Wanting to teach in Thailand

Hi jenkinsc,

there are plenty of english teaching jobs in Thailand and through out asia, more pay for university graduates.

one example:

https://www.teachaway.com/teach-thailand

English Teaching Benefits in Thailand
Monthly Salary    15,000-30,000THB (approximately $550-$1200)
Working Hours    35-40 hours/week, 5 days a week
Accommodation    $150-$200/month (at teacher's expense); teachers receive assistance in arranging accommodation
Vacation    Varies from school to school Thai holidays + unpaid vacation

I don't know everything or all of the refinements. Then again I am aware of many details, because I too was looking at teaching in Chiang Mai.

The fact that you will be getting a BA degree will be a step up for you. Schools accept people without a BA, when necessary which is often. There are schools that hire from the states. You would have to research that on your own. There are schools that may be located in Chiang Mai or have multiple locations almost everywhere in the world. (For your own sake, please get your BA before some one lures you off to who knows where.) It is advisable to get an international English Teaching certificate. It could be called TEFL. There are school's here in Chiang Mai where you can get that certificate but you have to pay for everything, down to the last pencil in your box. As I read it you have a year to look into the subject, Take your time and enjoy the exploration.

I know Saudi Arabia probably pays the best in the world, for English teachers. Then again foreigners have to live in designated areas and have to comply with whatever Muslim practices there are. There are many facets to that scale and there are some very interesting ones as well. I find it intoxicating to meet people from all over the world and be able to share and learn new ideas. I question that option in the US today.

Bill

put your resume on www.ajarn.com and see what happens

You can check the link below because its all about teaching in Thailand.

If you do have a degree and have been teaching for three years you should have no trouble finding a job.  Make sure any offer comes with a work permit at their cost not yours.

http://www.ajarn.com/

Thank you! Does the work visa usually happen before you get there?

There is a Thai consulate in LA. I believe that it serves all of the western US. You can easily find them on line. I would suggest that you either research their on line material or send an email. Calling them may or may not be helpful.
I just went through the process of getting a work permit. In my case it was under the status of O volunteer. I had to get an O single entry visa in the states. When I arrived I had to finalize the application or process. It can take anywhere from a few days to, in my case, almost two months. In terms of a work permit relative to teaching I'm not certain. You could contact any one of the schools listed on line and ask them directly.

The work permit won't happen till you arrive in Thailand.

If you have an offer letter for employment you would obtain a business visa from consulate in US using that letter.  Once in Thailand the employer should at very least help you with the paper work required to obtain work permit.  Good employers will have staff that manage process.

Some people come to Thailand first on tourist visa looking for employment.   If they find employment and receive job offer in writing you usually must leave Thailand to one of the neighbor countries.   Once there you present your job offer letter to Thai Consulate to obtain a business visa and then return to Thailand.

If you have degree and teaching experience then be selective and bone up on the right questions to ask prospective employers.  Any offer letters should spell out what they are providing and what they expect for your services.

Thank  you so much!!!!

Come here it is easy to find a teaching job. A thousand dollars a month is the average wage, in Bangkok you will earn more. A TESOL certificate is handy but not necessary, a degree works. I taught for 6 years, primary, secondary, college and government employees. I have a few private students now.

jenkinsc wrote:

Hi all! I'm new on here, and I am looking into teaching in Thailand or Asia. I just wanted some advice. I am going to an international job fair in San Francisco in February through a company. Unfortunately Thailand will not be there. I am a certified teacher in my third year of teaching.

Is it better just to come to Thailand and find work as a teacher? I could come in summer and I don't mind spending the time and money as long as it would be beneficial. Does this work?

Thank you in advance!

As you are a certified teacher, I would highly recommend NOT looking for an ESL/TEFL position. Even at the higher-paying language institutes and bilingual schools, you would be looking at a maximum of 50,000 - 60,000 baht/month, and likely no benefits such as flights, full health insurance, etc.

A far better option would be looking for employment at one of the many international schools in Bangkok. Though you've missed most of the hiring season for the top schools (NIST, ISB, BPS), many of the others will be hiring through February to March. American-curriculum schools you could try include Wells, American School of Bangkok, Ruamrudee, Berkeley and International Community School. These all pay significantly more than you would make teaching English and are always on the lookout for qualified teachers.

Another advantage would be gaining international teaching experience, which would allow you to start moving up the ladder in the international school circuit. It's a great industry to be in: it's growing rapidly worldwide, allows you to travel while working and can provide an incredible salary and benefits package. (All three of the top schools I mentioned above have salary scales that start at a minimum of just under US $50,000 and include a massive number of benefits.)

Thank you so much for the information. Could you let me know when is the best time to apply for the schools? I really appreciate your help!

The "big three" schools that I mentioned - NIST, ISB and BPS, began their hiring season for the 2017-2018 school year in October to November, though they do still have openings listed now. (Their positions are usually all filled by January, so you would need to apply soon if you want to give them a shot.) The others are starting to advertise now, or will soon, and will hire through March to April. You can send in a general application to any of these schools, but it's far better to wait for positions that match your teaching specialization and apply for them directly.

If your plan is to come here for the next school year, you're on a tight schedule in respect to preparing. To be honest, you would probably have better luck gaining one more year of experience in the US, and if you haven't already done so, building up your CV in other respects through professional development (particularly IB training if you have the time and means) and networking.

When looking for positions, you have a few options. Every school will list their open positions on their websites, many of them also post on job forums and sites, and a few will attend the recruitment fairs. However, I don't know of any Bangkok international school that has attended the ISS San Francisco fair. Most (at least among those that do attend the fairs) will attend the ones here in Bangkok, London and occasionally the Middle East. Ultimately, if you're aiming to teach abroad as a career move rather than an experience for a year or two, it will require more of an investment in time and money, but the payoff can be significant.

Hi . If you put your cv on Davescafe.com you will get alot of offers from China and other countries.  But there is also a jobs board on there with alot of jobs in asia and forums about working here and there.  Good luck.

You must mean 50,000 Baht, no schools here pay 50,000 Dollars!

colbamumbai wrote:

You must mean 50,000 Baht, no schools here pay 50,000 Dollars!

No...I do mean $50,000 US dollars. 

NIST, ISB and BPS are considered the top international schools in Thailand and are on par with other highly respected private schools around the world. Their salary scales top out at approximately $75,000 before tax (higher in the case of ISB). This also doesn't include the substantial number of benefits: paid annual flights for the teachers and their dependents, relocation and shipping allowances, housing/housing allowances, large professional development funds, responsibility allowances, and more.

The international school market in Thailand is highly varied, so they are admittedly the outliers. Most of the other well-respected international schools pay between 80,000 to 150,000 baht/month, and many of the mid-tier schools have salary scales that start around 60,000 baht/month and top out around 120,000. Again, there is a large amount of variation in this, and at the lower end of these numbers, the schools tend to have far fewer benefits.

Only among the lowest-cost providers in the international school market do you find those that pay 50,000 or less.

jenkinsc wrote:

Thank you so much for the information. Could you let me know when is the best time to apply for the schools? I really appreciate your help!

2016/2017 Academic year will end in march ,am of the view that you start hunting for jobs to secure one for the next academic year.As a native speaker you have higher chances of getting a job.you can come on tourist visa ,do the hunting,if all goes well school will  avail you with documents For a Non immigrant B visa .you will have to exit to a neighbouring country,apply at a respective embassy return to thailand and School will help process your working visa,permit and license

It depends on a couple of factors.

1. If you have enough saving to live off of for a month or 2 I would recommend going to Thailand first and looking for a job there. It is always better to visit your place of work before you start, check out the area and the people before getting tied down with a 1 year contract. A lot of the jobs aren't what they seem like in the advertisements.

2.Job placement agencies sometimes just want to throw you anywhere to get their commission. With your background and experience you can get a comfortable international school job, you are in demand so don't sell yourself short or settle for less.

For places to look for Jobs in Thailand and find resources try:

ajarn.com

teachlivethailand.com/jobs

You need to be here in Thailand to find work easily. I just retired from teaching here.