Thai or English Resume: Which One Should You Use?
How to decide between a Thai and an English resume based on the posting, company and role, plus common mistakes in English resumes written by Thai applicants.
You find an interesting posting. It is written entirely in Thai, but the job title is in English and the company is a joint venture with a foreign partner. The immediate question: which language should your resume be in? Will English look like too much, or Thai look like not enough? There is a principle that works in almost every case.
The simple rule: use the language your reader works in
A resume is the document that makes the reader decide to interview you. The reader may be HR, a hiring manager and a screening system. The best language is the one they work in and search with, not the one that makes you look most impressive.
What to look at
1. The language of the posting
If the posting is entirely in English, send English. If it is entirely in Thai, Thai usually fits better. If it says explicitly, for example "please send an English resume", always follow that.
2. Company type
- Multinationals, or companies with foreign managers: English, because your resume may be forwarded to someone who does not read Thai.
- Thai companies, family businesses, government agencies: Thai is often easier for the reader.
- Startups and tech companies: many use English in working documents. Check the company website and its job posts.
3. The role
For roles that use English daily, such as international coordination, foreign clients or regional teams, an English resume is the first evidence you can use the language. For roles mainly serving domestic customers, Thai is enough.
Should you keep both?
If you are applying to several types of jobs, having both versions helps a lot, but every detail must match: job titles, company names, dates and figures. If you update one, update the other. Do not put both languages in one file, as it becomes long and hard to read, unless a company specifically asks for it.
Common mistakes in English resumes
- Literal translation from Thai, such as "Responsible for take care customer". Better: "Managed a portfolio of 40 key accounts".
- Full sentences starting with I. English resumes usually start bullets with verbs such as Led, Built, Reduced.
- Mixed tenses. Use present tense for your current job and past tense for previous ones, consistently.
- Details international resumes usually leave out, such as religion, weight or height, unless the role asks for them.
- Self-translated job titles. Use the titles common in your field so you are easier to find.
Example of rewriting a bullet
Before (translated from Thai): "Took care of preparing the monthly sales report for executives."
After: "Built a monthly sales report in Excel for the leadership team, cutting preparation time from three days to one."
Name, education and contact details in the English version
- Name: spell it exactly as in your passport or official documents, and use the same spelling on your resume, LinkedIn and email. If you use a nickname at work, add it in brackets, for example Nattaya (Mind) Srisuk.
- Phone: for foreign companies or overseas roles, use the international format +66 followed by your number without the leading 0.
- University and faculty: use the institution's official English name; do not translate it yourself.
- Degree: write the degree name as it appears on your English-language certificate.
What level of English is enough
You do not need elegant English, but it must be correct and consistent. Simple, correct words beat difficult words used wrongly. Remember that if you send an English resume, you may be interviewed in English too, so the language level on your resume should match what you can really speak.
A good English resume is not measured by vocabulary, but by how quickly the reader understands your results.
How to start
- Look at the language of postings and the type of company you apply to most.
- Finish your main version in that language first, then create the other.
- Ask someone who uses English at work to read the English version, or use a grammar checker.
- Check that both versions match line by line before sending.
If you are applying abroad, read more on resumes for overseas jobs and preparing for English job interviews, then let Resume Lab check both versions.