I just got offered a teaching job for 30k baht a month salary.

[bwpage3]

3 hours ago, clarky cat said:

Health insurance is covered through work, I wouldn’t choose to work in a school that didn’t include it.

Plan to build a house soon which will be cheaper than renting the condo. I do have the ability to borrow money here, I don’t back home.

My main point is I’d be far worse off in every way possible if living back home on an average income.

I’m saving money here which I was unable to do living in London.

The situation isn’t ideal, but it’s about choosing the lesser of two evils.

 

 

Thank you for a truthful response. Not many dare to tell the truth which we can all learn from.

[youreavinalaff]

10 hours ago, clarky cat said:

Health insurance is covered through work, I wouldn’t choose to work in a school that didn’t include it.

Plan to build a house soon which will be cheaper than renting the condo. I do have the ability to borrow money here, I don’t back home.

My main point is I’d be far worse off in every way possible if living back home on an average income.

I’m saving money here which I was unable to do living in London.

The situation isn’t ideal, but it’s about choosing the lesser of two evils.

 

 

Yes, I agree.

 

Thanks for:

 

1. Showing that it is not all doom and gloom.

 

2. For showing that one can be happy on a wage some might consider is putting you on the rocky road to retirement ruin.

 

3. That 30k is a reasonable starting point on the salary scale.

 

4. That savings are manageable, as you showed that different people's situations can be different. I too have a working wife and therefore my salary is not the only one that is used to live month by month and buy things to better our lives.

 

5. And mostly, for getting through the thick skulls of those that were constantly in denial that expat teachers are doing nothing more than wasting their time in Thailand.

 

I wish you well in your quest for further qualification and higher salary. The work paid off for me in the end and I'm sure it will for you too.

[Solinvictus]

On 3/7/2021 at 2:08 PM, Airalee said:

The OP was offered ฿30,000.  If he’s not happy with that then he can look for a school that places a higher financial value on his contribution.  What someone thinks they are worth has no bearing on what a school is prepared to offer.  

Art of the deal. Yeah it does but not everywhere. Also, depends on how desperate they are. Come on now..

[Neeranam]

On 3/6/2021 at 3:49 PM, from the home of CC said:

I wouldn't do it for a 100, but that's just me..

This forum and thread is not about you. 

[Neeranam]

Welcome to Thailand.

[Neeranam]

On 3/6/2021 at 3:32 PM, jack71 said:

I would like to earn above 40k a month to satisfy the requirements for permanent residency. 

If you are married, it's easier to get citizenship. 

[BritManToo]

34 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

If you are married, it's easier to get citizenship. 

If you are a married female it's even easier to get citizenship.

[Neeranam]

23 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

If you are a married female it's even easier to get citizenship.

It used to be but there's little difference nowadays after the change of the 2008 nationality act. 

[BritManToo]

Just now, Neeranam said:

It used to be but there's little difference nowadays after the change of the 2008 nationality act. 

Married for 1 year with a household income of 15k/month.

Seems pretty easy to me, she doesn't even need to have a job or work permit.

Edited May 21, 2021 by BritManToo

[Neeranam]

On 3/17/2021 at 7:32 PM, bwpage3 said:

How can people even survive on 30,000 baht a month?

US $6.25 an hour for a 40 hour work week?

And think about doing that the rest of their lives or 20+ years?

Would the same folks work for 30,000 a month in their own countries?

The US is trying to raise minimum wage to $15/hour. (72,000 baht a month)

How the heck can you ever save enough to retire with peace of mind?

 

 

Do you teach in Thailand? Who cares about the USA? 

 

I gave up a well paid job as a petroleum engineer with great pension plan to come here and work for 20k a year. Best move I ever made. 

Times were tough when kids started school but worked out OK. 

 

I feel sorry for the guys who work hard all their lives to then start living for a few years. 

 

[Neeranam]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Married for 1 year with a household income of 15k/month.

Seems pretty easy to me, she doesn't even need to have a job or work permit.

Is easy for men now too. 

[bwpage3]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Do you teach in Thailand? Who cares about the USA? 

 

I gave up a well paid job as a petroleum engineer with great pension plan to come here and work for 20k a year. Best move I ever made. 

Times were tough when kids started school but worked out OK. 

 

I feel sorry for the guys who work hard all their lives to then start living for a few years. 

 

Yes and when are retirement age you will regret every minute.

 

And never forget, if the teaching rules ever change when the political wind blows, you will be out on your can with no way to support your family.

 

I think they call that don't put all your eggs into one very unstable basket.

 

 

[EricTh]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Do you teach in Thailand? Who cares about the USA? 

 

I gave up a well paid job as a petroleum engineer with great pension plan to come here and work for 20k a year. Best move I ever made. 

Times were tough when kids started school but worked out OK. 

 

I feel sorry for the guys who work hard all their lives to then start living for a few years. 

 

 

How's the demand and supply of teachers in Thailand nowadays?

 

20,000 baht per year?

 

 

 

[bwpage3]

15 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Do you teach in Thailand? Who cares about the USA? 

 

I gave up a well paid job as a petroleum engineer with great pension plan to come here and work for 20k a year. Best move I ever made. 

Times were tough when kids started school but worked out OK. 

 

I feel sorry for the guys who work hard all their lives to then start living for a few years. 

 

I bet your working harder than many earning 20+ times more than you.

 

And when you earn that much, you can do anything you want and go anywhere you want.

 

You are not living, you are just barely surviving.

 

 

[Neeranam]

10 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

I bet your working harder than many earning 20+ times more than you.

 

And when you earn that much, you can do anything you want and go anywhere you want.

 

You are not living, you are just barely surviving.

 

 

What are you going on about? 27 years ago I was on 20k, I get 7x that now.  I also have passive income from staking cryptocurrency.

[retsdon]

AUA out in the sticks were paying me almost 30,000 baht and that was 18 years ago. And with a few extra classes I was actually making more than that. It's just pathetic that teaching pay hasn't moved over the intervening years because for sure the cost of living has. And so have teaching salaries elsewhere. Go and look at rates in Vietnam or Cambodia, or China. 

 

The pay rate in Thailand is a joke and not a basis for any long or even medium term life choice.  Almost 20 years ago, after 5 years in Thailand on 24 -30,000 a month I had a hard look at reality and admitted the inescapable conclusion that if I didn't get out and make some proper money I'd finish up destitute. And to be honest,  that's exactly how a few of the guys I worked with did finish up. Broke, unable to meet financial visa of health insurance requirements, the end result of a decade or two living the TEFLing life was them having to crawl back to the UK to live on social security in some DSS accommodation with the plonkies. Yes, there are good times to be had teaching in Thailand but you need to keep an eye on the post teaching door because sooner or later you will have to have to go through it. And don't forget to keep up your pension/ national insurance contributions....

 

[bwpage3]

11 hours ago, Neeranam said:

What are you going on about? 27 years ago I was on 20k, I get 7x that now.  I also have passive income from staking cryptocurrency.

No, no and no. Keep dreaming.

[kynikoi]

On 3/7/2021 at 3:08 PM, SomchaiCNX said:

I make that kind of money but was told that they only consider 80K + for PR, nowhere to find that requirement but been told after 17 years getting a "no" and "do not qualify"  year after year. Ubon Joe? 40 K is the minimum for people married on an non O.

 

It's 40k I think for marrieds..PR is 192k why would you bother?

[kynikoi]

1 hour ago, retsdon said:

just pathetic that teaching pay hasn't moved over the intervening years

 

Thai salaries haven't moved up.

 

Quality of teachers haven't moved up.

 

Starting salary of 35k is triple the national wage. Probably 2.5 times the standard bog teaching salary of around half that.

 

What are these teacher's bringing to the position? Prestigious uni, ability to teach, write well, public speaking talent, clear pronunciation and understanding of phonics, great vocabulary, solid grammar skills, celta?

 

No, just another bog standard, low motivation, no prep farang. If you live in the hills expect to make hillbilly wages. Pretty simple.

Edited May 22, 2021 by kynikoi

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, kynikoi said:

It's 40k I think for marrieds..PR is 192k why would you bother?

I think it's 90k if married, but again, if married, Citizenship is easier and better. 

[retsdon]

5 hours ago, kynikoi said:

 

Thai salaries haven't moved up.

 

Quality of teachers haven't moved up.

 

Starting salary of 35k is triple the national wage. Probably 2.5 times the standard bog teaching salary of around half that.

 

What are these teacher's bringing to the position? Prestigious uni, ability to teach, write well, public speaking talent, clear pronunciation and understanding of phonics, great vocabulary, solid grammar skills, celta?

 

No, just another bog standard, low motivation, no prep farang. If you live in the hills expect to make hillbilly wages. Pretty simple.

It's not triple the national wage unless you're talking about the national wage for working in a hotel making beds. Any qualified Thai (other than a public servant) working in any kind of responsible position is north of 25,000 baht these days. A receptionist working for a multi-national on the eastern seaboard gets nearly 20,000. 

 

But your other point is absolutely correct. Teachers in Thailand are grossly underpaid and it impacts on the quality of the profession overall. It's a job of last resort.

[youreavinalaff]

33 minutes ago, retsdon said:

But your other point is absolutely correct. Teachers in Thailand are grossly underpaid and it impacts on the quality of the profession overall. It's a job of last resort.

To which teachers to you refer? Thai, Expat or both?

[retsdon]

17 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

To which teachers to you refer? Thai, Expat or both?

All of them.

[kynikoi]

21 minutes ago, puchooay said:

All having schools ranked highly.

 

Of course you named each of them as well.

 

Maybe one decent school in each city but that's about it and we're talking top 25+ not top 25 at best.

 

Five in Issan, a few in the other cities you'd mentioned. Good but not great. They all leave to come here. Songkla a few. Phuket, Udom, Korat, Pracuhuap, etc not so much.

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by kynikoi

[foreverlomsak]

On 3/6/2021 at 3:32 PM, jack71 said:

I asked the salary and they told me 30k a month. 

When I started teaching in 2008, I was on 33K, unqualified but with a BSC (Hons), the second teacher was also on 33k and the third was on 35K.

It could go up in the future they said, the experience with my school, the salary increased negatively (8k down over 2 years) and the workload increased dramatically (15%-20%).

 

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory posts and replies reported and removed.   Continue and face a suspension.   Keep it civil and stay on topic.  

 

[The Cipher]

So whether someone wants to teach or not for the passion or the lifestyle is up to them. There is more to life than money, although my personal experience is that the financial aspect is also pretty important. If you, personally, are happy with the life on a 30k/mth salary with a bit of upside potential over the course of a career, then don't let other people discourage you from doing what makes you happy.

 

That being said, posters that are concerned the ability to save for retirement or to afford a higher standard of living are also correct. Basic math will show this. What people need to comfortably and happily retire differs. But using the basic benchmark of ฿30M (~$1M USD), and an expected career of say 35 years, you would need to save approximately ฿850,000 per year (~฿70,000/mth) to reach that goal at the end of your career.

 

That's a simplified example assuming no investment compounding or inflation, but it illustrates the point in general. Everyone's target retirement number will differ, but I strongly encourage everyone to sit down and run your personal math and plan out your life a bit to make sure that the path they have chosen to take will realistically take you to your goal.

[SomchaiCNX]

On 5/23/2021 at 6:16 AM, kynikoi said:

 

It's 40k I think for marrieds..PR is 192k why would you bother?

Yes 40 K is what you have to make for the immigratie for your extension but the same immigration will only consider your request for residence when you make 80 K + minimum

[jack71]

On 5/25/2021 at 8:25 PM, SomchaiCNX said:

Yes 40 K is what you have to make for the immigratie for your extension but the same immigration will only consider your request for residence when you make 80 K + minimum

A married guy can apply for thai citizenship after having a WP / income of thb40k. Its recommended to be slightly above that. ie pay taxes for greater than 3 yrs above that level

[SomchaiCNX]

4 hours ago, jack71 said:

A married guy can apply for thai citizenship after having a WP / income of thb40k. Its recommended to be slightly above that. ie pay taxes for greater than 3 yrs above that level

Only living here for 29 years, married for 28, Business WP etc etc, that's what I got as an answer after asking for 17 years and the years after.  Ask others, you will get the same answer so where did you get your residentship not in CNX I guess? You must be aware that each immigration office and each officer has the freedom to a different interpretation of the same law. If you got it, good for you if not, what are you talking about. Have a nice day.