Job Discussion Forums

loerzel · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 21

I'm planning on moving to Thailand (Bangkok or Chiang Mai) in January. I'm 27 years old, have a BS in Computer Science and one year of experience teaching English in South Korea, but no certification (TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, etc.).

I'll have around $1500 USD to last until I find a job and get settled in. Is this a reasonable amount to bring? Do I stand a good chance of finding employment without certification?

I don't need to send money home and making a large salary is not important to me, I'm just hoping to earn enough to have a modest but enjoyable lifestyle.

I know this type of question has been asked numerous times and from the posts I've read on this forum and ajarn it seems that I shouldn't have any problem, but I'm just fishing for some words of encouragement to help me take that final step.

rico4444 · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 90 Location: Thailand

I got off the train in Chiang Mai in June 2005 on a Thursday and had a job on Friday but I also had 3 years experience and a CELTA. There's plenty of language school in CM that'll hire you w/out a certificate. Bangkok obviously has many more. $1500 is approximately 45,000 baht which, if you spend wisely, will last 1 1/2-2 months. If you go CM and settle in, rent an apt. short-term and pay 3000 baht a month for no frills until you know where you'll be working because it would be a lot cheaper than staying in a guest house and paying 300 baht a night. Good luck. It's a wonderful place but hot and polluted. Sensational food, cheap and easy living, and the most beautiful women on the planet.

loerzel · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 21

Thanks for the advice Smile

. Do have any suggestions for how I should go about finding an apartment in CM?

rico4444 · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 90 Location: Thailand

Finding an apartment in CM is easy. Get a good city map (Karen Chandlers map is the best.....you can pick it up at any bookstore). There are hundreds of apartment buildings up and down the sois (a soi is a street) around Chiang Mai University. Also, between soi 7 and soi 14 on Nimmahaemin Road (the new hip area in CM)....walk up and down the streets.....there's tons. Also, on Huay Kaew, across from the Central Mall and a block or so down (in the direction of Nimmanhaemin) there are a couple of condo buildings....Hillside and another (I forget its name....its across the street from the Shell gas station 1 block from the mall)....those 2 condos are very nice. You may pay a little more but the location is great and they're furnished western-style. Walk around, talk to peole......apartments are a dime a dozen.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

It's easy to jump off the train in the months of May, June, July, August as well as October, November and December because the school terms are still going and they need teachers.

The end of January is the WORST time to look for a job in Thailand. Schools start their final exams by the middle to end of February. Thai schools like to save money so they don't like to hire someone for just a few weeks and then pay them over the break.

The situation can be tough through February and even into March. School start to hire and put teachers in the classroom starting April 1st for their EP summer programs.

In February, only corporate work is available and that can be tough to crack into at that time of the year.

frankly speaking · Joined: 16 Oct 2005 Posts: 54

I don't know of any language center in CM that will hire full time without a TEFL certificate. You can find part time but there aren't a lot of full time opportunities without the certificate. You could work part time at a University all they require is a bachelors but the pay is low like 12-15,000 baht a month. Good luck