Wheres the money in ESL?

[puchooay]

First, I think it is hilarious to mention "money" and "teaching" in one sentence!

I'm retired and fortunately have more than enough income for a comfortable life in Thailand. But after 3 years of retirement, I got bored. So my wife and I started running free English classes in her old neighborhood which were very popular and successful. We covered all the expenses ourselves, including an assistant. It was so successful that the head of village applied for government funding which was granted. He pocketed the money and even refused to pay for the assistant. The next week we closed the classes. Thais tend to equate "free" with "worthless", and "farang" with "stupid".

So I took a paying job with work permit 8 years ago. I've been head teacher for the last 4 years. It keeps me busy, and happy, but I don't earn any serious money. Very few teachers do.

If you want to make enough money to live a comfortable middle/upper middle class life and then have a retirement, go home. Get a real job that pays real money. And retire in Thailand when you know you have enough money to live, also considering that the cost of living always goes up, not down. Good luck!

I will both agree and disagree with this post.

Let me address your first statement "I think it is hilarious to mention "money" and "teaching" in one sentence! ".

I currently teach at a very reputable university in the middle east. I earn a tax free salary of around $70,000 per year. My accommodation is paid for by the university and I receive other benefits such as round trip airfare each year, annual bonuses, etc.

Even though I travel regularly and buy some small luxury items, it is impossible for me to not save at least of $50k cash every year. I am 30 years old and am on track to purchase my first house outright back home in the U.S in a few years. My friends whom still work in the financial sector back home are a couple of decades away from paying off their mortgages.

I never went into teaching to make money. I made this career change for the purpose of living a better quality of life with plenty of time off to pursue other things. Even if I earned 150k back in the U.S. I would never be able to save as much as I do now.

I think my situation contradicts your original statement. Even English teachers out here earn enough to put away $30-$40k per year. You may be basing your assertion on the experiences you have encountered during your time in Thailand.

I do agree with your advice that younger teachers in Thailand should go home (or to a high paying country) and put a big chunk of money away before moving to Thailand. I spent 2 years teaching at a top 3 government university in Thailand. I earned around 40,000 baht per month flat. No perks, etc. This was not a big deal for me as I came over with some savings and only planned to stay for a short period of time for the life experience.

Almost every person I met in Thailand who arrived with no money still had no money when they went home eventually. The phrase "lost in Thailand" is a very true one. Do not make the mistake of spending your most financially productive years in a place that does not pay a highly qualified teacher a livable wage. I have met far to many long term Thai expat teachers who were living hand to mouth and putting up with abusive employers as a result of financial desperation.

My goal is to return to Thailand later in life, however; I will do so with financial resources that ensure that I do not need to work there. I like teaching and would like to do it again in Thailand out of enjoyment, not necessity.

I come from the UK. I came here 16 years ago, at the age of 28, with a thousand pounds in my pocket.

Since that time I have amassed more than any of my friends who are still back in the UK.

I only work the ESL gig and am therefore only on the average 30000 baht a month, but I do also teach a few extra classes.

My first few years were as a single man and I must admit that I did not save anything. Now I have a wife and a daughter. I don't go out in the town much but am a regular visitor to the local beer shop. I live a life that I enjoy very much and can still save more a month than my friends in the UK.

[isawasnake]

First, I think it is hilarious to mention "money" and "teaching" in one sentence!

I'm retired and fortunately have more than enough income for a comfortable life in Thailand. But after 3 years of retirement, I got bored. So my wife and I started running free English classes in her old neighborhood which were very popular and successful. We covered all the expenses ourselves, including an assistant. It was so successful that the head of village applied for government funding which was granted. He pocketed the money and even refused to pay for the assistant. The next week we closed the classes. Thais tend to equate "free" with "worthless", and "farang" with "stupid".

So I took a paying job with work permit 8 years ago. I've been head teacher for the last 4 years. It keeps me busy, and happy, but I don't earn any serious money. Very few teachers do.

If you want to make enough money to live a comfortable middle/upper middle class life and then have a retirement, go home. Get a real job that pays real money. And retire in Thailand when you know you have enough money to live, also considering that the cost of living always goes up, not down. Good luck!

I will both agree and disagree with this post.

Let me address your first statement "I think it is hilarious to mention "money" and "teaching" in one sentence! ".

I currently teach at a very reputable university in the middle east. I earn a tax free salary of around $70,000 per year. My accommodation is paid for by the university and I receive other benefits such as round trip airfare each year, annual bonuses, etc.

Even though I travel regularly and buy some small luxury items, it is impossible for me to not save at least of $50k cash every year. I am 30 years old and am on track to purchase my first house outright back home in the U.S in a few years. My friends whom still work in the financial sector back home are a couple of decades away from paying off their mortgages.

I never went into teaching to make money. I made this career change for the purpose of living a better quality of life with plenty of time off to pursue other things. Even if I earned 150k back in the U.S. I would never be able to save as much as I do now.

I think my situation contradicts your original statement. Even English teachers out here earn enough to put away $30-$40k per year. You may be basing your assertion on the experiences you have encountered during your time in Thailand.

I do agree with your advice that younger teachers in Thailand should go home (or to a high paying country) and put a big chunk of money away before moving to Thailand. I spent 2 years teaching at a top 3 government university in Thailand. I earned around 40,000 baht per month flat. No perks, etc. This was not a big deal for me as I came over with some savings and only planned to stay for a short period of time for the life experience.

Almost every person I met in Thailand who arrived with no money still had no money when they went home eventually. The phrase "lost in Thailand" is a very true one. Do not make the mistake of spending your most financially productive years in a place that does not pay a highly qualified teacher a livable wage. I have met far to many long term Thai expat teachers who were living hand to mouth and putting up with abusive employers as a result of financial desperation.

My goal is to return to Thailand later in life, however; I will do so with financial resources that ensure that I do not need to work there. I like teaching and would like to do it again in Thailand out of enjoyment, not necessity.

I have saved quite a bit here in Thailand, never could I save this percentage of salary in the US. But, I would make more in the US, and I would have far fewer headaches in the US when it comes to co-workers, if you can even call them that here.

Me crunching the numbers, have not done it yet, in my situation, and my home country (mileage may vary, I don't think this applies to UK fr example), I think I will save more in the US if I get a cheap place to stay (not too hard or too uncomfortable), I will have much nicer weather, much less stress at work by way of needless inefficiencies, MUCH better things to do on my average weekend. So, the obvious thought is then to "move back home then bucko", yes, I think I will. Am getting there You certainly wont catch me in Saudi Arabia to earn a buck though, I am sure it is nice for you, but I am at this point in my life where I feel I have learned it is not what you earn, but what is around you and what keeps you happy. That is what you need to be around. Bangkok certainly is not that for me.

Edited January 25, 2014 by isawasnake

[impulse]

Thanks umbanda for the encouraging reply. I don't think I'd be so interested in teaching kids, being something of a disciplinarian, and reading that Thai classes run amok much of the time.

Actually I would charge, and the charge would be that the adult students take turns at bringing lunch for me, lesson 10.00 - 12.00,and then I enjoy a Thai lunch. If I had say, ten students, with lessons three days a week, it would mean each student brought lunch only once every three weeks, and that's a reasonable cost.

I'm not a teacher, but I do work in Thailand for an international company.

We (and a lot of our suppliers) are localizing our labor pools, and desperately need to improve the English skills of our Thai employees.

I'd suggest you find some US or UK based companies with facilities in your area, and see if you can work out an arrangement where they provide your WP and keep you legal, and you provide English skills training to some people who either have some discipline, or will soon be looking for another job.

May be some hurdles because of minimum tax requirements, and CV qualifications to stay legal. But I'd rather have a reliable old codger teaching my employees than to hire an agency and accept whatever they send in the door this week. And that may be enough of a benefit to make the WP process worthwhile for any company trying to train up their employees. You may even find a group of associated companies willing agree to have one company keep you on their payroll, while splitting the costs among all the participants.