Job Discussion Forums

[JZer]

I have a B.A. and four years teaching experience in Taiwan and Korea. How much do you think I should bring to survive until I find a job? I am American, 30.

How long should the job search take?

[Gypsy King]

You should bring at least Baht 100,000 to survive and expect to find a decent, well-paying EFL job in about 3 months. By well-paying I mean more than Baht 60,000 + monthly. Good luck!

[JZer]

A hint of sarcaism?

[MaiPenRai]

Very few teachers in thailand are making 60,000+ baht/month. You either need a PGCE or B.Ed and/or a desired subject major like science or math to get these kinds of salaries. Of course you could get this by doing privates on the side, but you wont have much free time.

The OP doesn't seem to have a TEFL certificate and has a BA (not sure the major). Experience will be helpful for him opening a few doors, but wont make a huge impact on the starting salary. I would expect him to be able to find something in the range of 35-45,000 baht to start. If he has good timing, looks the part and can impress at an interview and demo, he may land a 50,000 baht/month job.

OP, get over here now if you are serious about finding work. Most places are looking for May starts. Why come in May and settle for scraps? Get here soon, hit the pavement with resumes looking smart. Land a job, enjoy April on a beach and then start in May. Yes, you will need a few thousand dollars to be secure until your first paycheck though. You could also get part tyime work in MArch/April as well. Plan for about 30,000 baht per month to survive. add 10-15,000+ baht/mth if you want to enjoy yourself. After 4 years in Korea and Taiwan, you probably have some cash in the bank.

Please don't expect to be making 60,000+ mth as others have suggested. At least until you make some connections.

[Gypsy King]

JZer,

That's good advice. Thailand is becoming very expensive due to the rising Thai Baht across the board. With a stronger and stronger baht, prices increase and you get less and less of your money on the foreign exchange market allbeit U.S.D, Euro Dollar, Aussie Dollar etc.. I am not being sarcastic but realitic by saying it is extremely difficult to save money in Thailand on ESL wages. Mai Pen Rai is right by saying you should hit the job market as early as possible (before May) so you can maximize your income by teaching privates, part-time weekend/evening classes and get the full-time Thai government school job which usually pay between Baht 15,000 - 35,000/Monthly depending on where you teach in the LOS. The Big Mango is expensive, very polluted, congested with cars, overpopulated with Thais from all the provinces and above all stressfull. You can still make more than Baht 60,000/Monthly as I do but you'll have to work at it. TIT Good luck!

[Aristede]

[MaiPenRai]

Exactly right Aristede. Strangely, even though requirements are going up and salaries are remaining stagnant, there is more competition for jobs these days than in the past.

The average person with little to no experience and a TEFL cert will be fighting for decent jobs. With a BSc, TEFL cert. and experience, you have a leg up as you can work teaching math or science at an English Program. If you have no experience and no TEFL, you will be scraping the bottom of the barrell and/or working in rural areas for an agency if you are lucky. Even agencies are expecting more experience and edcuation these days.

Of course, there are jobs out there, BUT you cant be picky about locations and you may not make the salary you expected. These people writing posts about 60,000 baht/month are not painting a realistic picture for newcomers to Thailand. These types of salaries are usually only available to people who have a few years exp in Thailand, TEFL cert., etc.

Sorry, you had a hard time finding work, but glad somebody posted about it. Now is a great time to look for work. Are you still here?

[Gypsy King]

Actuallly it is always easier findng teaching work in Thailand if you wish to volunteer. Now is the best time to look for work for government and private school startup in May. April is Songkran month so most students (if not all) will be out enjoying sanuk! TIT

[Aristede]

[Aristede]

[Gypsy King]

Aristede,

I agree with you that teaching English in Thailand is not what it used to be. A major factor is the Thai currency the Gaht. It is growing ever stronger day by day, pushing up prices, costs (including rent) and generally making life miserable for EFL teachers who wish to save money in the LOS. The Big Mango Bangkok is becoming more expensive to live these days than most (if not all) neighbooring cities in Southeast Asia. Again Thai immigration officials and the labor department are tightening ESL teaching requirements (and increasing visa costs etc) thus making things even more difficult for the typical ESL teacher here. If this continues I suspect the LOS will not have low paid salary EFL'ers n the payroll but instead try to attract more and more volunteer teaching tourists from Kaosan Road disquised as teachers with little or no qualifications to teach English. All the smiles in the world can't help bring in good quality English teachers to teach here...unless of course...they offer more Thai Bath to attract them to teach here. TIT!

[MaiPenRai]

B-A-H-T (a bath is something you take to clean yourself) sorry but I really hate it when I see it spelled that way.

Finally I can agree with GK (sort of). It is getting a little more expensive to live in Bangkok, but its still way cheaper by comparison to most western countries. Still very easy to live cheaply in Thailand (and Bangkok) , just easier to spend more money in Thailand (Bangkok).

SO chicken fried rice was 25 baht 3 years ago and now its 30-35 baht. It's still a dollar for a decent meal. Beer was 20 baht a can 5 years ago and now its 30. Still a dollar a can. etc. etc. Plenty of cheap places for rent in Bangkok still. A lot more expensive condos available also these days. Many more expensive shopping malls, theatres, Western style pubs restaurants, etc. Still have the same old Thai restaurants and stalls with relatively cheap prices. Taxis are the same as they were 6-7 years ago. BTS is the same price. Inter-provincial bus prices and flights have gone up by about 15-25%, but thats due mainly to fuel cost increase (worldwide).

[Aristede]

[pest2]

[MaiPenRai]