Teaching English and Living in Bangkok
Teaching English in Bangkok
Bangkok has a high demand for English
teachers in many different types of schools, from corporate training
centers to small private schools to public schools with 50 students per
class. There are opportunities for beginning teachers as well as those
with more experience. But while there are a lot of opportunities here,
they’re not necessarily the highest-paid. You can certainly save some
money here, but look to Vietnam, South Korea and China for better-paid
teaching jobs.
However, Bangkok is the place to be
if you want to live in one of Southeast Asia’s most modern and exciting
cities. If Southeast Asia has a “city that doesn’t sleep,” this is it.
With gentle and friendly people who still like to stay up late and food
that by itself keeps the quality-of-life high, Bangkok is a fun place
to stay with a lot to do.
In addition, one unique advantage of
living in Bangkok is that you can continue your studies and improve
your qualifications in Bangkok. There are actually a few universities
in Bangkok (and other parts of Thailand) where you can get a master’s
degree in TESOL, business, or a few other fields for much less than
you’d spend back home.
Note: See the boxout at the end of the article for all links, including a currency converter for the latest Baht to USD rates.
Public and Private Schools
Many public schools have room in
their budgets to hire a few foreign English teachers, so this is a big
reason why Thailand is a go-to destination for finding teaching work.
In addition to English-teaching positions, there are also available
jobs teaching math and science (in English). These positions are
primarily filled by a few placement agencies. You can also search on
your own, and may get a slightly higher salary if you avoid a placement
agency. Public-school jobs in Bangkok should pay around 30,000-40,000
baht ($950-1,250) per month.
Check out this article for more information on teaching English in public schools in Thailand.
There are also a number of private
schools in Bangkok that teach at least some lessons in English and hire
foreigners. Private schools usually pay 40,000-60,000 baht
($1,250-$1,900) per month.
Language Centers
There is a plethora of language
centers in Bangkok. These often offer small class sizes (10 per class at
some, and as low as 4-6 per class at others) and the opportunity to
teach adults who are serious about their studies (they’re usually
shelling out a considerable amount for the course). On the downside,
most students work during the day and are only free on evenings and
weekends – so that’s when you have to teach. It can be difficult to
meet friends for dinner, but you’ll be able to make it for a drink
afterwards. On the other side of that coin, you will probably start work
in the afternoon so you have mornings free to sleep in or get in your
workout while the gyms are empty.
You can work part-time in a language
school and earn around 350-500 baht ($11.00-15.50) per hour, or if
you’re on a full-time monthly schedule you can expect to make around
40,000 baht ($1,250) per month.
Many language centers also offer
corporate training programs. If you’re a corporate teacher you’ll
usually travel to the company’s office and give lessons there. You’ll
be reimbursed for your travel expenses and time. Corporate contracts
are quite lucrative for language schools, so they usually send
well-qualified or talented teachers. The pay can be higher for skilled
corporate teachers (45,000-60,000 baht ($1,400-1,900) per month) and
you generally get to work during the 9 a.m.-5 p.m. workday. Classes are
usually bigger than in language-school English courses as companies
try to squeeze more students into each class.
Test-Prep
A step above English-teaching, some
language centers also offer courses in IELTS, TOEIC, SAT or GRE prep.
IELTS and TOEIC are the English tests that students must take before
studying or working abroad. You’ll need some training or experience
with those tests to teach either course, but if you’re keen to learn
then your school may train you for it if you’re already working there
as a general English teacher. To teach SAT or GRE prep, you’ll need high
scores on the test you hope to teach (usually 95th percentile or
above) and probably some teaching experience as well.
Universities
Bangkok has a lot of universities
that need English teachers. They prefer well-qualified teachers, usually
with a master’s degree in TESOL or a CELTA plus considerable
experience. The teaching loads are light, with around 12 hours per week
in class. Pay is also high, starting around 60,000 baht ($1,900) per
month. Some have reported earning up to 90,000 baht ($2,750) per month.
International Schools
Finally, there are plenty of
international schools where those with a proper teaching certification,
such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education or a PCGE, can
find work. These schools offer high pay [90,000 baht ($2,750) per month
and up], diverse and high-achieving students, and considerable
vacation time.
Private Tutoring
Some teachers bring in some cash on
the side by teaching students privately. There are many students around,
you just need to get word out about what you’re offering through
word-of-mouth, social networking and possibly even putting up posters
or ads. 400-500 baht ($13-16) baht per hour is common, but some
teachers charge up to 1000 baht ($31) per hour. It’s generally advised
to ask students to pre-pay for a few classes and tell them that if they
cancel a class without giving due notice or skip a class then they
won’t get their money back for the lesson.
Visas
The visa situation is complicated and
ever-changing. A website with a form called www.thaivisa.com exists to
provide information on this perpetual subject of worry and
speculation. The website www.ajarn.com, the central source for
information on teaching in Thailand, also has lots of advice. In short,
working without a work permit is illegal, but some people do it.
Getting a work permit through your school can be a hassle, but is
recommended. Agents exist who can get you a one-year work permit for
around $750-1,000. This seems like a steep price, but it gives you the
flexibility to leave a job without worrying about losing your permit.
It would be impossible to summarize the visa-related issues in this
article, but it’s a good idea to look through the above sources.
Living in Bangkok
Housing
You can find a decent apartment not
too far from the city center for between 5,000-10,000 baht ($155-310)
per month. If you can speak some Thai, or have a Thai friend who can
help with the initial negotiations and paperwork, you can find
something toward the lower end of that range. I live a 10-minute walk
from a metro station that is three stops away from central Bangkok. I
have a small room in a clean apartment-block, with fairly dependable
WIFI and limited cable TV (CNN and Fox Movies are my only English
channels). I pay 4,500 baht ($140) per month, but there are similar
flats in the area for around 5,000-6,000 ($155-190). Websites are
helpful for an apartment search, but it’s also good to just walk around
a neighborhood in an area that you like and look for “for rent” signs.
Food
You can eat pretty cheaply in
Bangkok by sticking to street food, markets and mall food courts. I get
a daily double-egg omelet on rice for $1.00 before work, and have a
meal with a bottle of water for around $1.50-3.00 in a mall food court
in the evening. Including three squares, a daily Thai iced tea and some
snacks, I spend around $6-7 per day on food. This equals around $200
per month. You can get a nice meal in a restaurant for $3-10, and you
can find a wide range of food including pizzas, Middle-Eastern food,
Indian food, Mexican food, and most other cuisines you can think of.
Transportation
Despite its famous traffic jams
Bangkok has the best public transport among large cities in the region,
excepting Singapore. The bus system is difficult to learn, but it is
extensive, cheap and useful outside of rush hours. The Metro and BTS
Skytrain lines make it easy to get around the city quickly, and also
allow you to live more cheaply in outlying areas and take the train
into the city center for work. (Language centers tend to be located
within walking distance of a Metro or BTS station, but not public or
private schools.) If you’re near a waterway, you may also be able to
take a cheap water taxi to avoid the traffic.
source: http://www.transitionsabroad.com
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