Teaching with 90,000 baht in my bank account

[roro1990]

Hi, I recently visited Chiang Mai as a young backpacker and fell in love with the city. I've been home for a few weeks but all I can think of is getting back and experiencing Chiang Mai again, it's a place that just made me happy. Anyway, I've been looking up teaching English over there. I'm 23 years old with a degree in actuarial studies but unfortunately I only have the equivalent of 90,000 baht in my bank account so I can't afford a decent TEFL course. Basically my questions are

1) Can I get a teaching job with a degree alone and no TEFL course completed?

2) Is 90,000 baht enough money to keep me going for the time it should take to find myself a job?

3) Does coming to live in CM with 90,000 baht sound like a completely bonkers idea or if I want it should I go for it?

Thank you all for any info

[aTomsLife]

What about the price of a plane ticket? Are you going to levitate here?

If I misunderstood you and you're going to have ฿90,000 upon arriving to CM, it's still going to be close. Depending upon your spending habits, you'll have 2-3 months to get situated - and that's assuming your parents will spot you the cost of return airfare if things don't go your way. This time of year -- halfway through the second semester -- isn't a good time to be job hunting in an already saturated job market.

If you're only interested in CM, you should definitely wait and save more. If you're willing to consider other northern cities, like Chiang Rai -- which also has its charms -- you'll have a better chance of getting situated on a more permanent basis -- but still wait till the next hiring season.

Yes, it's possible to get a job without a TEFL, but if you've never taught before it isn't advisable. Do you think you'd enjoy teaching large classes of students?

At your age, just about anything is worth a go. Though that's not an invitation to be impulsive. Do your research and plan this all out, so that in the future when you say "living abroad was a really big learning experience", you'll mean it in an absolutely positive sense, not in a way explaining how you'll never be that stupid again. Good luck.

[Scott]

We have posters who can give a clearer picture of what the job market is like in CM. I have heard it is a rather competitive market.

You can get a teaching job with only a Bachelor's degree, but you don't say whether or not the degree is a Bachelor's. If it is, you should be able to find work based on that.

90,000 baht, should be sufficient funds to last you for several months, if you are careful. If you have taken a fancy to the ladies of the evening in the area, 90,000 is going to last you long. They can talk you out of your money quicker than you can talk them out of their knickers.

Since you have no experience, it might be harder for you to find work.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[roro1990]

Thanks for the replies. The 90,000 baht does not include my flight over to CM, I already have money put aside for that. My degree is a bachelor degree yes, but judging from the responses i'm guessing it would be tough and a very risky thing to just leave home and attempt to teach English over in Chiang Mai. I did meet a girl over there, but she wasn't of the "pay for her services" variety . Just a genuinely nice local who is willing to let me live with her until I can find my feet, which is tempting considering I hate living in my country at the minute. I won't rush into it though, and maybe it would make more sense to move to a country closer to home and get a job there, build up some savings and maybe come back to Chiang Mai in a few years when I've more money so it will be less of a risk. My main problem is really that I hate where I live now and maybe i'm overrating Chiang Mai - but while I was there I really did enjoy it immensly.

[aTomsLife]

I did meet a girl over there, but she wasn't of the "pay for her services" variety . Just a genuinely nice local who is willing to let me live with her until I can find my feet, which is tempting considering I hate living in my country at the minute.

If you go and live with her, please understand how serious a step that is in her culture. Maybe I'm wrong and she's a westernized, cosmopolitan Thai, but I'm guessing probably not. She's not inviting you to come live here because she wants you to experience her country for a year or two. She's viewing you as a potential mate. Just more food for thought.

Edited November 27, 2013 by aTomsLife

[angsta]

Jobs are available but the pay is 30,000 baht. CM is a cheap place to live. Can you actually teach? A TEFL is very handy if you've never stood in front of a classroom before. Ideally you would want to arrive in April/May when there are jobs available.

[Puyai]

I started out with a lot less than 90,000!! If you have your ticket and a place to stay then 90,000 is plenty to get yourself started if your sensible.

[otherstuff1957]

10 years ago I arrived in Thailand with about 80K in my pocket. I moved in with a girl I barely knew and was employed within a week.

So, it can be done, however, I was in Bangkok, not CM, and the job market seemed to be better than it is now. Also, my first job paid 30K per month. Many beginning jobs still pay around 30K per month and the cost of living has risen substantially.

[zeichen]

Remember that now is not the hiring season. YOu would want to come when schools are hiring. You will be fine for your job without the TEFL but you should still try to learn some strategies on teaching EFL, second language acquisition, understanding the function of your language and the why we communicate. I have never heard of the major your degree is in, but if it is an academic degree and not just a job training, you should have the skills to adjust to many situations.

The money in general should be enough. I know of people who come over with 50k and have no problems. YOu will live very poor, you will not have much for comfort things and overall your salary will be just enough to live. 20-30k in CM is more common than 30-40k.

As for moving in with your girl. Don't do it. You can find a decent one room for 3-5k baht a month so even with deposit and last month's rent you will still have enough to survive. Get a police background check from a federal agency. The worst case scenario, head over to Korea for a year and save 10-20kUSD, then come to Thailand.

[Gsxrnz]

Dude - go wherever your dreams take you. Took me 50 years to follow my dreams, should have followed them 30 years earlier (about your age).

The happiest guy I ever knew was a 48 year old German I picked up as a hitchhiker who left home to complete his carpentry apprenticeship. He was in some Guild where the rules were that he had to work overseas for a year to become qualified.

He left home at 25 and forgot to go back. His sole possessions were what he could carry on his back and a guitar. He'd been to nearly every country imaginable and picked up work for a day, week, or month whenever he needed money. He'd just left a job working as a high country sheep musterer in NZ. I hosted the guy for a week because he was bloody good company, and he found a weeks work in my city as a builder's labourer. We still keep in touch a few times a year - he hopes to get to Thailand next year. Last I heard he was in Jamaica.

I was 45 when I met the guy, took me 5 years to grow the balls to follow my dreams, and now I have, the only regret is not doing it earlier.

So, no, 90,000 isn't enough. 900,000 won't be enough either, but <deleted>, live the dream and if you're determined enough to make it work, it will work. Inform yourself, beg borrow or steal what you need to make your dream a reality, and take the plunge.

[culicine]

You might find you are more suitable teaching mathematics in an english/bilingual program, if you qualification is actuarial studies as you say. If you have no teaching experience and don't intend to do a tefl (a good idea, just to get you in the classroom), then you need to read up on teaching strategies and classroom management. Once you are teaching you will soon find out what works and doesn't work, and you can talk to more experienced teachers in your school, or online here. There are plenty of experienced teachers online who don't mind imparting their knowledge.

Money in private schools tends to be a little higher, but still 30-35K a month in CM. It might be OK for a start, and you can always work elsewhere after a year or two there. Bangkok pays the most, of course, but living there is not for everyone. I work in Nonthaburi and live in a village surrounded by ricefields. Nice area and still has all the conveniences and decent salaries, without the pollution of inner BKK. 90K is plenty to get going on, but you will need to get a job sooner rather than later. Now is not the nest time to get a job, as others have stated. Schools to the bulk of hiring around April - May, as the school year starts mid-May.

[naboo]

Go for it. 90k will get you through a few months and you'll pick up some work within a month (if not, PM me and I'll let you know where to look).

Biggest regrets are the decisions you never took.

Ditch the living with the girl idea though. Find your own place at first, need to be able to stand on your own two feet before relying on a Thai woman or she'll eat you alive.

[gerry123]

go for it mate in for a penny and all that it is worth reading any advise on T.V. just sift it before believing most of it

i might just add beware the woman give that plenty of good reasoniing

[AyG]

What happens if there's a medical emergency? Perhaps a motorcycle accident, breaking a few bones? Or an attack of dengue? You'll have no income and significant medical expenses - particularly if you want to be treated in a hospital to western standards. In my opinion you really don't have enough money saved.

And what's the long term plan? Earning 30,000 Baht won't leave much spare cash, if any, to save for retirement.

And if you're planning in a few years to return to your home country to work, think how that will look on your CV. Most recruiters won't view it particularly favorably.

In my opinion, far better to work in your home country and visit Thailand for the occasional vacation than risk so much - at least until you're in a much more sound situation financially.

[Scott]

Since you will arrive on a tourist visa, you can get traveler's health insurance. It's a very good idea to have it by the way.

This is a country riddled with mishaps and foreigners seem to be quite susceptible.

There has been some talk about making foreigners have health coverage or charging them more when entering the country, so it is something you might want to strongly consider.

[AyG]

Since you will arrive on a tourist visa, you can get traveler's health insurance. It's a very good idea to have it by the way.

This is a country riddled with mishaps and foreigners seem to be quite susceptible.

There has been some talk about making foreigners have health coverage or charging them more when entering the country, so it is something you might want to strongly consider.

Medical insurance is a must. Holiday-type insurance typically would not be valid if you were moving here to work, rather than holidaying. And it won't cover loss of income if you're unable to work. It's also typically time-limited and for no more than one year abroad.

The government proposal for a 500 Baht charge on entering the country does not provide any medical cover - it's not insurance. It is simply a charge to cover the hospital costs incurred by foreigners who have absolutely no money to pay; you (or your insurer) will still be required to pay for your own medical treatment.

[Kilgore Trout]

Thanks for the replies. The 90,000 baht does not include my flight over to CM, I already have money put aside for that. My degree is a bachelor degree yes, but judging from the responses i'm guessing it would be tough and a very risky thing to just leave home and attempt to teach English over in Chiang Mai. I did meet a girl over there, but she wasn't of the "pay for her services" variety . Just a genuinely nice local who is willing to let me live with her until I can find my feet, which is tempting considering I hate living in my country at the minute. I won't rush into it though, and maybe it would make more sense to move to a country closer to home and get a job there, build up some savings and maybe come back to Chiang Mai in a few years when I've more money so it will be less of a risk. My main problem is really that I hate where I live now and maybe i'm overrating Chiang Mai - but while I was there I really did enjoy it immensly.

You should look into Thai insurance companies, working as an actuary would be more lucrative than teaching, most likely.

[Scott]

When he arrives in the country, he will be a tourist. He will be a tourist until the non-immigrant B visa and work permit are processed.

There has also been some talk about the gov't trying to mandate some form of insurance. Not simply the 500 baht charge.

[pastafarian]

As the folk at Nike say 'Just do it'.

[lannarebirth]

Actuarial work is one of the most in demand jobs there is available right now and the compensation is quite good, even for recent college graduates. Why wouldn't you work a while in the field you studied in, accumulate some capital and then consider the move; either as a poorly paid teacher or better yet, working in your own field with a western MNC.

[SlyAnimal]

How necessary is Chiang Mai to the equation?

As I've never worked or applied for work there, but understand that it's very competitive, as there are a lot of foreigners who want to work in Chiang Mai.

As a result, I would assume that:

Jobs are more difficult to get because lots of people apply

Jobs pay less because they know you really want to live in the area

Jobs treat you with less respect as you're easily replaced

Extra tutoring etc after school is more difficult to find, as there are a lot of farang tutors already

Extra tutoring pays less per hour as competition brings down the prices

As you're only just starting teaching, you'll have less experience than the others, so you might find that competition very difficult to compete with. Although because you're young, you do have an advantage over a lot of the older teachers.

Working in another area, with less foreigners, you might find getting initially setup etc easier.

But it all depends on why you want to come to Thailand.

However, to specifically answer your questions:

90,000 THB would be fine fine, as that'd give you enough for a motorcycle + bond + insurance + cover you for maybe 1-2 months while you wait for your first pay cheque to come in. You'd likely also have a little left over for random things you need to buy while you're getting setup.

But, if you are only applying for jobs in Chiang Mai, you might not get one until May, where you'd receive your first pay cheque in June. As this is a bad time of year to apply for a job + Chiang Mai is only 1x city + Chiang Mai has a lot of foreigners looking for work + you have no work experience. Even if you expand your job search to all of Northern Thailand, or even all of Thailand, you might find it difficult to find a job until April/May.

I would advise securing a job before you come over, or waiting until late March before you head over to Thailand. As if, for example, you came over in Dec/Jan, you might have 6 months until your first pay cheque (Assuming you get a job in May). 90,000 won't cover you for 6 months unless you're a very frugal spender (You could do it though, as 10-15k p/month is ok, so long as you don't drink too much and enjoy eating Thai food).

Regarding a TESOL course, I'd recommend doing one, so long as it includes at least 1 week of classroom time. A course which is 100% online is mostly useless, as a TESOL course is only of a small benefit in getting you a job, the main benefit is that it makes you a better teacher, which in turn makes you more confident, and being confident helps you to get jobs. Regardless of whether you do a TESOL course or not, I'd also recommend sitting in on some English teaching classes to see what other teachers do + doing a little bit of teaching/tutoring for free, in either your home country or Thailand, just to build up your confidence before you do it for an employer.

[Jawnie]

If you aren't going to Thailand within the next 3-4 months, getting the teaching certificate will be a definite plus, and not just for teaching in Thailand, but for teaching elsewhere, too. I took the one-month CELTA course in the US and it is recognized worldwide. The course also gets you focused on teaching English (grammar, lesson plans, handouts, etc.) which are all things you'll need to have. I'd also suggest going to a local ESL non-profit school and sign on as a volunteer tutor.

With 90k baht, you'll need to go to work right away...and stay employed. As another poster mentioned, forego the idea of moving in with the girl, Thai-western relationships are notoriously volatile and fickle, so make plans to get a place of your own, you can always move in together later. CM is definitely competitive for jobs because there are sooo many westerners there. My thoughts about that is that you either need to go to Bangkok, where there are lots of jobs, or be satisfied teaching in a smaller, 'second-tier' city. The difficulty in the smaller cities is that you will be culturally and linguistically isolated, ie., not many westerners, western food, culture, English-speakers,etc., which can become very over-powering after a year or two.

Definitely do it, though. I am another person who wishes I had done it much sooner and now wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I'm back in the US after almost three years in Bangkok. After six months here, I'm fairly unhappy about being back - no job, cold weather, and definitely no Thai ladies running around in short skirts. I mean, what's it all about if you can't have that? Lol.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Jawnie

[inutil]

You dont need a tefl, you dont ned a tefl, you dont need a tefl.

The only reason you would ever need a tefl is a) Visa requirement. and it makes you competitive.

But a doesnt apply and in the case of b, turn up mid april and voila demand for teachers outstrips supply. Youll get a job very quickly.

(also, 120 hour in class tefl is the BOTTOM LADDER qualification. Its on a par with a years experience in the industry and less valuabel than a years experience in the country - so do the math If you have one and no experience, youre more valuable than someone who doesnt. But if you time it right and get your year experience IN THAI schools, youre more valuable than the dude with no experience and a tefl).

So you do not need a tefl. You just need a degree. And patience. Endless endless reserves of patience. And englipedia. You need englipedia in your life as well since it will give you millions of ideas on how to keep those little scamps entertained.

PS. I got my tefl after a mere 8 years of teaching ONLY because i needed it for EPIK jobs in Korea. So, see A.

[inutil]

Im gonna put this on a different post because its a different point that needs to be explicated.

My tefl was in fact useful. I enjoyed it. Its a lot of fun. Of course actual mileage may vary, but i did mine at panyadee in koh samui and darren (the course instructor) is a really good bloke. The fact they didnt pass everyone with an A speaks volumes. Only 2/12 of our course got an A. And they both (not me, i suck as a teacher), thoroughly deserved it.

We had to attend every day and did 12 lesson practices. Which if youre a new teacher (i wasnt) is enormously helpful. The grammar module was excellent, ad the general pace of the course was tough enough to feel like you were learning but not so tough that you felt always overworked. They could definitely have done with giving us a photocopier/printer though. What a pain in the ass it is walking around trying to find a print shop on Samui! Photocopies, no problem, but printing! the very thought! And i never used the taxis on point of principle! They proper rip you off.

Anyway, course was fun, well worth it. The price was great. And the hotel/environment was lovely. Even depite teaching for almost 9 years, i still feel i wasnt wasting my money. Its also becoming an industry standard bottom rung qualification (well, that and celta). 2 or three years ago you didnt need it in Korea, now you do. Im pretty sure china requires it. And thats where the market is going so you know... If you dont have it, and you plan to do this for a few years you might want to get it. Not immediately mind you, but while youre in thailand anyway, its kinda cheap here and convenient. Do it during the school holidays or the month before you start (id come in march if youre thinking about april, because most courses dont run in april due to songkran and the lack of public school teaching opportunities).

[Neeranam]

I came here with less than that and am still here 20 years later. You're young, take a chance - you sound like a middle-aged breadhead.

[Loaded]

I think at 23 you shouldn't be worrying like an old woman. Select and then fire.

[LarryBird]

Don't move here.

[onlycw]

Hi

please stop worrying - as a NEW with a degree, you will be a valued applicant. Forget that TEFL piece of paper. (Disclaimer - I haven't got it and cannot comment on whether such a TEFL would have real world value and lead to getting higher pay).

90,000 B is more than most folks have. OTOH, CNX is likely the toughest market in all of Thailand.

Q: would you move to some village school up North?

Go for it!

[Briggsy]

You would be better off in Mukdahan. Loads of jobs and very unspoilt.