# Teaching English in Thailand



## Esther12

Hi,

I hope someone will be able to reply to my question.

Is it possible for a non-native English teacher to find a job and work legally in Thailand?

Thanks.


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## phanyim

Dear Ester12,

It depend on your experience and skills also nationality. because here Bangkok we have teacher from china Philippines Australia England and more. but not too much from middle east.

FYI.
Peter


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## Esther12

Hi Peter,

thanks for your reply. I am not from the Middle East. I am from Europe. 

Do you happen to know if non-natives manage to get a work permit or they end up working illegally in the country?

Thanks for your help.


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## joseph44

It totally depends on your English skills, your outlook (a caucasian look) and your grade of education. 
If a school would like to hire you as an English teacher, or as a Math, PE or science teacher (in English) they'll find a way to do it legally.

I am out of the "business" for a few years now, but the most important requirements are:
- having at least a BA; preferably in education
- being a native speaker of English (or near native)
- having a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate/diploma (not sure if this is important nowadays).

Not complying with any of the requirements above doesn't mean that finding a job is impossible, it's just pretty easy if you do comply.


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## Esther12

Thank you for your reply Joseph. I guess it would be the easiest to find a job in Bangkok. Can you recommend any other towns where there is a high demand for English teachers.

And what about the salary range. I was browsing a bit and many schools offer 30 000-50 000 BHT. I do realise that one cannot be paid as well as in the Middle East, but somehow I doubt that an expat can live comfortably with 30 000 BHT. I may be wrong. After all, I don't know much about the prices and standard of living in Thailand.

Thanks in advance for your help.


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## joseph44

Salaries is a difficult subject, it depends on a lot of things. 
- the school: is it a private school or a government school
- your employer: is it an agency or the school direct
- hours: are you working per hour or do you have a contract for a certain time

The average salary is THB 30,000-THB 35,000 for a 20-22 hour teaching-week. 
You can "boost-up" your salary by teaching classes in the evening and weekends.

I've HEARD of teachers who made approx. THB 100,000 per month, but they were teaching at a university AND were doing language-consulting work at big international companies.....those are exceptions!!

It is possible to live on THB 30,000 per month, but you may have to scale down your Middle-Eastern lifestyle. There is not much room left for enjoyable activities (nightlife, tours, etc.)

Beware: If you work per hour (is usual if working for agencies) then you won't get paid during holidays. The hourly wages are higher than working on a contract, but you have to take care that you can survive during the school-holidays; of course there will be Summer-school activities and the agency will also have teaching opportunities.


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## Esther12

First of all, I would like to thank you for your time and effort. 

You are really an expert on Thailand.

Since the average teaching salary is approximately € 680- € 790, it would be much more challenging to live there than in the Middle East. You are totally right about scaling down the Middle Eastern lifestyle. I pay my rent here € 350, which is a luxury I couldn’t afford over there, I guess.

Is it common to hire overseas workers or one must be in Thailand to be able to get hired?

And what about the state schools in Thailand?

According to your post, it is possible for a foreigner to work in a state school. That is not the case here, so I am interested in the quality of education in state schools.

Are better job prospects in state or private schools? I assume that the private ones pay much better.

Sorry for annoying you but this is my last year in the Middle East and I have to find my new “country”.

Thanks again and good luck in the World Cup.


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## joseph44

Esther,
Applying for a job from abroad isn't easy. 
You could browse through jobs on ajarn.com and tefl.com and yes, you can even apply on there, however, not being a native English will make things more difficult. 

Rent for housing goes here from Euro 80 for a 24m2 fan-room up to Euro 300 for a semi-detached house of 90m2. I'll leave out the luxury homes which will go up to Euro 1,000-Euro 1,500 per month.

Being in Thailand will enable you to get to interviews instantly;living on a distance will make it easier to decline your application + emails are often not responded to. 

Foreign teachers can work at state schools; often through an agency hired by the local MoE.
Private schools don't pay better, in fact it is more secure to work directly for a govt-school.

I advise you to visit the ajarn.com and tefl.com websites and look at jobs. This will give you a good idea about job-requirements and if you will be able to get a job and what it pays.

BTW....I'm not an expert on Thailand...I'll never be


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## Esther12

Ok. I will check out the websites. Thanks for your meticulous posts.


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## Thaistory

As a non-native speaker myself, I can assure you that if you have the proper qualifications and if you speak the language fluently, you'll be able to find a teaching job in Thailand!


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## KellerCC

At my school we have one German teaching English. He lived in Australia for a few years and is 100% fluent. Also he's very presentable and friendly. That helps. As regards living costs in Bangkok you should be able to earn 35,000-40,000 Baht a month and get a single room for 5000 a month or a very nice place for 8-10,000. You can eat and pay for basic necessities like toiletries for a couple hundred Baht a day if you need to.


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## somtamslap

Yes, but you'll have to be extremely proactive in order to secure employment - smile, smile, smile - and expect a pretty low monthly salary.


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