Thailand is one of the most popular countries to teach in the world and it is easy to see why. This country has modern bustling cities, stunning islands, beaches, tasty food, friendly people and a low cost of living. View our guide to teaching in Thailand and apply for a life changing experience today.
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Country Facts
• Capital: Bangkok
• Dialing code: +66
• Currency: Thai baht
• Population: 69.8 million
• Language: Thai
Top Reasons to Teach in Thailand
Thailand is one of the main destinations for people all over the world. This country is popular with tourists, expats, and English teachers alike. This country is cheap, filled with friendly locals, has beautiful beaches, and great nightlife. Thailand is a good country to teach English in as a lot of young teachers go there and you can meet a wide variety of people. Moreover, people tend to stay there for a long time so for those looking for an older crowd, you will find that too.
TEFL Courses in Thailand
If you aren’t already TEFL certified you can take a course in Thailand with one of these companies:
• Entrust TEFL
• See TEFL
• Visions TEFL
Teaching Jobs in Thailand
Are you wondering what type of teaching job could you expect to find in Thailand? When it comes to teaching in Thailand, there are several types of schools where a prospective teacher might find work.
Firstly, it should be noted that legally, to teach at a government school in Thailand, one needs a university degree in order to obtain a work permit. This is not a requirement to teach at some language schools, or for example, to teach staff at a resort. There are also opportunities for non-degree holders in some other countries in SE Asia, and we do have contacts in these countries.
Right, so that aside, you might have heard some terms referring to age groups, and not known what they are. Here’s a brief break down:
• Anuban refers to what we know in the West as Kindergarten.
• Pratom (P1 to P6) is primary/junior school, and is from age 7 to 12.
• Matayom (M1 to M6) is high/senior school and is from age 13 to 18. From M4, school is not compulsory, but M4-M6 is required in order to get into university.
School is free for Thais at the government ‘temple schools’. These offer very basic facilities, and seldom can they afford foreign teachers. Some do, and such an English teacher would typically find themselves teaching big classes (up to 60 children), and won’t have air-con or many resources. There would usually be internet access.
Thailand also has government and private schools of a higher standard – parents pay in for their children to attend these schools. These can vary a lot with regards to facilities, but will most certainly offer more than temple schools. Lessons are taught in Thai, except, of course, for English as a subject.
English Program (EP) Schools
These can be Government or private. What happens here is that ALL subjects are taught in both English and Thai and all classes will have both a foreign and a Thai teacher. Some schools offer both the regular syllabus, as well as the EP syllabus, so parents can pay in extra for their children to attend the English Program. TEFL teachers often find themselves teaching other subjects as well as English at these schools, and Maths and Science teachers are in high demand, so if your degree is based on one of these, you’ll have no problem finding work in an EP school. Facilities in these schools are usually very good.
International Schools
An International School needs to meet certain criteria in order to be accredited by various bodies. One might find a British International School (teaching a UK curriculum) or an American International School (teaching a US curriculum) or even a French, German or Canadian International School for example. These schools represent the schooling system in their respective countries, and so teachers here need to have a PGCE (post graduate certificate of education), Education degree, or equivalent.
Language Schools
As the name suggests, these teach only languages. Some teach only English, others, teach Thai (for foreigners), Mandarin, or European languages too. Should you find yourself teaching at a language school, you may be teaching children (after school hours) or adult classes. Adult classes are often not only Thai students, but also Russian, French and other expats who want to improve their English skills. Hours at a language school would be more afternoons, evenings and weekends, with teachers often getting Mondays and Tuesdays off instead of weekends.
Universities
English teachers are often required at Thai universities, for English courses that they run. The level of English would usually (not always!) be of a higher standard, so you’d need to be confident in your grammar skills too.
Teaching in a Business
Many an English teacher has the dream of teaching at a 5-star resort on a tropical island – yes these jobs DO exist, but they’re not so easy to find! You’d usually be expected to come up with your own curriculum, which needs to be focussed on the language that the staff members require in order to perform their jobs. The lessons you’d offer to the spa staff would not be the same as to the accounting staff, for example. There’s also the opportunity to teach corporate staff, usually in Bangkok. English teachers who teach to a very specific field, such as corporate, hospitality or medical, would usually have a background in that field themselves, as they would know the correct terminology and jargon which would apply to the industry.
Online Teaching
This is a fast-growing industry, with many teachers choosing to teach online rather than face-to-face. The same techniques apply as with a classroom, but lessons are usually to individuals. There are many websites offering online teaching, with most students being in China. It’s imperative that you still dress professionally, plan lessons, and have a strong internet connection. Pay is between 10-20 USD per hour on average.
So there you have it. The low-down on the type of teaching jobs you’d find in Thailand.
TEFL Jobs in Thailand
Once TEFL certified you can apply for jobs at private, international and language schools. Some of the most popular destinations with foreigners to find jobs and live in Thailand include: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
These companies offer TEFL jobs in Thailand:
Requirements
In order to get a work visa in Thailand, you need a TEFL degree. But that requirement is often ignored. Most schools will simply want someone with a BA from a university and will hire you under the table. There is a lot of underground work here in Thailand where teachers are paid in cash. This happens even in big language schools. If you are going to get a working visa, you will need a TEFL and depending on the school, maybe a bachelor’s degree. For international schools, you will need to be a certified teacher and have a few years experience. For corporate training, you won’t need to have an MBA but you will need to have a few years work and teaching experience.
Visa
In order to work in Thailand legally, you need to have a work permit and a non-immigrant B visa, and you must apply for this at a Thai embassy outside of the country. To apply for this visa, you need to have the completed visa application, a letter confirming your job offer from your employer, and two passport-sized photos. Your employer might also need to provide documents related to their company registration. Many times, your visa can be processed the next day, but it can also take longer.
If you decide to come to Thailand to find work, once you do, you’ll need to do a “visa run,” where you leave to go to a nearby country to get your Thai visa legally. Some employers will also hire English teachers illegally, but in this case, you’d have to step out of the country every three months in order to renew your tourist visa, which can get costly and annoying.
Once you receive the non-immigrant B visa, you are allowed to enter the country. You then need to complete more forms, provide more photos, and give your passport to your employer so they can complete the rest of the application on your behalf. After that is done, you need to visit the Department of Labor in person to sign your work permit and have it laminated.
You will then bring your work permit and visa to the Immigration Department, where they will extend the visa in your passport for another 12 months from when you originally entered the country. Lastly, you need to go to the Tax Department to get a tax card, which should always be kept on you. You will also need this tax card if you decide to change jobs, so make sure you don’t lose it.
Salaries
Salary rates for teaching English will depend on many different factors, such as a teacher’s qualifications and experience, the place where you work, public kindergarten, schools. Colleges and universities or private institutions or even corporations or holiday resorts. (complete sentence fragment.) Usually private institutions pay better than public schools, but also it depends on the size of the organization. A private university might find you earning quite good money for only 15 hours of teaching a week.
For a native speaker without experience, a degree and a freshly minted TEFL Certificate, the starting salaries can range from THB 25,000-40,000 and up depending on the region of the country and the type of school. Wages in Bangkok are usually the best in the country. Popular tourist destinations such as Phuket, Samui and Krabi will often pay a bit less as many people will want to work and live there.
Teachers can expect to make an average salary of about THB 36,000-45,000 ($1,160.91-1,451.14 USD) at the language schools and public schools in the larger cities in Thailand. In the smaller towns, you can earn about THB 20,000-35,000 ($ 644.95-1,128.66USD). Working at a university, you can make about THB 25,000 ($806.19 USD), and you will have a better chance of doing private tutoring here as well. Corporate training and test prep jobs generally pay 600 THB per hour. International schools pay 80,000 to 120,000 THB per month.
Cost of Living
A Thai lifestyle costs about 10,000 Baht a month and, unless you are a serious party animal, you can live a western/Thai lifestyle for about 20,000 Baht. If you live a complete western lifestyle, expect to pay around 30,000 Baht or more, depending on how nice your apartment is. Life in Thailand is relatively easy. Teaching here is simple and basic, the nightlife is really good, there are lots of people around, and you won’t be expected to bring any work home. The food is also very good and very cheap. A typical Thai meal will cost 30 Baht ($1 USD). Western meals cost around 120-200 Baht. Life in Thailand is really good – chaotic and crazy but in a good way. Life in Thailand. If you plan on staying for long time, you will earn some money but this isn’t the place to make big bucks quick.
Accommodation
Some recruiters offer accommodation for free. If your job doesn’t include somewhere to stay, this is a general guide to costs:
Budget: Bht 130-300 (back packer areas)
Mid-range: Bht 500-1000 (2-3 stars)
High: Bht 2000-3500 (4 stars)
Deluxe: Bht 4000 + (5 stars)
Small, Thai style apartments can be had for as little as 2,500 Baht in the suburbs of Bangkok. These usually have one room, a bathroom and no kitchen. They are usually quite spartan. Pay around 4,000 to 5,000 Baht for a larger, more comfortable apartment or one that is closer to amenities. Contracts are generally a minimum of 3 months or more with 2 months deposit.
For those who are willing to live in the suburbs and perhaps be a motorcycle taxi ride away from public transport, you can find some real bargains. Two or three storey houses can be rented for as little as 6,000 Baht. Unfortunately these require some knowledge of Thai and/or perhaps a Thai friend or partner to do the communicating. These are usually found by people who have been in the country for some time and who are intending to stay on. The houses are usually unfurnished, so you’ll have to splurge on everything from a bed to a hot water heater for the bathroom.
For those prepared to spend more, very comfortable apartments or condominiums are available in the city for 15,000 to 25,000 Baht, and more.
Thailand TEFL Reviews & Testimonials
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