Job Discussion Forums

[overhere]

Looking at a career change as my current job is becoming overwhelming (fast pace job in the west) ...Thailand is my favorite place in the world...I would love to teach there... just a couple of questions?

How stressful is the actual job? does stress level vary between language school and public school? Do you consider it a high pressure job? I teach as a volunteer here in the US and enjoy it immensly but realize it might be different when it comes to teaching for a living.


Also what are the management styles like normally?

How stressful is it getting by on a newbie salary? I realize this is subjective but I am not much of a partier..single male adult just about to turn 50...I know all about the sins of the flesh in Bangkok and think I could generally avoid the costs associated with those temptations. I would be eating mostly western food (fast food variety) don't need a fancy apartment just safe.

Thanks for your help!

[PattyFlipper]

There are those on this board who will doubtless disagree with me, however in my view the perception of the laid-back, easy-going Thai lifestyle is something of a myth if you are reduced to scraping a living in the country via its ghastly 'education' system. There is a huge difference between visiting Thailand as a tourist and actually living and working there; almost to the point where they are two distinct countries.

Thai employers are notoriously demanding, and often require far more than a pound of flesh in return for their pittance. Management tends to be chaotic, despotic, and sometimes racist, with few organizational or people management skills. Many of the teachers I knew in Bangkok were having to run just to stand still, financially. Moonlighting and grubbing around for fairly low-paying extra work, to the point where they spent most of their time working and/or commuting, in some cases in addition to all the extra-curricular demands of their primary place of employment. Navigating the Byzantine Thai immigration maze doesn't really do much for your peace of mind either, particularly as the the goal posts seem to be moved every 10 minutes, depending on the latest wave of xenophobia emanating from the revolving-door governments.

I have worked in 13 countries on four continents, including in what many would regard as less-than-desirable locations, however I found conditions in the Thai workplace to be borderline insufferable, for the most part. Fleeing to work in a neighbouring country was the best move I ever made, and I would rather dine on powdered glass than work in Thailand again.

If you are looking for a fairly relaxed lifestyle, but still need/want to work as a teacher, there are better places to do it in Asia than Thailand, in my not-so-humble opinion.

[haller_79]

A lot of ESL teachers complain of being stressed in Thailand. Who wants to be stomping around a hot tropical country with a collared shirt, tie and lesson plans while other westerners are lounging around with the retirement money they made in the west or elsewhere.

[Shimokitazawa]

[sigmoid]

In addition to job stress, you can throw in:

1) economic woes (high inflation and unemployment, especially in the tourism sector)

2) political uncertainty (elections will be held by early July)

3) two lingering violent conflicts, one with Cambodia and one in the deep South

[feverpitch]

I would echo Patty's comments completely, even though I spent 6 years in Bangkok teaching at and managing language schools.

Lackadaisical is how I would sum up the whole ESL scene over there, and that's being kind. It's a real shame as the majority of students are an absolute pleasure to teach.

Obviously the second paragraph does not relate to anything that happened on my watch

Seriously though, they say that the Thai smile is wonderful, but remember, behind every smile is a set of teeth!

[Skyblue2]

If you're making or have buckets of cash, it could be OK to live in BKK. As a teacher, it's a pain in the ass -- low status, low pay, hot, polluted, traffic-bedeviled environment. As for stress, that depends on your specific workplace, your specific personality issues with colleagues, your specific issues in the classroom with the students, etc. It's impossible to generalize. I wouldn't want to do it again though.

[ldragon]

Is it really this bad? Any positive experiences out there? I'm getting the feeling ESL teachers are treated like temps... How many hours per week does a typical ESL teacher work (planning and teaching) in Bangkok? Do most jobs involve a lot of commuting or is it pretty easy to find housing within walking distance or short bus ride to work? Is there a difference between language schools and public schools?

[tttompatz]

[sigmoid]

Pre-poll anxiety begins in kingdom

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/04/22/national/Pre-poll-anxiety-begins-in-kingdom-30153675.html


Four Thai troopers killed, one seriously wounded

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/04/22/national/Four-Thai-troopers-killed-one-seriously-wounded-30153698.html

[bradley]

Teaching at a university would at least give you long holidays to enjoy your time, but otherwise IMHO it is not nearly as fun to work there as it is to travel around there. In fact, I have to admit that although I don't enjoy traveling in China I prefer to live and teach there and spend my holidays in Thailand.

[bradley]

ESL teachers are often treated as temps because they act like temps and are actually temps.

[plumpy nut]

People that are teaching in Thailand either have Thai girlfriends, or are hardcore foriegn teachers wanting experience with possibly the most rote learning education system in the world (possibly for writing books, becoming an expert etc.) desperate can't get a job anywhere else, or working at a top tier international school.

[Shimokitazawa]

[plumpy nut]