Anyone Only Do Privates?

[Harry Palmer]

i've been thinking of only teaching private students after my current contract is up...

i have a few other making money ideas that i'm going to be testing out as possibilities in the months leading up to this... (both myself & madame palmer make clothes and i've seen stores in silom etc. selling similar creations at prices much higher than i would charge, so i'm thinking of selling online or to the stores directly)...

but i'd also like to get into the private student ELT market in BKK as well. i realize that it's going to take time to build up a client base, and i figure that it shouldn't be too hard to find a 'real job' if things don't pan out the way that i'm hoping...

what experiences both good & bad have you guys had with going the private route?

where to start with advertising, where to teach - home or rent space, how much to charge etc.

[mbkudu]

Harry, I am surprised that you ask this question considering that this would violate your work permit status. It's simply not possible to be legal and do privates.

The time that I spent teaching in Thailand, 8 years, was mostly only privates. I started in language schools and then made my way into privates through contacts and other teachers doing them. I did mostly Asian expats' kids and some adults, usually Japanese. There is a lot of moving around the city from morning till night, but the pay is excellent and the hours and contracts flexible. I was my own boss.

Some of the classes I had went on for years. One family the full 8 years teaching their two sons. The downsides? Look at the second sentence in this post.

I have a friend who teaches only Koreans. It just ended up this way. He started with one and then that one told a friend in her church and so on, so on. Usually each student is some how connected to all the others, so if you #### up with one,

all the others will find out through the grapevine. It's a good route though; I wouldn't do it any other way.

[phormio]

There is a lot of moving around the city from morning till night, but the pay is excellent and the hours and contracts flexible. I was my own boss.

I taught some mid level managers for Lucky Goldstar in Seoul back in the 90s.

Did you always go through an intermediate company for payment /contracts?

What kind of money were you making and what kind of money do you think you can get now?

Was it mostly one-on-one or small groups?

Thanks.

[Ijustwannateach]

Another problem with the "all-private" way is that although the money is good, it's hard to explain on a resume and doesn't come with a good paper trail, assuming you ever do want another job. I find it best both for legality and career to have a "real" job with privates only supplementing it.

"Steven"

[bkk barney]

h.ell my galfriend earns more money during the tourist season teaching privates than most farang teachers in bkk with a proper job, ok she has 8 months of low season, so she works a lot less hours, but h.ell that gives her time to study for her next degree, and she never works saturday or sundays, unlike me, actually life can be so unfair, the things i could do if i didnt work weekends, did i tell u about ban chang and the bars there, they got this great deal where u get 2 gals and......aaahhh this is thai visa, oh well its a good story but u lot aint allowed to know it, anyway i dont want fat ginger going down there and spoiling it for everyone so its best i keep quiet about it

[Harry Palmer]

Another problem with the "all-private" way is that although the money is good, it's hard to explain on a resume and doesn't come with a good paper trail, assuming you ever do want another job. I find it best both for legality and career to have a "real" job with privates only supplementing it.

"Steven"

but TiT... just fill in the resume gaps with such things as a vacation.. or perhaps teaching sudanese refugees english in the sudan... they are hardly going to check now, are they?

anway the thread is supposed to contain info. to aid those wishing to do part/ full time private work... although points made about it's legality or otherwise are relevant...

[mbkudu]

There is a lot of moving around the city from morning till night, but the pay is excellent and the hours and contracts flexible. I was my own boss.

I taught some mid level managers for Lucky Goldstar in Seoul back in the 90s.

Did you always go through an intermediate company for payment /contracts?

What kind of money were you making and what kind of money do you think you can get now?

Was it mostly one-on-one or small groups?

Thanks.

Most do I guess, such as an agent. Some agents are leaches, others very fair.

I started with a referral from a fellow teacher/friend so he was not looking to make any money from it. From there it just grew from word of mouth. I worked for one agent doing (teaching) Japanese housewives. He charged them 600 baht per hour and gave me 500, pretty fair I'd say. Distance is also a factor. Try to avoid the ones that are really far outside the city.

I was making 400-500 baht an hour; this was 4 years ago. Now I'd imagine it's somewhere around 600 an hour. Don't know for sure. The classes were mostly one on one. Sometimes little groups of 4 or 5 housewives all giggling their asses off. Good fun.

The point about the paper trail is relavant. I always kept one or two classes at a school in Siam Square, but the bulk of my work was private. Schools just don't pay enough. Time constraints are a big factor in this type of work. You can only do so many in a day. I would normally have two house wife classes in the morning,

and then my real day would start around 2:30 in the afternoon, when the kids are back from school. My day would end around 7:00 p.m. There are gaps in the middle of the day and gaps in between for travel. It was hard work. This is not the sort of work for a teacher who likes the comfort of staying in one place all day and then going home.