Job Discussion Forums

[christopherjames67]

what salary can i expect in bangkok fresh out of the certification course? and how much for rent in a nice place - nice being not a hole in the wall but not plush and exclusive!

i hear thailand is a lost cause, no jobs, low wages...

i really want to come to thailand but...so any advice and raw honestly(!) is greatly appreciated!

christopher

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hi Christopher:

I've been in Bangkok for 6 months now, so I am not exactly an expert, but I'm happy to share what I know:

First, there are plenty of EFL jobs in and around Bangkok. PLENTY.

The problem is not a lack of jobs.

The problem, and the thing that's keeping many EFL teachers away from Thailand at the moment ... is more of a political beast.

The current majority-party in power (called Thai Love Thai) has made itself quite popular among Thais by promising to crack down on visa and immigration abuses --- in plain English, to get rid of foreigners who are living and working here illegally.

For this reason, many EFL teachers are packing up and leaving, afraid that these new regulations and ridiculous bank deposit requirements will make life here utterly unbearable. Others, like me, are patiently riding out the storm.

Getting back to your questions: You did not mention whether you hold a BA or not. Having a teaching cert. is good, but the BA will be more important when it comes to salary, and the possibility that you would actually get a work permit.

Without a BA, I would generally advise against coming to Thailand at the moment ... at least until we see if and how drastically these proposed new immigration laws impact EFL teachers.

Assuming for the moment that you do have a BA, and a teaching certification on top of that: in Bangkok, you can expect to net somewhere between 28,000 and 38,000 Baht per month, depending, of course, on how good you are, how much work you want, where you apply, and what you look like. In Bangkok, it seems to be a combination of all of the above. (Note: US$1 = 41.29 Baht at today's exchange rate.)

fyi - The top salaries in Thailand (above 40,000 Baht) are paid by the international schools, but be advised that they often recruit from abroad and are generally looking for experienced teachers who are certified to teach a variety of subjects in their home countries.

OK - back to reality. I teach corporate classes and get paid between 375 and 500 Baht per hour, depending on the client. At the end of the month, I net roughly 40,000 Baht, or $1,000 US. Out of that 40,000, I spend only 4,000 Baht on my flat (and that includes all utilities). I have a very small studio - only 20 sq. meters - but it has a balcony, air-con, hot water heater, and is fully furnished. Small but cozy, I'd say.

Based on what you've written, you'll probably spend a little more than I do: 6,000 to 8,000 Baht for rent in Bangkok is considered realistic. The really nice serviced apartments start at 8,000 Baht, btw. For that, you get access to a swimming pool, maybe a fitness centre, and a few other little perks (which I can live without).

The bottom line? At the end of the day, I live pretty well on 1,000 Baht per day. On that amount, you can eat, drink and be merry --- and still have enough left over for some in-country travel and a new tube of toothpaste now and then.

Let's say you're earning 36,000 Baht --- and spending roughly 6,000 on your apt; that'll leave you with 1,000 Baht per day in your pocket. And that's a good goal to aim for, in my humble opinion.

You can have fun with that. And, of course, Bangkok rocks.

There are plenty of cool things to see and do here (besides the red-light zones) but that's another post for another time.

Good luck, Christopher!

[christopherjames67]

Kent,

Thanks SO much for your response. I've been going round and round with whether I should go to Europe or start of in Thailand. Seems like there are so many teachers in Europe, particularly in Spain, my first thought. Then I stumbled on the TEFL International course in Ban Phe and thought it would be a great place to start off for my training and then go to Bangkok to try out Thailand.

My main concern was work, but judging from your post, I think I might be ok. I have enough money saved up that if I can't find work right away, I can survive. And I actually do have a degree from UNC- a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication, so maybe that will look good on a resume.

As for my living expenses, my point about living in comfort was more that I'm 36 years old, not right out of college and although I'm adventurous and spontaneous, I do like the basic comforts of life like air conditioning and would rather not live in a scary part of town just to save $50 a month. Not sure I need the pool and the fitness center addition as long as the place is clean and safe. Didn't mean to sound elitist!

My bottom line! If I can find enough work to make 350 baht an hour or 40,000 bahts a month, as well, then I think I should be ok. I was just worried about getting to Thailand, spending money on the course and the ticket and then not finding any work whatsoever!

Do you have any thoughts on whether it matters to have a TESOL or Celta/Trinity certification? I'm set to attend a course that has a TESOL certification which is ok with me as long as it's ok with employers. Once I get some experience I don't think it really matters, from what I hear.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your thoughts. It made a huge difference!

Christopher

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hello again Christopher:

TESOL is fine. No problem, as both the CELTA and TESOL certificates are about equally recognized by most employers these days. Although the CELTA may have slightly better name recognition, the truth is: the school director or DOS is hiring you.

Additional teaching certification is helpful, but it's only the icing on the cake - not the deciding factor.

Not that it matters much, but perhaps I should mention here that I have neither a TESOL nor a CELTA certification; just a BA, a good sense of humour and 15 years in the field now. So far, that combination has worked well for me.

As I mentioned above, you'll have no problems finding work in Bangkok.

Your BA in Communication will not only look good on your resume; it will make it much easier for a school to apply for your work permit, so that's a positive step in the right direction toward becoming a 'legal' resident.

Returning to apartments - there are so many to choose from ... from dirt-cheap to Penthouse Suite. You'll easily find something to suit your tastes and budget.

There really isn't a 'scary' part of town in Bangkok. It's all pretty much the same in terms of safety, although rents may be a bit higher for quality apartments that are within short walking distance of the Skytrain.

If you bring along a little cash to get you through the first month, you'll be up-and-running before you know it. I found my current position within a week of arriving here.

Here's a link you can browse through to give you an idea of what's on offer in the apartment category. You can search the database by location and/or price range. Speaking of dirt-cheap --- there are 399 apartments listed in this database that cost under 5,000 Baht per month:

http://www.thaiapartment.com/ (Bangkok apartments)

And a few more assorted links, just for fun:

http://www.bts.co.th/en/index.asp (BTS Skytrain homepage)

http://www.learningthai.com/index.html (LearningThai.com)

http://www.into-asia.com/ (Bangkok City Guide & Language Tutorial)

http://www.bangkokbob.net/index.htm (Bangkok Bob's - entertainment / miscellaneous)

http://www.paknamweb.com/ (Paknam Web - nice links!)

http://www.bangkoksite.com/ (Bangkoksite.com - 'Welcome to Bangkok & Thailand')

http://www.thailand.com/index.php (Thailand.com - Web portal & travel links)

http://www.bangkoknews.net/ (BangkokNews.net)

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ (The Nation - Thai news website)

http://www.2bangkok.com/ (2bangkok.com - Thai news website)

http://www.talesofasia.com/thailand-snakefarm.htm (Bangkok Snake Farm)

With regard to the link above: I saw the live show recently ... and nearly wet my pants. absolutely amazing; and what a bargain for only 70 Baht!

And a tip for those already in Bangkok: If you haven't seen the King Cobra Show yet, it's now only a 5 minute walk from Sam Yan Station on the brand new MRTA Underground. When you exit Sam Yan Station, just hang a left and you'll walk straight into it. The Snake Farm is located within the Red Cross Institute and is easy to spot. The live show begins daily at 11am.


Yours truly,

Kent F. Kruhoeffer

[sigmoid]

Good information from Kurt. But it might be prudent to consider why it's so easy to find teaching work in Thailand and less and less people want to
work there.

I'm not saying you shouldn't go to Bangkok but think carefully before you go.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Sigmoid's right. There are many reasons to think twice about Thailand. It's not necessarily the tropical paradise we see on the travel websites, or the rosy employer promises we read about in the job adverts ...

unless you're coming here as a tourist with pockets full of cash, in which case it's all true.

Bangkok, in particular, can be a tough place to earn money. Here are a few reasons why this is so:

tropical heat & humidity day-in-day-out; we're talking serious ring-around-the-collar --- a great climate if you're trying to lose weight! But seriously, it can be physically exhausting just trying to get around town in this kind of climate. Which brings us to the next point:

traffic from h.e.l.l. & often a ridiculous amount of time spent commuting (although the BTS Skytrain and the new MRTA Underground, which opened a couple of weeks ago, does help)

air pollution that's so bad some people wear a mask

salaries & wages (at run-of-the-mill language institutes) have remained basically 'frozen' for a decade ... at levels considered by most EFLers to be sadly inadequate. (i.e. under 30,000 Baht per month in Bangkok is just not enough)

and now we've got the 'Thai Love Thai' party promising, threatening and saber-rattling with regard to immigration & visa laws. How much of this will eventually translate into fact ... and how much is just saber-rattling, nobody really knows yet.

and then there's the ants. They thrive here and I hate them.

Having said all that, I remain an optimist. [see avatar in top left corner]

There are so many truly GREAT things about life in Thailand (the people, the food, the wild nightlife, a cheap glass of ice-cold Chang beer, the beautiful sunsets, the relaxed pace-of-life, the curious smiles, tame elephants walking down the middle of city streets at 10pm, the natural beauty of the countryside & beaches ... and did I mention a cheap glass of ice-cold Chang beer?) I just try to take the 'down-side' in stride and focus on the positive.

I mean, let's be honest for a minute. None of these EFL gigs is perfect. You could go to Saudi, earn zillions of dollars, and end up with a detached head. Or you could try Russia on $500 to $800 per month and freeze your a$$ off like I did for 3 years. And then there's Korea, where you can teach bratty, spoiled kids 6 hours a day 6 days a week - and make a tidy bundle - while losing what's left of your hair & your sanity. Did that for a year too.

No; Thailand isn't paradise on a daily basis, but you can learn to adapt and to appreciate her little quirks if you keep an open mind.

As Sigmoid suggests, it's definitely a good idea to think twice before you jump on that flight to Bangkok. Get the facts, read the forums - and then decide if this is really what you had in mind. That's the most anyone can do - and the most anyone should ask.


Yours truly,

Kent F. Kruhoeffer

[kenkannif]

Also bear in mind it's a buyers market for TEFL at the moment so check ALL the courses out thoroughly. Look for help with a long Visa, placement etc. Make them work for you, not you work for them!

It's pretty easy to hit the 40k mark if you put in the hours, when are you thinking of coming over as some times (of the year) are better than others?


Good luck!

[loniponi]

Hey,

If I'm getting a CELTA in October, in BKK...do you think if I really worked hard at getting a job relatively soon after course completion that I could get a job in November?

I'm not sure what kind of school I will be applying to yet....but I heard Dec. is not the best time to look for a job...

How is the new subway system? Haven't heard much about it.

Any ideas?

[sigmoid]

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

What I'm worried about is if I come to work in Thailand that I will not make enough to travel onward to another country or back home - with the wages at about B30,000/month.

I met 2 TEFL'ers in Bangkok a while back who couldn't afford to buy a flight out of the country.

B40,000/month isn't a lot.

I agree with Kent, coming to Thailand with Y300,000 in my pocket as Japanese TEFL'er let me live like a 'King' LOL!!

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

I was just thinking about Kent's comments regarding Thaksin's "Thai Love Thai" movement.

This rings of Pauline Hansen's "One Nation" movement in Queensland, Australia a few years back.

Unfortunately, I seem to be able to find similarities between Queenslanders and Thais in their attitudes towards 'outsiders.'

Scary.

[Tonester]

Well, as an Aussie myself I'd like to say that Pauline Hanson appealed to the lowest common denominator just like Tokyo Governor Ishihara did. He blames foreigners for everything in Japan (That is where I am at the moment) and the Japanese do nothing to silence him. He says things that date back to pre WWII just to keep his cushy job and it seems that Thailand is doing the same. In Australia politicians that opposed her did everything to stop her from obtaining power and in the end she was charged with electoral fraud, convicted, sentenced to a term of imprisonment and then released after a successful appeal of her conviction. She now is no longer interested in politics and now is on the motivation speech circuit and I think she also wants to work in marketing.

On the other hand, Japan and Thailand have swallowed the racial crap hook, line and sinker and no doubt there will be more racial hatred as a result (at least from above).

Overall: Very sad indeed! One small step back for international understanding, one giant step back for mankind..............................