thailand tefl

8/6/2019 Thailand TEFL

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TEFL Jobs in THAiLAnD A Guide to Teaching English in Thailand



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C H i A n G M

A i

P H U K

E T

b A n G K

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For people who regardquality of life as moreimportant than how muchyou earn, Thailand isperhaps Asia’s top TEFLdestination. There are plenty o jobs, the wages are pretty

good, the cost o living is low and teaching in Thailand allows

TEFLers to explore the country. Add that to the act that Thai people aregenuinely outgoing and welcoming and it’s easy to see why Thailand is such a top TEFL

destination.

TEFL J Thalad: A Lttle backgrud Thailand is amous in the West or two main things: tourism and political unrest. Luckily

or TEFL teachers ,Thailand’s second claim to ame doesn’t seem to have any negative

eect on the rst. Despite a recent history o military coups and civil protest, a growingnumber o people choose to visit the country each year. This growth in tourism, and the

comparative wealth it aords those who manage to jump onboard the gravy train has

lead to an ever-increasing demand or trained TEFL teachers.

opprtute fr TEFL Teacher The English Language market in Thailand is well established

and well organised: newcomers to the country are

guaranteed to nd lots o opportunities in local newspapersand job sites. A well

respected TEFL

qualication will make

nding a TEFL job a

little easier and will

set you up or the

challenges ahead.



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TEFL JHtpt Thalad

There are

opportunities to

teach English in pretty

much every town and city in

Thailand. We’ve chosen the three cities

below because o the sheer number

o jobs and because they each oer

a slightly dierent insight into modern lie in

Thailand.

bagkk

Bangkok is home to a huge and well organized TEFL industry. There are thousands o

language schools across the city, as well as TEFL jobs in universities, state schools and

private business colleges. The Bangkok Post and www.ajarn.com are always ull o TEFL

jobs and the demand or people with a respected TEFL certicate seems to be growing

all the time. Despite the seemingly constant demonstrations and problems the city aces,

Bangkok remains one o the world’s truly great cities.

Chag Ma

Not only is Chiang Mai awash with language schools and

TEFL jobs, it’s also one o the most attractive and laid back

cities in the country. In act when you speak to Thais in

Bangkok or Southern Thailand, a major topic o conversation

will be whether you’ve been to Chiang Mai, and i not when

will you be going. People rom all over Northern Thailand

(and Laos) come to Chiang Mai to learn English (primarily toget involved in Thailand’s huge tourist industry). The demand

or teachers in Chiang Mai is sky high and the city is a lot less

politically volatile than the capital, Bangkok. It’s also a good

base to explore the hill country o northern Thailand.

Phuket

Think o Phuket and one thing should spring to mind: tourism.

Many people who visit Thailand will fy straight into Phuket airport, head o to a beach

somewhere and then fy back out o Phuket. And while they’re in the country, they



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won’t expect to have to learn any o the local lingo. Which is why Phuket is such a great

place or TEFL teachers. Not only are there lots o Thais who want to get involved in the

tourism industry, but teaching English in Phuket during the week allows you to spend the

weekends chilling out on the palm-ringed beaches o Phuket Island, Koh Phi Phi and

Koh Lanta.

shw Me the Mey! Wage ad Ct f Lvg Thalad Wage

Obviously that depends on your level o training and experience,

but with a degree, a respected TEFL qualication and all the relevant

paperwork you can expect to earn a starting salary o around 30,000

Baht a month, but that could be as high as 60,000 depending on yourexperience and the location o the school.

Ct f Lvg

Living in Thailand is pretty cheap. A decent apartment in Bangkok would maybe set you

back 7,000 Baht a month, in other cities and rural areas it will probably be about hal that

amount. All the un stu is pretty cheap in Thailand too. A tasty two course meal at a

local night market and a reezing cold Singha beer or two won’t set you back more than

around 150-200 Baht. Trains, buses, internal fights and erries are pretty cheap too. Andonce you’ve eased yoursel into the Thai way o lie and learnt how to haggle a little, lie

will get even more aordable.

Accmmdat

Most teachers in Thailand live in small studio apartments. The main dierence you’ll nd

is that some Thai apartments don’t have kitchens, as street ood is so cheap

and readily available. Wherever you live in Thailand, one

thing will remain constant: don’t expect the usual

Western style toilet, in all parts o Asia the squat

toilet is the norm. Don’t worry you’ll get used to it

pretty quickly.

Flght Remuremet

The chances o your employers paying or your fights

up ront are pretty slim. But i you negotiate your

contract well, there is a chance that the cost o your

fights will be paid back as an end o contract bonus.



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Taxe

The amount o tax you pay really depends on

how much you earn. But unless you’re earning

a ortune, the Thai taxman will take somewhere

between 10% and 20%.

Ptetal t save Mey

Although wages are relatively low, so is the

cost o living. So i you earn a good salary,

stay away rom expensive imported goods,

eat street ood rather than dining out in

restaurants and give the nightlie a rest rom

time to time, you should be able to save a little

money.

Hw Much TEFL Trag Recmmeded?

First things rst, you will need a degree to teach in Thailand.

Without one you won’t be able to get the relevant work visas,

so you’ll have to work illegally. Not a good plan: working

illegally increase the risk o getting ripped o, and Thailand is

not a good place to be a criminal! As or TEFL certication, it is

sometimes possible to get teaching jobs without a TEFL certicate,

but because o the sheer number o people who want to teach in Thailand, competition

is erce: so you’ll be in a much better position i you’re TEFL certied.

Cmm Teachg CdtConditions can vary depending on where you’re teaching and

who you work or. So i it’s possible, negotiate your working

conditions and timetable with your employers beore accepting

a contract. In general you should expect to work between

25 and 40 hours a week and you may have to work some

weekends. A relaxed and positive attitude is a must, as Thais

value a ’jai yen’ (cool heart) and your students will respond better

to a teacher with a sense o un.



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Aythg t be Wary fBe careul to never touch one o your students on the head

– a sacred part o the body to Thai people. Bangkok can be

noisy, polluted and unbelievably ast paced, so be prepared

or a sensory overload.

Wrkg ad VaFdg TEFL J frm Hme

I you’re a rst time TEFL teacher and eel you need a

little support, take a look at supported programs like our

Teach in Thailand Internship where you’ll be well looked

ater by our partners in Thailand. I you choose to go italone, you’ll need to search the web or opportunities,

then send a copy o your resume, along with a photograph,

a photocopy o the relevant page o your passport, a copy o your degree

and any reerences. Most recruiters will then interview successul candidates by phone.

Fdg TEFL J Thalad

Thailand is a relatively easy place to nd work, especially i you have an accredited TEFL

certicate. Once you’re in the country, it is oten just a matter o photocopying yourresume a ew times and making appointments with language schools and recruitment

agencies. Make sure you have a ew passport photos handy too – you’ll probably need

them or your application orm.

I you plan to stay in Bangkok, take a

little time to acclimatize to the place

rst: spend a week or so enjoying the

city and seeing the sites to work out

i Bangkok is the place or you. The

last thing you want to do is sign up

to a year long contract, then realize

that you can’t stand the thought o

a year in such a crazy place! Check

out the Bangkok Post, the Nation

and www.ajarn.com or the latest

inormation. Or pop into the bars

on the Khao San Road or a beer

or two and you’re bound to nd

a table ull o TEFLers swapping

stories: they’ll usually be able to



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point you in the right direction.

The Hole in The Wall pub

has always been a real TEFL

hangout – they do decent ood

too.

J itervew

Thai schools REALLY appreciate

it i you dress smartly. In act i you

turn up dressed in shorts and a

t-shirt and looking like you just got

o the night bus rom Krabi, you’ve

got no hope whatsoever o landing

the job. So iron that shirt, polish those

shoes, and make sure you’re absolutely

spotless when you head or interviews.

Gettg Yur Va

The visa system in Thailand is incredibly complicated. In order to teach there you need

a teacher’s license (rom the Thai Ministry o Education), a work permit (rom the Thai

Labor Department) and a one-year visa (rom the Thai Immigration Dept) – you get your

visa on the strength o having your work permit. The good news is that employers help

you get the correct visa and do a lot o the paperwork or you. There is a good guide

here that covers a lot o the most common questions about Thai visas: http://www.ajarn.

com/help-and-guides/work-permit-visa-aq/ Whatever happens with the whole visa

application process, DO NOT try to work in Thailand without the relevant visas - it will

not end well!

Requremet fr a Wrkg Va:

★ A valid passport

★ A university degree with Thai translation

★ A work permit

★ A teacher’s license

★ Medical certicates

★ TEFL certicate

★ Up to 24 passport photos!

★ Inormation about your employer (map, school principal’s license, etc.)



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Ueful Lkwww.eslcae.com

www.eslbase.com

www.tef.com

www.tef.net

www.ajarn.com

Ueful bkTeaching English Abroad by Susan Grifth

This is something o a Bible or TEFLers and will give you all the ino

you’ll need to get started.



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