Job Discussion Forums

[Kemp]

I am currently working in Bangkok, but am getting tired of the big city. Ive considered heading North up to ChiangMai, but the salaries up there are terrible. So for a change, Im looking at a move down into Southern Thailand. Something like Nakhon, Phuket, Surat Thani, Hat Yai.
Can anyone recommend any good places to teach down there in terms of location/accessibility to stuff and the quality of the school? Im sure salaries will be lower than Bangkok, but are there any places that offer a good deal/package and are good to work for?
Any advice much appreciated!
Thanks.

[AjarnIam]

Hi Kemp,

There's some decent gov universities in the Hua Hin Cha-am area which IMO is a very relaxed area and still close to BKK if you need a weekend in the city.

[tony the pony]

One thing I can say is that there's some great places to work near the sea, in the mountains etc which can give you the break you need from the city life BUT these are the lowest paid.

I'd recommend visiting any schools to ascertain if the pay-cut is worth it.

The schools in the less scenic areas have the most attractive packages....

[freebeacher]

Would you please tell me what salary will allow you a no-stress life in either Bangkok or the provinces?

A friend of mine in the south says a single person can live on 30,000 per month easily. He is married to a Thai wife and has 2 kids, so he added that salary would not support them.

MOD EDIT a discussion is going on now following a new EFL teacher from the UK and how she fares in Bangkok. She is advised by those already in Bangkok for a few years that not less than 50,000 per month is enough.

What do you think? Thanks.

[Pauleddy]

MOD EDIT

Somebody proved that they could live in BKK on 30,000b, but they lived on chicken feet and boiled rice, took no taxis and lived like a church mouse for a month.

In the boonies it can be done (food and rents are cheap), but let's face it--80% of people come here for "fun". Bangkok has loads of er...fun, but it all costs. Most people want to go clubbing, have beers, shoes, the occasional treat, blah, blah. In general terms, you can't do it all on 30,000b. Keep in mind that a normal salary is about 35,000 (this is an "average" which many people agree upon). 50,000 in BKK is more realistic, but you won't get rich.

The people I know that earn 30-35k are forever telling me that they must do privates or extra hours,'cos they can't have a "good life".

Eddy

[Kemp]

When I first started in Bangkok I was earning 30k plus 5k housing allowance. Whether this amount of money is enough depends entirely on your lifestyle and needs.

Face it most Thais earn around 8k a month and they get by!
If you live in a cheaper appartment and eat at Thai food shops (and I dont mean chickens foot soup either most thai food is delicious, nutricious and cheap) then you will still have plenty to go out at the weekend and have fun/ visit places.
If you are the type of person who needs fancy appartment with all mod cons, eat in westerner oriented restaurants and go to more expensive bars then you are gonna spend a whole wad of cash.

With a bit of looking around you can get a job paying 40k up and get housing allowance too. Spend some time looking for an appartment within your budget and youll find you have plenty of money to get by.

Taking alot of cabs and going out in flash places is gonna eat your cash.

[Kemp]

I think 40k a month will be quite adequate to give me a stress free life , but hey I think 140k would be even more relaxing!!

[Pauleddy]

Sure...it depends very much on the individual.

I am 50 and I like French wine and nice clothes. When I was 20, I lived naked on a cliff in Goa on 50cents a day.

I try not to get into the 30,000 debates anymore...but I know people who earn 19,000 plus housing 8,000 at the country's top universities (gvmt salary) and they live on chicken stew unless they get extra classes and stuff.

I have been here 7 yrs, and the two main delusions I find online are:

1. People think that they can come here and teachonthebeach in a school made of coconut leaves, and fall in love all day.
2. People think they can live in BKK, with its superclubs, shopping and paidnightfun, on 30,000b.

I don't mind, because they all come here and then they get a shock (like I did...I was as dumb as anyone coming here).

Eddy

[Kemp]

[Pauleddy]

Unfortunately, the old website where loads of schools were named and shamed has now closed.

MOD EDIT

There seems to be no substitute for visiting the school, meeting other teachers and so on.

Many places have tales of woe. Some schools have terrible management. Westerners are the hired hands here. Of course, many of us equally bring it on our own heads (get drunk, party, don't wash clothes, drift away, miss classes). Some of the complaints about schools were genuine...some were not.

eddy

[Gypsy King]

Teaching English in southern Thailand is very rewarding in the sense that one experiences Thai hospitality which seems to be much less prevalent in the Big Mango Bankok these days. The problem is salaries for ESL teachers too be very low and many teachers only go there to volunteer their teaching skills. Also keep in mind that Southern Thais (especially in the Border Provinces of Malaysia) tend to more Islamic than Buddhist in their values...so alcohol tends to be looked down upon and women tend to be more conservative in their way of like.

[tony the pony]

I know this is an old thread, but I came across this site today and thought it may be of use especially to jobseekers:

http://www.tantiwatraschool.blogspot.com/

...interesting read

[eclectic]

[Solar Strength]

that is an interesting website to read. teachers getting 200 Baht fines for not turning classroom lights out, etc. Why can't staff, management, or cleaning personnel do this? If it's in the contract, I guess it is fair game. Also, can Thai employers legally take out money like that from a teacher's salary? Seems really sketchy to me.