Teaching Salary In Thailand

[mooris7]

I teach in the Isaan countryside and make 36k per month, on an 11 month contract, with 5k per year towards my Non B+WP and 2 1/2 - 3 months holiday (Although that including 1 month unpaid leave), as well as statutory holidays etc off. That did previously also include free accommodation at the school house, but it was too far from the exchange to get the internet so I found other accommodation instead. We teach 16-18 periods per week, although there's a lot of holidays/activities, so we'd average a bit less than that.

Other schools I heard of in RoiEt City, who were hiring, also offered similar deals.

In general, I think that working for a government (or private school as well I guess), is going to be vastly superior to working at a language school. As working on an hourly rate means you do have to work a lot in order to get money. If your students don't turn up, you don't get paid, if your language school doesn't assign you many hours, you don't get paid much, and in general, even if you are able to earn a decent amount of money, you're really having to work for it. Also at a language school, your primary working hours, will be evenings and weekends, although I guess that might work in well for some people.

When you work for a government/private school, if you want to work a bit harder to earn a little more money, you can via tutoring or English camps/teaching at other schools etc. The school I work at tries to assist us with picking up additional work, this term 2 of us have an extra 3h per week at another school (@400THBp/hour + petrol money), which means I get an extra 5000+ per month. If I wanted to do extra tutoring to fill in all of the free time I have, then I could easily pickup some after school or weekend tutoring.

Only real downside to government/private schools, is if you get a bad one, as I've heard some schools do try and load you up with more and more work without expecting to pay you for it. So there is a little bit of a lucky dip with government schools, although I think even if they loaded you up with quite a bit of extra work, so long as you get one which pays a decent base salary, once you add in all of the holidays you get paid for, you'd probably still come out even with most language schools anyway.

(When I refer to language schools, I'm specifically referring to ones which pay per hour. Some might pay salaries, but I've only heard of them paying by the hour, usually ~400THB/h, ones which pay higher and manage your hours in decent blocks might work out well though).

I'm not sure where you get your information about language schools from. The ones that don't pay you if your students don't show must be run out of small offices or homes. Again I will state most language schools hire only part time with a select few like Wall Street or Siam Computers hire full time. If my students don't show up I still get paid for my class. The school has many students so that has never happened yet. If a private student cancels the same day of the class or is a no show I get paid for 1 hour just to show up or not show up. If you read the ops questions they were not comparing full time at a language school or full time at a govt or private school. It was simply a query about what salaries and contracts were around the country. Again most people like me and the op are working par time at language schools and like me have a regular full time job. Someone asked me what I earn so here goes. I earn about 30K per month working part time at the language school, 35K at my morning full time teaching gig, and about 30K hiring teachers. So I think working part time at an hourly paying language school is a great gig!

[mooris7]

Several private schools that I am aware of have the following terms of employment (roughly--some variation)

You mention "those without a degree" I'm a retired journalist who also trained people entering the broadcasting industry, I don't have a degree but did lecture in journalism at Education Department Colleges in Australia.

Hadn't thought about teaching English here but am getting bored with retirement. Do you think it might be worthwhile checking further? I'm here on a Spouse Visa, would obviously need to get a work permit. Would appreciate your thoughts.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Without having a Bachelor's Degree, you may have trouble getting a Work Permit, however, you don't have anything to lose by checking out the situation and seeing what's available and what piques your interest.

The Work Permit issue becomes a problem when you have to have the Teacher's License. This isn't necessary for Universities and for Language Schools, for example.

Best of luck.

Teaching licenses are not necessary. I would hazard a guess that at least 80% of foreign teachers working in Thailand don't have and never will get a teaching license. At least 50% are working without a work permit but I think that percent is even higher but I not dare say my opinion. Of that 50% who don't have a work permit about half are working with no degree, either no degree at all or a fake one. This includes language schools, gov't schools and private schools. This is Thailand, every area is a grey area!

Edited August 22, 2013 by mooris7

[gerryBScot]

I earn about 30K per month working part time at the language school, 35K at my morning full time teaching gig, and about 30K hiring teachers. So I think working part time at an hourly paying language school is a great gig!

That's a great gig. Thx for sharing.

[scooterboy]

Whatever salary you may be lucky (or perhaps unlucky!) to get - be also aware of the "mean" schools that expect you to pay for almost anything and everything, regardless of the fact that you need photocopies and other items for the students..

It may be the "norm" for schools to pay for - or to financially assist with - work permits, but it's certainly not ALL schools that do this.

Be aware that you MAY also to expected to "pay" for the privilege of teaching the school's students, i.e. for the use of

- School Books

- Computer

- Printer

- Copy Paper

- Printer Ink (refill)

- Coffee

- Furniture

- etc

Yes - it does happen at some schools - hopefully not too many, though.

Good luck

PS I think I'd like to work at mooris7's schools - it sounds like heaven........

Edited August 23, 2013 by scooterboy

[ChrisB87]

Some excellent replies! Thanks to all!

@scooterboy....i hope i never work in a school that charges me to make copies for their students...i think that is more than i could take!

[Scott]

A proper educational facility shouldn't charge teachers for making copies etc., however, I have taught where it was a part of the agreement and the salary was higher because they did not supply any materials.

[DaBloodyMess]

sorry, Isawasnake I put your name and not ChrisB87. I made a mistake who the OP was.

If you check the ajarn main web page they have a lot of job listings probably the largest site for teaching jobs in Thailand. You can see what they are offering.

As others have stated it is pretty sad but a lot of positions are paying less now than they were 10 years ago but the cost of living is nearly 30% more. The last school I worked at in CM I was hired 2 years after the majority of their teachers. Some had been there for 4-6 years. However my salary was literally 10k baht month less a month than all of them. With the pay raise system they had, I would have had to work there for 15 years to catch up with any of them. Personally, I don't think it is good for companies to do that.

Moe, last I knew Lana international only paid 50k baht a month and try to start at 45k for those that don't have too much experience but the right qualifications. Unless your friend's wife is the director, no way that she earns more than the director.

I don't know any government school in CM that pays 40k. So unless you see someone's bank slip, I don't trust what anyone claims to make. Only a few private schools pay that much here and only for the EP programs. Most of the private schools like Prince Royal, Dara, Montfort, Sacred Heart, Regina pay less than 30k a month for normal or bilingual program and around 30-40k for EP. Prince Royal, Montfort and Dara try to start at 25k a month for the Bilingual and or regular program teachers.

Wages at Lanna are based on a scale, the ~50k is a starting wage. Every year there are contracted increases, as well as the occasional percentage increase on top of this to account for inflation. I believe these salary bands top out at 90k for classroom teachers, but you would need to be there an awful long time to hit that. Also, when comparing int schools to EP program and Thai schools you cant just go on the wage... there is the whole package which includes flights, bonuses and a hell of a lot more paid holidays that needs to be considered.

The best wages for language teachers in CM are also at the international schools. Some schools have intensive English programs designed to bring kids up to a level where they can join the mainstream program. As a language teacher, you can be on the same contract and make as much as the home country qualified teachers if you manage to land one of these jobs.

[teabags]

Phuket

Thai Govt/Private schools - 12 month contract, Visa & Work Permit paid by the school, 2 weeks holiday in October and again in March plus Thai public holidays. Salary from 30,000-45,000 baht, but more likely the lower end. Teaching hours between 15-22 per week. Have to be onsite full time.

[isawasnake]

Well, maybe just my closing thoughts:

I would not even consider working anywhere other than Bangkok. Reason: the good paying jobs just aren't there. You wont catch me working for 30k a month, ever again. I felt like a slave, but to each their own.

There are jobs out there for degree holders which pay well. You have to look, and look hard, but they are there. You may have to be patient, and even get lucky as well. I think picking a school or two that pay well and don't require being qualified is a good start. Figuring out who hires at the school(s) would be second. Going in and making an indelible impression on him/her is third. The person has to remember you when they lose somebody. Maybe some luck will be involved. You could probably pull something like this off at Bangkok Christian for example. If you must, you can work a 30k job while you are doing the program outlined above. It should just be a temp spot to tie you over though. Your efforts should be on finding an new spot, not the job itself. If you are going to pay me 30k a month, I am going to mainly focus on looking for other work. Employers need to learn this the hard way I guess, now it will just take more of us doing just that. The problem is there are too many transient type people here, willing to work for 30k.

Just remember, people that stick around this place get good jobs. If you go in and make an impression, go back in 6 months later with good references, you're going to land something decent within a year or two.

Edited September 1, 2013 by isawasnake

[moe666]

sorry, Isawasnake I put your name and not ChrisB87. I made a mistake who the OP was.

If you check the ajarn main web page they have a lot of job listings probably the largest site for teaching jobs in Thailand. You can see what they are offering.

As others have stated it is pretty sad but a lot of positions are paying less now than they were 10 years ago but the cost of living is nearly 30% more. The last school I worked at in CM I was hired 2 years after the majority of their teachers. Some had been there for 4-6 years. However my salary was literally 10k baht month less a month than all of them. With the pay raise system they had, I would have had to work there for 15 years to catch up with any of them. Personally, I don't think it is good for companies to do that.

Moe, last I knew Lana international only paid 50k baht a month and try to start at 45k for those that don't have too much experience but the right qualifications. Unless your friend's wife is the director, no way that she earns more than the director.

I don't know any government school in CM that pays 40k. So unless you see someone's bank slip, I don't trust what anyone claims to make. Only a few private schools pay that much here and only for the EP programs. Most of the private schools like Prince Royal, Dara, Montfort, Sacred Heart, Regina pay less than 30k a month for normal or bilingual program and around 30-40k for EP. Prince Royal, Montfort and Dara try to start at 25k a month for the Bilingual and or regular program teachers.

As you do not Know my friends you are do not know what they make, I do know