My Advice to Those Thinking of Finding Work as an ESL Teacher in Thailand
I was reading Mike’s blog post today on TEFL (see link at the end of article) and I was inspired to write about my own experiences teaching in Thailand. I left this profession almost a year ago, but I was involved with teaching in Thailand for about seven years. I completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) during this time, but ultimately decided that teaching wasn’t for me. You can find out my reasons for this here. Anyway, I just thought that I’d share my experience in the hope that it will help other people who are considering moving to Thailand to teach English.
identically FAQs for Teaching English in Thailand
I occasionally get asked advice from people who want to come work in Thailand; these questions tend to be similar in nature. The idea of staying long-term in an exotic South-East Asian country is tempting; teaching English as a second language (ESL) is one way of doing this. Here are the most common questions that people ask about teaching in Thailand.
Is it necessary to have a degree to teach in Thailand?
Those who wish to work in any job that requires a teacher’s licence will need an academic degree to teach in Thailand. All government schools require teachers to have a teacher’s licence. Getting a work permit is difficult for those without a degree; some would say that it is now almost impossible. There are individuals who do get jobs without a college degree, but these are often of the illegal variety and without a work permit. The penalties for working in Thailand without a work permit are potentially very serious.
Is it easy to find work in Thailand?
This can very much depend on the qualifications and experience a person brings with them. A few years back it was relatively easy for anyone to find work as an ESL teacher, but things have become tougher. Those who have at least a college degree should pick up work relatively quickly depending on the time of year. The school year in Thailand runs about the middle of May until the end of February.
Should people consider working illegally in Thailand?
Foreigners who work illegally in Thailand are quite common, but it is not recommended because the penalties can be high. If caught the individual could be deported and banned from ever returning to Thailand. These people may also have to endure spending time in an immigration prison while deportation is being organized. It is not often that you hear stories of teachers without work permits being deported from Thailand, but this is not to say that it doesn’t happen.
Is it Possible to Make Enough Money Teaching in Thailand to Live Comfortably?
The answer to this question will very much depend on what each person considers as comfortable. The average teacher, outside of Bangkok, only earns about 30,000 THB a month which is about $900 or 660 Euros. Those working in the big cities like Bangkok will tend to make above 45,000 THB, but the cost of living in these places tends to be higher. Those who spend a few years in Thailand will usually find higher paying jobs. If somebody likes to party a lot and needs to have all the western comforts then it can be difficult to survive on a teacher’s wage in Thailand.
Is there an age limit for teaching in Thailand?
The majority of Thai teachers do retire at 62 years old, but this does not seem to apply to foreign teachers. There is often such a high demand for good native speaking ESL teachers that will consider people of all ages.
Karol Bāgh Tips for Those Applying for Work
These are just some tips that come from my own experience. There are probably other teachers here how would disagree with me, but I’ll just provide them anyway.
1. Take care that your CV/ resume looks professional. If you apply for an ESL teaching Job expect the interviewers to show a lot of interest in your documents. Thai interviewers often feel more comfortable with written text in English rather than actually speaking it; they will likely give your resume a lot of attention.
2. When asked, “why do you want to teach here?” do not reply using any of the following; “I love Thailand”, “I have a Thai girlfriend/ boyfriend” or “I miss school”.
3. Do not submit false documents. I am always amazed at the number of people who arrive for a teaching job in Thailand with false documents. This could get you in a lot of trouble. It normally only takes a few minutes on the internet to check fake certificates.
4. Thailand is a famous holiday destination, but you have to get out of holiday mode when you come to your interview. A frequent mistake that people make is to arrive at their interview dressed for the beach. Never wear shorts, sandals, or a t-shirt. Dress as you would to an interview back in your home country; this should mean a shirt and tie. If you can you need to completely hide and tattoos and remove piercings.
5. Speak slowly and smile a lot. The speaking slowly bit has always been hard for me as I really speed up when I’m nervous. A large part of an ESL teaching job is your ability to speak English clearly so use the interview to demonstrate that you can do this.
6. Arrive at the interview prepared to teach a demo lesson. This is another hurdle that those attempting to get and ESL teaching job fall at. Make sure whatever lesson you give shows you off at your best; avoid lessons that are too simplistic like, “what is your name?” and “where do you come from?”
7. Make sure you don’t arrive at the interview stinking of booze or obviously suffering from a hangover.
8. Ask questions about the school; the questions you ask should be also a demonstration of your professionalism.
I no longer teach in Thailand but it was a great experience. I sort of feel that they only way to know if you can do this job is to actually do it. Mike over at Thailand blogs has written a useful post on TEFL; you can read this here.
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Paul a perfect post to compliment what I was writing yesterday. I found it interesting about salaries. I certainly wouldn’t survive at the lower end if I didn’t have pensions.
I still get regular posts from a well known teachers jobs board, I got one yesterday for a Philippines teacher of English, they were offering 13,000 Baht a month! Talk about discrimination.
Which reminds me, how many black African/African American teachers have you met here?
Finally thank you for linking to my article.
We had an American Asian guy apply for a job at our school. He had good qualifications but the administration didn’t think he looked the part – they wanted another whitey for the school photographs. A lot of this has to do with parent’s expectations. Mind you we had another Asian foreign teacher who they did employ who could barely speak English and he was getting paid as much as the western teachers.
Paul a perfect post to compliment what I was writing yesterday. I found it interesting about salaries. I certainly wouldn’t survive at the lower end if I didn’t have pensions.
I still get regular posts from a well known teachers jobs board, I got one yesterday for a Philippines teacher of English, they were offering 13,000 Baht a month! Talk about discrimination.
Which reminds me, how many black African/African American teachers have you met here?
Finally thank you for linking to my article.
Thanks for this useful article, Paul. I agree that although many foreigners choose to work without work permits in Thailand, it is risky and not recommended. Anyone who does get caught without a work permit will need help from lawyers working in Thailand. I think foreigners should try to stick with schools that will provide work permits, and there are many of them out there. Work permits can be brought up at the first job interview or during contract negotiations. Working legally in Thailand cuts visa runs out of your life too, saving time and money. Some schools will even pay for work permit taxes. I think it’s better to be safe and enjoy your experience in Thailand than be sorry and deported.
Hi Jenn, I agree with you that it is always better to ask about the work permit at the initial interview; although some schools/agencies can promise this but then not deliver.
Very good advice for anyone applying for an ESL job, not only in Thailand but anywhere. I teach in Japan but pretty much all of those rules apply here too.
Number 8 is particularly relevant for me. I always have trouble thinking of good questions to ask but always try to ask at least a couple of questions. It makes you look disinterested if you don’t ask anything, and by interviewing the interviewer you can make yourself seem more confident.
Hi Tim, I agree. I think a lot of this is universal. I suppose there are questions that applicants shouldn’t ask like – “how much sick leave can take?” 🙂 At least not until we get the job anyway.
Hello, I am planning to retire in 7 years at age 65 with about $16,000 in retirement income. I am planning to retire to Thailand, but am sick of working here in Canada and am thinking about trying to find work in Thailand now and living by teaching English as a second language. I have a 4 year B.A. in English and would be willing to obtain a certificate in TESL here to qualify me further to teach in Thailand. I speak no Thai but plan to spend a year with the Rosetta Stone course (which I have) in order to prepare myself. I don’t have to emigrate now. I could do so in a year. However, I don’t want to waste my time obtaining a TESL credential without being sure Ill be able to find a suitable job. Id also be giving up a $55,000 job here in Canada. What do you think of this plan? Your comements, pro and con, would be appreciated. Ty.
Hi Alexander, you have a degree in English and that will open many doors for you in Thailand. The only thing you have working against you is your age. This is because many of the Thai teachers retire at around 62 (as far as I remember). This should not stop you from finding work. You clearly have a lot to offer, and there are plenty of other foreigners your age teaching. Once you get your foot in the door you will be fine. Doing the TEFL is a good idea if you have limited teaching experience. If you do a TEFL in Thailand then some of these courses help you find a job at the end.
The downside of teaching in Thailand is that unless you find work in an international school the pay is not very good. If you don’t have some type of affinity for teaching it can be one of the worst jobs in the world. It is a type of profession where you either sink or swim. You have a tough decision. You have to think about how you are going to feel in a few years time – will you regret going or not going the most?
This is a long time since the original post, but I think the simple answer is give it a try. By try, I mean take a month off, come to Thailand and get a TEFL certificate (for about $1,500 USD). The four weeks in-country, the training and teaching experiences, and being in-country will give you enough of a taste to make you think one way or the other. Of course you can never be sure, and there is always a honeymoon period, but it would give you infinitely more insight than discussing it on the Internet.
Hey I think everything you wrote in this article is spot on and gives good insight into the teaching industry in Thailand. I write about my experience in Thailand as well as a black teacher and share my experiences in the classroom and outside it. It be great to connect and hear from you!
-Mike
http://www.farangdam.com
Do people actually do the false document thing? That seems so crazy to me! Aren’t schools a bit more sophisticated than that, or is still the wild west?