Job Discussion Forums

[Sonceree]

I have seen a couple of posts about this program, some comments about it weren't too great. Especially those which addressed the internship with Nike, which is the aspect I was most interested in. I was just wondering if I could get some additional feedback. Is the 12,500bht enough money to live on? Does anyone know what type of accomodations would be provided? And are the cities mentioned relatively safe? I emailed TEFL Int'l and here is part of their response. What do you think about this?

Accommodation is provided during your TEFL Courses and Nike Internship.
The course fees include accommodation, course materials, certification and moderation fees. Airfares and food are not included.
Program participants come to train in our one-month course at our special facilities just for TEFL International in Ban Phe, Thailand. You will receive over 100 in-class hours and 6 hours of teaching practice in a real Thai public school.

Upon completion of our four-week course, you will work with Nike in one of their three rural factory locations on the eastern seaboard of Thailand. There are factories in Sri Racha and in Laem Cha Bang. Part of your time will be spent offering ESL classes to factory workers or working on Nike-sponsored community development projects. You will teach two ninety-minute classes a day. One class would be for beginners and one class would be for intermediate learners. The classes would be offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for five weeks and can also volunteer at a local school on Wednesdays. You will also gain first-hand experience in International Business working with Nike employees.
During your time with Nike you will be provided with housing and 12,500 baht living expenses. We ask for a five week commitment.
Accommodations are just a few minutes away by bicycle (they provide one for the interns). It is a private, air-conditioned room. Nike sponsors some community schools so the interns will also spend time teaching at these schools.
For those who are under the impression that Nike employees are somehow unfairly treated, perhaps this is an excellent opportunity to see for yourself what working conditions are really like.

[isanity]

12,500 is enough to live on if you like Thai food and don't need too much wine, women and song. The cities mentioned are as safe as anywhere (certainly more so than Dayton). You didn't ask, but I'll tell you for free that teaching English to Thai factory workers is unlikely to be very rewarding.

[sigmoid]

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

In practical terms, you'll have roughly 400 Baht per day to spend on food since your flat is included in the deal.

Yes, you can live on that, but you won't be throwing any champagne parties. On the plus side, you pick up some teaching experience, walk out with a TEFL cert, and have a chance to see if you enjoy living here.

There are probably worse ways to get your feet wet in Thailand.

As for teaching factory workers: I teach exclusively company classes; mostly hotel staff - waiters, housekeeping, chefs, lobby attendants, bell-hops, security guards, etc. and I can tell you that I personally find it MUCH more rewarding than trying to get through to a rowdy group of 30 to 50 Thai teenagers.

Many of these 'working' people are really eager to learn English; they understand the economic importance of it in their lives, and they generally come to class ready & motivated to learn.

Just my 2 Baht on the subject.



cost-of-living [based on typical prices in Bangkok as of January 2005]
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1 small soft drink: 8 Baht
1 small can ice-coffee: 12 Baht
1.25 liter bottle Coke: 26 Baht
1 kilogram of pork: 100 Baht
1 Kilogram of chicken: 80 Baht
1 kilogram of bananas: 15 Baht
1 kilogram of rice: 15 ~ 30 Baht (depending on type & grade)
lunch for 1 in a non-aircon Thai 'Mom & Pop' Street Cafe: 25 ~ 45 Baht
lunch for 1 in a nicer aircon restaurant (Shopping Malls): 100 ~ 150 Baht
lunch set at McDonald's: from 69 Baht (includes sandwich, fries & drink)
1 lunch buffet in a 4-star Hotel (example - J.W. Marriott): from 500 Baht
1 hot dog @ 7-11 with all the fixins': 15 Baht
1 small grilled sausage on a stick: 5 Baht
1 hot dog on a stick: 10 Baht
1 pack of L&M: 38 Baht
1 men's haircut: 50 Baht
1 women's haircut: 120 Baht
1 Bangkok Post Newspaper (in English): 20 Baht
1 beer in a bar: 50 ~ 150 Baht (depending on where you go)
1 beer from the supermarket: 21 ~ 45 Baht (depending on brand)
1 hour in a typical internet cafe: 20 Baht (more at Malls & tourist areas)
1 new pair of trousers (good enough to wear for work): 450 ~ 750 Baht
1 new long-sleeved shirt: 450 ~ 750 Baht (on sale from 199 Baht)
1 month Skytrain metro pass ---> includes 30 rides of any length: 540 Baht, or 18 Baht per ride
1 roundtrip air ticket from Bangkok to Phuket: from 2,500 Baht (depending on season & airline)
1 one-way bus ticket from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet (near the Cambodian border): 180 Baht
1 one-way bus ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai: 625 Baht
1 city bus ticket: 10 ~ 30 Baht (depending on distance travelled)
1 short taxi ride: 50 ~ 100 Baht (depending on distance travelled)
1 short motorbike ride: 10 ~ 40 Baht (depending on distance travelled)
1 ticket to a Movie Theater: 100 ~ 140 Baht (depending on seat location)
1 brand new & basic no-name PC: from 11,000 Baht
1 brand new no-name mobile phone: from 2,200 Baht
1 brand new Nokia mobile phone (model 3315): 3,000 Baht
1 brand new Nokia mobile phone (model 2300): 3,800 Baht
1 brand new (125cc or less) motorbike: 26,000 ~ 55,000 Baht (depending on brand & model)
1 month rent: basic studios from 3,500 Baht (much more depending on # of rooms, amenities & location)
1 month electric ---> for a 1 room studio, running aircon all night (set at 25C): 850 ~ 1,450 Baht
1 month home internet (ADSL): from 590 Baht ~ 3,600 Baht (depending on speed & package)
1 apartment security deposit: typically 1 and a half [or possibly] 2 month's rent
1 night in a 3 star hotel: from 850 Baht
1 night in a cheap hotel: from 450 Baht



Today's $$$ exchange rates: http://www.krungsri.com/eng/50/511.asp (Bank of Ayudhya)