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sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
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 Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:29 am Post subject: |
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Quote:
Unless you really like Thailand, there are better pickings elsewhere.
Salary... YES. Lifestyle...not many. Possible Cost of living...few. |
I'm curious regarding your statements above asserting that the lifestyle in Thailand is somehow superior to that of most other countries and that the cost of living is lower.
Certainly, "lifestyle" is a highly subjective area as is cost of living, but I wonder if you could provide some examples or other details of a factual nature that could support these statements. |
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:11 am Post subject: |
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| Certainly, "lifestyle" is a highly subjective area |
Sure it is and I never claimed otherwise.
Lived in Thailand for about 7-8 years, working in many different facets of education in Thailand and probably been in contact with well over 1000 teachers and in contact with well over 10,000 prospective teachers to Thailand. Most 'teachers' I talked with said that they came or want to come to Thailand for the "lifestyle" whatever that meant for them. Nice weather, laid back attitude, beaches, buddism, women, etc. Very few came looking for or needing money.
Of course, some people prefer the lifestyles of places like Japan or maybe even Norway.
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| as is cost of living |
If you live here you, you should know that cost of living is less than many other countries and in turn this means that your purchasing power is greater.
Here is a link to a BBC site that calculates purchasing power of your salary based on the country you live in. Check it out. Of course it doesn't account for lots of other factors like holidays, benefits, etc. Either way, I have a much higher purchasing power on my salary in Thailand than I did on nearly the same salary in Canada.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17543356
Note that I did say "possible" cost of living because although it is very possible to live "poor" in Thailand, it just as easy to spend 10,000 baht in one night out in Bangkok.
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp
Thailand ranks lower (which means cheaper) in almost every category when compared to most other common EFL destinations (Korea, Japan, M.E. Taiwan, etc.) Grocery index was quite high relatively though.
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| The South East Asian countries of Thailand and Vietnam are becoming veritable magnets for TEFL teachers - with their low cost of living and exotic nature it�s no wonder really. |
Taken from http://www.cactuslanguagetraining.com/us/english/view/which-countries-have-the-most-tefl-jobs/
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Teaching EFL in Thailand - I've been teaching EFL and Business Skills in Thailand for six years now, so I have to say it's the best country to teach EFL in. Thailand is a great country for both new EFL teachers and experienced EFL teachers. There are EFL jobs everywhere, the pay isn't high but it's a livable salary and, in many cases, gives you a much better standard of living than if you taught in the west. |
Taken from http://voices.yahoo.com/best-countries-asia-teach-efl-many-asian-countries-2750935.html
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| I'm curious regarding your statements above asserting that the lifestyle in Thailand is somehow superior to that of most other countries |
I dont believe I said it was superior. I suggested that most people prefer to come to Thailand for the stereotypical laid back easygoing lifestyle it appears to offer and that that lifestyle is more highly sought after than the stereotypical lifestyles of a lot of other countries. This is one of the main reasons standard beginner TEFL salaries commonly stay stagnant. Most Thais know that there are a fresh batch of Uni grads and retirees just around the corner that will jump at the opportunity to extend their stay in Thailand. Ive worked with them, I know this first hand.
I cant think of many people I've talked with or seen on and message boards that talk about going to the Middle East, Korea, Russia, etc. for the great lifestyle. Although many people end up hating Thailand for the same reasons they came here. "Mai Pen Rai", "Sabai Sabai" and "Jai Yen Yen" attitudes are great when laying on a beach, but it sucks when you are waiting to get your visa processed.
I looked into things like Happiness indexes and although Thailand ranked around 75 in most studies, it was still higher or very close to most of the typical EFL destinations. Many European countries ranked higher, but one has to consider that a standard TEFL teacher in most European countries has a lower purchasing power due to relatively lower salaries (compared to national average) and higher costs of living (compared to Thailand). Also a lot of the Happiness indexes take into account benefits that foreign nationals do not get like free health care, free education, tax incentives, etc.
I think my statements would be pretty obvious for anyone who has lived in Thailand for a few years, but I figured its a slow work day so why not indulge and dig up some links and facts (as factual as the Internet can be) for you.
To sum up. Most don't come to Thailand for money. Most come for some version of a great lifestyle they think Thailand offers. It is very possible to have a lower cost of living in Thailand when compared to other common EFL destinations. That doesnt mean you can necessarily save more. Purchasing power in Thailand is higher than in most other common EFL destinations. |
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