an exclusively-gemological role just as well as you or I and, when language, cultural and legal considerations are applied, probably better.

For the record, I did a few years in BKK as a native English-speaking gem/jewellery copywriter (e.g. course materials, lab reports, adverts, magazine articles, etc.) and was on about 55k Baht/month. Don't know if this is the going rate, but it was fine for me.

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