Welcome back to fitravelife.com!
As I implied on my previous post, I officially left my company in Thailand then become full time bodybuilder to become professional athlete and make my living by my real passion.
This time , I would like to share my experience of resignation from the company in Thailand and my next action from now on. I hope this post will help somebody who are put in same shoes as me.
Verdict for voluntary resignation
Not only by COVID-19 market effect but also decreasing company profit by losing to our competitors’ company, My company finally seems decided to cut some employee after several sets of cost-cut action.
Beginning of June, only management staff was called to have high level meeting about this lay-off. Immediately after this meeting, rumors spread all over the office. When I heard of this, I thought I will be the target, because, company already cut the contract with some other Japanese who has quite high salary. My performance was on average so my relatively high monthly salary (82,000THB) compared to other Thai staff, will be the reason to remove me from the office.
Until the company announces lay-off officially, I was preparing to leave the office and start new life to focus more on my dream and passion to become professional bodybuilder of WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation). Actually I planned to resign by myself on April 2023 so I was really ok whether management fires me or not. Sooner or later I quit the company then give my effort 100% to my goal. Besides, layoff requires company to pay certain amount of severance payment by law, that is beneficial to me while I cannot get anymore if I quit by myself.
Call out by HR
At the very last day of June, almost reaching 5:30 pm finishing working hour time, my phone rang and HR manager called me out to come to a meeting room. My boss also was there in the room so I thought the time has come. HR manager explained how company situation bad is and they really need restructuring to survive in the market. So the company chose me then asked me to resign voluntarily. I was like “What, I have to resign by my will!? No way, this is fraud.” HR manager continued that if I agree to this proposal, the company will provide severance pay to me 9 months of my salary. Well, this amount is even bigger the amount bounded by law (6 months or 180days) in case of dismissal by the company.
Well, at the first time, I didn’t like the idea because this resignation obviously was not decided myself. I even told to HR manager that “Why not fire me? This is part of company’s cost reduction idea, right? If you fire me, you just need to pay 6 months only not 9 months as you offered!”
I was not refusing to this voluntary resignation at all. Well, sooner or later I planned to resign. And on the condition I was offered, I can get money more that I expected. I simply didn’t like that this resignation is “voluntary” which is against my will. They also prepared the voluntary resignation form in advance, written in a terrible English translation so I just signed and put my last day at the end of August on the paper as HR instructed. Well, company does not want me, so I also do not want to stay so just signed the document.
Later on, I knew that the company tries to persuade employee to resign by own will to avoid labor dispute afterwards. In Thailand also, right of labor is protected much by the Law so it is not easy to fire the staff by the company. So as my company, they asked me to resign with the money more than what I can get by dismissal. In case you are fired in Thailand and you think it’s unfair you can ask for help from labor office to sue the company at no cost, as I know. In my case, officially I resigned by my will and signed the paper so there is no point at all to move to court action.
Company gave me 2 more months before resignation day so I completed my job transition to my successors so that they can continue the business as usual.
My dream to follow
That’s all my resignation experience from a Japanese company in Thailand. I totally worked around 5 years, including my other office work career, I spent approximately 10 years in office and I simply feel enough for this kind of work. At this moment, I declare to retire from such office work and decided to dedicate myself to bodybuilding sports which I really want to focus more. At first step, I will become professional bodybuilder of WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation) to attract sponsors to live as athlete. It is not easy one of course but well yes, that’s worth it to make effort to achieve. And most important thing, I can say to everybody that this is my passion, this is what I want to do in my life. Don’t you agree that I should do it if I want to do it because all we live a life one time only.
At the time of leaving the company in Thailand, I checked also national benefit and things to consider. If you are thinking to resign or left from the company, please check below to prepare your new career in life.
Benefit and things to consider after resignation
Unemployment insurance
Whether dismissed or resigned by yourself, you are entitled to receipt of unemployment insurance from social security office as long as you pay social insurance contribution for 6 months within 15 months from resignation.
In my case, I resigned from the company by my will, I can get 90 days of 30% of 15,000THB/month. As far as I know I first have to report to labor office to apply for this insurance and report every month to receive the amount. I will soon process this so I will record my experience for readers.
- Resignation by own: 90 days for 30% of last wage (maximum 15,000THB)
- Dismissal by company: 180 days for 50% of last wage (maximum 15,000THB)
I applied for unemployment insurance on Sep, 2022. Please check my story to receive all allowance.
Social insurance
Social insurance benefit for injury maternity, death and disability insurance is valid within 6 months from termination day, as I researched. For details of each benefits, please check below Social Security Act. section 54 onwards
On January 2023, I could use 900 THB annual medial allowance from social insurance for dental cleaning since it was still within 6 months from the time I ripped of insurance qualification.
Old Age pension
At the time when you reach 55 years old you will have right to receive old age pension benefit from Social security program. If you pay more than 180 months in total , you will receive pension monthly while less than 180 months for one time pension payment. I sill do not know which condition applies to me in 20 years, haha. I will just keep this mind since at least I have eligible to received some amount of money already.
For details, please see Social security act section 76
Severance payment
In case of dismissal by the company, you can get certain amount of severance pay depends on years of your service. In my case, actually I was not dismissed but I could get 6 month for 4 years + work years and bonus additional 3 months.
| Employment period | Severance payment |
| Less than 120 days | No payment |
| 120 days up but less than a year | Wage of 30 days |
| One year but less than 3 years | Wage of 90 days |
| 3 years but less than 6 years | Wage of 180 days |
| 6 years but less than 10 years | Wage of 240 days |
| 10 years but less than 20 years | Wage of 300 days |
| More than 20 years* | Wage of 400 days |
For details, see labor protection act, section 118
Visa
Visa is another problem for me to continuously stay in Thailand after losing business visa (non-immigrant B) support by company. For the meantime, I will stay in Thailand without visa. Without visa, I can stay up to 30 days only so every 30 days, I will go out from the Kingdom then come back to extend my stay. Once I am ordered to obtain suitable visa to stay in Thailand by immigration officer, I will have no choice but consider getting visa maybe student visa by Thai language school for a year.
Visa cancellation process can be submitted 3 weeks earlier prior to my resignation on August 31st. After 5 working days, HR returned my passport with the stamp below says I will have grace period for 15 days up to September 15th so until such time, I have to leave the country first.
Grace period depends on your visa type you hold actually. In my case, since my company is registered as IEAT (Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand) I could have much longer time for 15 days. I heard normal period is 7 days for other visa type, please make sure how many days you will have before you apply for cancellation so as no to overstay in the Kingdom.
Conclusion
Ok, that’s all for my experience for my resignation in Thailand and preparation for next chapter in life! I am so excited to give my 100% to achieve my goal for fitness, I will update the progress in this blog!
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