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sarahtron
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:45 pm Post subject: advice -- please help me out guys! |
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hi, i plan to move to thailand in may 2008.
i am looking for a job, but i am curious as to what jobs i should be looking at/accepting with my credentials. what kind of money should i be getting, what kind of schools, etc.
i plan to live in bangkok.
about me:
i have a BA from a top US university
i have an MA TESOL Education from New York University
please help! i really appreciate it. 
--s |
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rico4444
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 90
Location: Thailand
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| Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:03 am Post subject: Advice |
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| With your credentials, you should have no problem getting a job at a university. They have good working hours, will pay for you to get a work visa, and no weekends or nights. Language schools are in abundance but you may be exasperated by the low levels. In Thailand, you can expect to earn about 35,000 baht per mmonth in Chiang Mai and maybe 50,000 in Bangkok. 50,000 in BKK may sound like a lot but it's cost of living is 50% higher than Chiang Mai. Khon Khen also has a good university....you may want to check it out. Chiang Mai U. also has a great language school and CM is a great place for expats. |
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sarahtron
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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hey thanks rico...
how do i apply to universities? do i just email them from their website? also, do you know if they offer housing allowance/medical insurance, etc?
thanks so much for your response!
do you think i am better off with a university rather than a program like BELL (where you can earn up to 60,000) ?? |
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rico4444
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 90
Location: Thailand
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| Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:44 pm Post subject: work in Thailand |
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| I've never had much success in Thailand without knocking on the door. If you're there, they'll open it. If you're not there and attempting to make contact via email, you may or may not get a response. It's the Thai way! Of course, if you're responding to a specific ad on the Internet, that's different. The school terms in Thailand end in October and late March/early April so if you want to apply, you need to do so about 6 weeks before. If you email out of the blue, as I said, you may or may not get a response but it's not a reflection of your ability. It's just the way they operate. Getting phone numbers and calling would be the next effective way after showing up personally. They DO NOT pay for housing but I'm almost certain there is some kind of health insurance. The Bell program was too rigid for me and I didn't want to work for a large company so I can't honestly say if it is right for you or not. You'll have to look into it and decide. 60,000 in BKK is a good wage but remember, your rent, utilities and Internet fees (if you hook up your computer at home) will run approx. 18-22,000 a month, depending on how nice your apartment is and its location. So that leaves about 40,000.....10,000 a week.....1400 a day......super easy to live on, not so easy to save. |
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PattyFlipper
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 572
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:08 am Post subject: Re: Advice |
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| rico4444 wrote: |
| With your credentials, you should have no problem getting a job at a university. They have good working hours, will pay for you to get a work visa, and no weekends or nights. |
This is not necessarily the case. Regardless of what is written in the contract, some Thai universities will load you up with compulsory overtime at unsociable hours (weekends included) and at very uncompetitive rates. Most of them will also expect you to spend about 40 hours per week on campus doing 'busy' work, and will make you clock in and out every day like some blue-collar factory worker. No one particularly cares whether you have an MA TEFL or not and they certainly won't pay you any more for actually having one. There are some very cogent reasons why Thai universities are always looking for foreign teachers - and they are not all related to the pathetic salaries on offer.
Immigration regulations in Thailand are a Byzantine labyrinth and change with alarming regularity. Mountains of paperwork are required, the nature of which depends on which Thai official you are dealing with and what he or she had for breakfast. There is no such thing as a 'work visa' in Thailand. You need to obtain a type O Non-Immigrant visa at an Embassy outside the country, and then apply for a work permit from the Ministry of Labour. Without assistance from your employer, you will find it very difficult to obtain the necessary working papers. The promised 'assistance' often consists of simply pointing you in the direction of the various government offices which require your attendance (and then refusing to give you time off work to actually deal with it). |
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rico4444
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 90
Location: Thailand
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:51 am Post subject: |
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| I stand corrected. I'm aware of the "work permit" vs. a work visa like in other countries, Korea, for example). A slip of the tongue. Thanks Patty |
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PattyFlipper
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 572
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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| sarahtron wrote: |
hey thanks rico...
how do i apply to universities? do i just email them from their website? also, do you know if they offer housing allowance/medical insurance, etc?
thanks so much for your response!
do you think i am better off with a university rather than a program like BELL (where you can earn up to 60,000) ?? |
The government universities pay around Baht 27,000 per month, which allegedly includes a housing allowance. These rates for foreign faculty have barely increased in the last twenty years or so, and are unlikely to do so this side of Armageddon. There are no annual increments, and this salary will be paid regardless of qualifications and experience. The private universities pay a little more, but even in Bangkok this will not be much more than Bht 40,000 per month - less in the provinces. Housing is not usually provided, and if it is, you should make sure you look at it first, because you probably won't want to live in it. It is also possible that they will try to charge you a grossly-inflated rent.
Medical coverage should be provided, either a basic private health policy, or if you work for a government institution, under the Thai social security scheme. The latter is not too bad. They will give you a list of local hospitals and allow you to nominate one at which you can receive treatment. Health care in Thailand is usually quite good and reasonably priced, though you should still ensure that you have some form of cover. |
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Topper
Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:13 am Post subject: |
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OP,
You might also look at international/biligual schools. I agree that most uni's are low paid. Thats where the money is at in Thailand, not teaching at government schools.
I would think with your quals if would be easy for you to find a nice paying job. Also, the higher end schools only recruit from overseas.
If you want more information, give me a yell. I'll do my best to point you in the right direction! |
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sarahtron
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:05 am Post subject: |
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hey topper,
thanks. wish i could PM you, but i guess i need more posts, which i don't have. i do have a question for you, though...
if i want to apply to the bilingual schools, if i come to bangkok in mid-april, will they be hiring still?
also, what do you think of a company like bell? would it be better to work with the schools directly? |
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