Not yet, but working at it.
Other than probably in China it's hard to find qualified personnel in Thailand - even to populate and solder a through hole components PCB properly, not speaking about EEs.
There are several German companies wanting to open sales offices including technical representatives in Thailand, but they suffer from the same problem, e.g. a manufacturer of PE pipes with a special technique to join the pipes together. They abandoned the idea to settle in Thailand because of a lack of qualified personnel.
My quality standards are very high, which I have given myself. The circuits I designed for industrial applications never failed within a period of 18 years - that time they became obsolete being replaced by building management computers.
I couldn't employ a non-asian in my company because it's against Thai law.
The only way to get work in Thailand is teaching English at schools. In that case you'll receive a government work permit.
An alternative way - as already described: stay as a monk at a Bhuddist temple for three years and one day. After that time you can do everything in Thailand.
You're welcome in Thailand for a non immigration retirement visa only with a minimum monthly income of 70,000Thai Baht or 800,000 Baht on a bank account (free of interest of course, but monthly charge for book keeping) - not to consume the money. (The average Thai earns 5,000 Baht per month, a farm hand earns 3,000 Baht per month, working 7 days a week and 14 hours per day.
Would you like to work for 20.4 Cents an hour pushing a rice tractor through the mud?
1US$ equals approximately 35Baht.
Bring in the money and keep your mouth shut.
)
Boncuk