So Are You Happy With Only 30k Baht Per Month?

[lost_in_isaan]

Normally I receive a number of messages from tryhard recruitment companies trying to gain our business and recruit teachers for us. I don't understand why anyone with the resources to manage recruitment would bother to do this when teachers are such an important element to the school.

Anyway, the folks from Experience abroad proffered this as their argument for selecting their services:

Your Savings

We can save you money on your salaries that you pay your teachers. Currently, we recruit teachers from the UK on salaries of 30,000 THB per month for our Clients, so if you pay more at the moment for salaries then you will be able to save money. For example, if you pay your teachers 33.000 THB, and we recruit teachers for you who accept 30,000 THB, then you will save 3,000 THB per month, that's 12000 THB per teacher per term. Our teachers are happy to be paid 30,000 THB - they just want to be in Thailand. 30,000 THB is not a bad starting salary.

So are you one of the teachers happy to paid only 30,000 thb per month? Are they recruiting all the homeless and gap year students and sending them all over here?

[Ijustwannateach]

There are several categories of teacher who are 'happy' to be paid 30K:

1. Those who have no real qualifications.

2. Those who are non-native speakers.

3. Those who have all the money they need already (usually because they are retired) and simply want something to do and a life in Thailand with fewer visa hassles.

Whether or not you would feel that having such teachers was good for your school in comparison to those who were in a more mainstream teaching workforce is up to you.

[BlackArtemis]

There are several categories of teacher who are 'happy' to be paid 30K:

1. Those who have no real qualifications.

2. Those who are non-native speakers.

3. Those who have all the money they need already (usually because they are retired) and simply want something to do and a life in Thailand with fewer visa hassles.

Whether or not you would feel that having such teachers was good for your school in comparison to those who were in a more mainstream teaching workforce is up to you.

I would like to add to that.

4. Those who want to live in Thailand year round, but only for a few years

5. Those living in areas with much cheaper living thank Bangkok and the islands.

6. Those making more money elsewhere, whether it be a spouse, stocks, tutoring, etc.

I was happy starting off at 22k in CM and living alone. Then I was bumped up to 25k, met my wife who made 14k and opened our house up to tutoring and made double that.

But I still wanted more so I decided on a second degree since a BA in Family Psych wasn't going to get me far in Thailand.

[Ijustwannateach]

^Good points; I am admittedly rather Bangkok-centric. Although I think your point 6 is just another side of my point 3!

[BlackArtemis]

ok ok, 6 can be 3a.

In CM most private schools start at 30-35k a month

Filipinos start at 15ish and non natives under 20 (government schools).

[Daren]

I've been here for nearly 5 years now and I would never even dream of working for less than 40k! My standard of comfort just isn't possible for less.

Also, I agree with most points made except "1. Those who have no real qualifications.", there are plenty of people with a degree working out in the sticks who make more than 30k. Just because you don't have a degree doesn't mean you HAVE TO work for peanuts.

PS - Even at forty, I never have any savings at the end of the year! I always use what I have to go on holidays!!

[Firelily]

I easily live on 15k a month and save the rest of my salary. I have no idea what I would do if I was "forced" to blow 30 or 40k (though of course I know it disappears quickly once you have a family). Reason 1 I am here is that I like it. Reason 2 is that it is sustainable long term, financially, professionally, emotionally. I would not be able to make a living as a teacher back home because of low salaries and high costs of living, I would either have to give up holidays and leisure, or my profession.

Btw, I know a bunch of people who are native speakers, not gap-year students and white trash, support a family on that 30k, and are happy with it.

[thunder30101]

Other than bangkok and sorry but bangkok isnt really thailand, there are not many schools that pay over 30-35k per month so I dont know why all the negative comments about qualified teachers earning that much, other than its the typical boasting by some who seem to think they are the only good teachers in thailand..

[Briggsy]

Happiness, in my experience, has not a great deal to do with wealth.

[Scott]

Three posts deleted. One warning given.

Please stay on topic. Please don't use inflammatory language and off-topic remarks.

One post was in response to the off-topic flame.

[whiterussian]

Ecstatic!

1 of me, is obviously worth 3 Thai teachers!

Wouldn't want more. 3 is enough.

Edited February 20, 2010 by whiterussian

[PeaceBlondie]

Do you intend to save for children's schooling? Take the family overseas to see family? Earn an advanced degree? Save for retirement? Then 30K may not cover you.

[YanTree]

I also don't understand how foreigners can live on this amount. I can see how Thai's can do it, they don't know any better. Been living like that all their lives. We come from air conditioned homes with hot water and eating good western food etc.

I spend more than 30,000 per month on my fuc_king rent - probably spend at least that amount on entertainment every month as well. I could probably live a bit more frugal but certainly couldn't tolerate anything less than 50-60,000 per month. I would imagine I spend about 100,000 now and live quite comfortably - this same quality of life in the US would cost at least $10,000 per month. That is how I analyze things, not comparing myself to some Thai person living on 6,000 baht per month.

Nothing wrong with being a teacher though. If it wasn't so hard to get a CELTA I'd probably be teaching now - though it certainly would not be for the money.

[thunder30101]

I know better than to spend 30k a month on rent in thailand lol, I have ac and hot water and I live quite well on 30k, although my gf has a good job too which helps out. What is this good western food you are talking about ? oh yeah all that great stuff that is killing the west, I have a friend back home 48 yr.s old just had a heart attack, how about that diabetes and obesity huh ? good stuff there. One of the best things for me in coming to thailand was no more indigestion from the fats, sugars and food additives in everything I ate. Entertainment for 30k a month ? well we can guess what kind that is. Im not comparing myself to thais because I make way more than alot of them but I also dont piss away my money like a drunken sailor either.

[YanTree]

What is this good western food you are talking about ?

www.foodbyphone.com

www.chefsxp.com

The merits of eating that versus eating Thai food I wont argue - Thai food is obviously much better for you. It is just not appetizing for me - I like Western food. Western food is arguably more expensive in Thailand than it is in the 'West'

[PeaceBlondie]

Thai food is killing Thais, with sugar, chilies, diabetes, bad whiskey, etc.

[samuibeachcomber]

If i was a young lad teaching on 30,000 baht a month anywhere in thailand,i would n't be hanging around too long.How are you going to save,build some equity,afford property for the future?Reckon you'd need 50-60 thousand a month,otherwise may as well be back in the west earning some decent money or teaching in japan.

[Loaded]

If i was a young lad teaching on 30,000 baht a month anywhere in thailand,i would n't be hanging around too long.How are you going to save,build some equity,afford property for the future?Reckon you'd need 50-60 thousand a month,otherwise may as well be back in the west earning some decent money or teaching in japan.

I don't know how many 'young lads' think that way. I didn't.

[samuibeachcomber]

If i was a young lad teaching on 30,000 baht a month anywhere in thailand,i would n't be hanging around too long.How are you going to save,build some equity,afford property for the future?Reckon you'd need 50-60 thousand a month,otherwise may as well be back in the west earning some decent money or teaching in japan.

I don't know how many 'young lads' think that way. I didn't.

sure if you were out here for a limited time,a year or two ok,great experience but it would be a struggle for the longer term,say you got hitched up with a local girl,maybe get married have a family,it would n't be much fun on 30,000 baht,that was the point i was trying to make.even if you remained single,not a lot of fun to be had with that kind of a salary,not much room for travel,a bit of indulgence and if you get sick,unless you have good savings,you could be in strife without good medical cover,but i'm an old codger and forget young ones dont think about those things,i dont think i did either.

[toptuan]

Happy with 30K? I can't spend it all in one month, so end up saving 60% of it for international travel during school breaks and annual paid vacation.

Depends on where you live in Thailand and what standard of living you are happy with. Too much of an open-ended question. Too many variables.

[QED]

Happy with 30K? I can't spend it all in one month, so end up saving 60% of it for international travel during school breaks and annual paid vacation.

Depends on where you live in Thailand and what standard of living you are happy with. Too much of an open-ended question. Too many variables.

I spent that in one night once, a unique occurrence believe me. However I can't understand how you could live on 30k, let alone 12! Do you never have any fun?

[counrikke]

What is fun to you may be not be fun to someone else.

[NormanW]

^{God, a wage like that would sure make me get more qualified to move into international schools and get paid a decent amount.}

^{I love teaching, but a wage like that sure would test that love for my career!}

^{Luckily I am fully qualified, phew.}

^{You learn something new everyday.}

NormanW

[neverdie]

Must be a typo, surely he means per week?

[toptuan]

Happy with 30K? I can't spend it all in one month, so end up saving 60% of it for international travel during school breaks and annual paid vacation.

Depends on where you live in Thailand and what standard of living you are happy with. Too much of an open-ended question. Too many variables.

I spent that in one night once, a unique occurrence believe me. However I can't understand how you could live on 30k, let alone 12! Do you never have any fun?

So much fun, I wish I had more hours in a day to take it all in!

Now, if you define "fun" as getting drunk every night and paying for [that which may not be mentioned in our midst ] every night as well, probably not.

[Ijustwannateach]

Just to remind our readers here that teacher-bashing- including teacher-salary-bashing- will get you in trouble...

I have nothing against those teachers who teach for less, except that it does tend to drive down the market rate for those of us who are younger/still need to save- I am assuming that folks like Toptuan, from what I know of him, doesn't really need the money (so he fits into my category 3) and he's not in Bangkok (so he fits into BlackArtemis's category 4). I worked a year myself on what turned out to be somewhat less than 30K, but I made good contacts and eventually found a better place. As PB points out, no way could I do professional development or save enough on a 30K job, and I wouldn't recommend anyone else less than retirement age try to do so.

Basically, the way the market is really divided is between university jobs with lower workloads and much lower base pay- which have so far been able to survive because they are typically filled with retirees who don't need the money- and high school jobs with a wide range of pay depending on whom they are willing to hire.

To posters at risk of dragging this topic off topic, what Thai teachers get paid has nothing to do with the market for foreign teachers.

What I think other posters- especially the ones who deride teachers or their salaries- might want to think about, is how lucky they are that their kids spend MOST of their young lives in the care of people willing to be paid less than well- or maybe this isn't lucky? Either way, something for them to think about.

[BlackArtemis]

I think there is a tad bit of jealousy as well. Me deciding at 25 to move to Thailand and having years to enjoy it doesn't sit well who moved there at 50 and gave up 25 years of their life to the rat race back home.

[Scott]

I can't fully understand your comment about the 'rat-race' back home. I've spent years in Thailand and this seems to be just as big a rat-race as western countries. For those of us in Bangkok, let's start with the morning drive--not a heck of a lot different from a constant blizzard, only this one is with cars and motorcycles instead of snow. Then there are the floods.

The general management style is one in which employees are treated less-well than in many other countries. The pay is less well. The immigration hassles aren't much fun either. Bureaucracy, changing rules and regulations and all of that makes this at least an equally big rat race.

[PeaceBlondie]

Let's say I had no pensions, and took the first job available, out in the province for 25K. Commuting 35 km each way. Ten months a year (in fact, 9 months). No visa extension, no work permit, having to get my annual visa in USA. No support locally, totally inept administration. It's so wonder teachers quit after a month of two. Most teachers can't survive long-term on 30K per month, with a wife and a kid. If you can, you're the exception.

[Naam]

Happy with 30K? I can't spend it all in one month, so end up saving 60% of it for international travel during school breaks and annual paid vacation.

Depends on where you live in Thailand and what standard of living you are happy with. Too much of an open-ended question. Too many variables.

am i right to assume that on top of that there is enough left to buy once in a while a one carat, top wesselton, blue-white stone for your lady?