Job Discussion Forums

Mikka · Joined: 08 Mar 2005 Posts: 4

Hi y'all,

From the job information journal and the posts on this forum, I�ve read the good, bad, ugly and uglier about TEFL teaching in Thailand.

I am a single, American female with a CELTA, a BA, and 4 years of teaching experience.

What I want is a position in Bangkok that will pay enough to have a decent standard of living, provide enough holiday time, whether paid or unpaid, to travel through Thailand and SEA, and save a little.

I�m a city girl who loves living in a blend of cultures, having access to a variety of cultural, art and music events, going dancing and occasionally drinking, and having people to share it with.

What I want to know from all those who have taught/are currently teaching is can Bangkok give me this? If so, who can? Bell Educational Trust? Inlingua? Fun English? King�s College? AUA?

Any help or advice is more than welcomed!

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Hello Mikka:

Mikka wrote:

1. a position in Bangkok that will pay enough to have a decent standard of living --> Yes! Very Happy

2. provide enough holiday time to travel through Thailand and SEA --> Yes! Very Happy

3. and save a little. --> No! Crying or Very sad

Probably not. How much is a little? Laughing

If you had a BEd and/or a teaching accreditation from your home country (PGCE for example) and/or an MA in TESOL, I'd tell you to apply at one of the better International Schools, where you could easily earn enough to live well, travel & save.

With your solid qualifications, you could give it a shot anyway - you might get lucky and find yourself in the right place at the right time: http://www.shambles.net/pages/Countries/th_schools/

Generally speaking: with a 'generic' BA and a CELTA you'll probably be earning in the 35 to 45,000 Baht range per month at a public school, university or language school, which just isn't enough to allow you to live well, party, travel around AND save.

If you're willing to work hard and take on some extra hours, I would modify my answer to #3 and say --> Yes!

Thailand is great fun, but TEFL salaries in the range of $700 to $1,100 per month don't allow much room for savings. For example: I earn roughly 40K Baht (US$1,000) per month net; I live well, eat well and have loads of fun - teaching only 20 hours per week. But after paying the rent and utilities, I might have $100 left over at the end of the month.

Depends how much beer I drank Mr. Green

and whether I bought new underwear or washed the old ones.

tedkarma · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 9:35 pm Post subject:

I have to second what KK has to say about #3. You'll need to do some work on the side to save anything at all.

You do have one advantage - female teachers are in relatively short supply - and you should/might want to use that advantage in terms of holding out a bit for better wages and better jobs.