Please Clarify Teacher's Salary In Terms Of Lifestyle

[321niti123]

Teaching in an international school gives you more money about 80K, but not sure if there is any international school in Nakhon Sawan or not.

[Eastender]

Thanks very much to all of you for your replies, its much more useful to hear things put in terms of what a salary can get you instead of just figures. OK, it's not exactly what I wanted to hear, but very sobering. It has helped me to put things in perspective and already decide some future options.

Thanks again and sorry it took so long for me to reply.

Robin

[ClareQuilty]

I make a bit more than what the OP is planning on (though 90% of teachers in Isaan do make 30-35K, so his salary expectations are dead-on).

However, as a single man I spend about 50K including money from home and I'm always broke by the end of the month and don't own anything but a very old car and a couple of old motorbikes. Its a treadmill and it is pretty bleak as far as a 'future', teaching here. But obviously the lifestyle is nicer than back home, and anyway for many of us there is no job back home regardless.

If the OP has a pension or investment income in the $1,200-1,500/month range, then, with the teachers salary in addition, he can with reasonable frugality do what he hopes to do, but not without.

[BugJackBaron]

That's easy: poor.

Unless you

(1) work for an international school or area full professor at Makidon(sp) University(you won't be teaching English though)

(2) Have one or two part time jobs on the side - which are fine as long as they last

(3) Have an extra source of income - like a pension

English teaching is the bottom of the barrel.

Cynical or realistic?!

As for going native - as others have noted, that's fine as long as you don't plan to make regular trips back home -

[jayinoz]

I get 35K out in the countryside- yet I do not know who can live comfortably off that alone. Standard Farang wage for a teacher at a government High School. Some teachers can get double or more in private schools, yet you need Masters, etc and must know people who will refer you who has the ear of decision makers. Luckily it is not my primary income, as my real trade is as a Stockbroker. Maybe as a single guy with no responsibilites what so ever and you go native it is doable.

If I was not so bored in the countryside I would not be bothered teaching for very low wage. You do not spend huge number of hours yet you get to speak to intelligent teachers and group of people every day.

Anyone who is serious about having a career as a teachers and is after half decent money in Asia. Yo would be teaching in Hong kong, Sing, Korea or Japan. Yet Thailand can be a good stepping stone to build up experience if you lack degrees, etc.

I agree that most SE Asian nations are bottom of the barrel in terms of pay. Even South America pays approx double. Naturally in the developed world you get many times this amount. Yet we choose a differing lifestyle. Otherwise i would be a Fund manager back in Aussie making 10x the amount I make here- yet it is not my way. However without taking on 3-4 month contracts from time to time in Aussie and making extra income I could not live and support dependants we could not live a decent lifestyle.

You can get extra opportunities as a teacher and most successful Farang business people in Thailand often did a year or so of teaching. Then moved onto their business goals once learning the culture, language and people in the know... Most of us do not teach for the money. As it less than what you would get paid on welfare to sit on your bum back in your homeland. Most have other plans and ambitions- IMO. Some wish to open their own school, etc in the future if choosing to spend their life in Thailand. Whilst others may choose to travel and teach for as long as they can- you cannot save anything from teaching in SE Asia.

Most have other ambitions like wishing to start a business, use Thailand for experience only, getting to know the language and culture. If you simply ran out of funds yet wish to travel and teach the I suggest HK, Japan or Korea for bigger bucks. Then save as much as possible and head back to SE Asia several months a year.

We would not be in Thai if our ambitions were primarily money. In fact when the Head master tells you your wage they feel it is very high, when in fact it is bearly liveable for a Farnag family. No way can a family live off the one teaching wage and have a good lifestyle. Many Farangs often never end up staying here for their life time as the rules against us owning homes etc are against us. Most move on... Using Thai for experience only.

We will always be aliens in this world- rarely does a person make it to a stage that they feel Thai and treated Thai. Except the very few who become PR... Unless you have savings as a backup never rely on your teaching wage to get you by- IMO. I would never take the chance in Thai without some serious bucks in the bank, as who knows what will pop up in the future.

I own a car, x2 motorbikes and need at least 80k pm to live the lifestyle i wish. Others may get away with living off 20-30K as a single OR living like a native family. Depends on your lifestyle. I suggest that living off this sum will be very boring.

[Slip]

Many bilingual schools/ English Programs give year on year pay increases of 10%. Mine does and I've been there 7 years so my salary is finally reasonably respectable. (So of course the miserable sods have frozen my pay increase). Anyway under that system you can expect things to get better after a couple of years. Working couples seem to get by OK.

[naboo]

Me,

Single, Chiang Mai

50k

6.5k rent

3.5k bills ( electric (rarely use aircon - 500B), telephone (500B), internet (wireless shared with neighbour - 400B), water (100B), True TV (1.5kB)

1.5k - maid and gardener once a week to clean, wash clothes (iron work clothes) and tidy up the yard, wash the car etc.

6k - running a car (10 years old, mid range insurance, fill the tank twice a month, cheap servicing down the road, doesn't include cost of purchase or depreciation)

1k - running a motorcycle

6k - food (usually Thai, occasional Farang food)

15k - basically I give myself 500B a day money to spend on 'stuff' - excursions, hobbies, beer, coffees, gadgets etc. Some days I spend nothing, but the 15k goes in a month.

10k - saved, but usually end up spending it on stuff I need - new motorbike, fishing stuff, a week (or two) long holiday to the south or somewhere in the region - it goes.

I could go without the car, but I like the option, especially in the rain. I could live without the True TV, but I think it saves me money by keeping me indoors. If, in some moment of madness, I were to get married and settle down, I imagine the maid could go without the maid, and perhaps do the garden myself, but I like the luxury.

I live comfortably. If I want to fly home, I need to tighten up on the entertainment for a couple of months and use that 10k buffer I have. I could live a significantly cheaper life, and would probably be just as happy, but this is my way of life. The OP may struggle to live the lifestyle he describes on 30/35k, but with a few adjustments he'd be fine. And there's always the potential to do work on the side, plus his wife's wage.

[mysterybkk]

well, i am living an acceptable life in bangkok on 16k per month. sure i cant eat out at nice places or go to night entertainment venues, but it's perfectly possible to live like that in bangkok. i dont have any people who are dependent on me, but i'm sure the other 20k that the OP would be getting can sort some of that out. except the above average school.....