Trying to help a friend relocate to Thailand as a teacher

[lostinisaan]

Our school's seeking two clowns soon.

[GanDoonToonPet]

Well, I'll throw my 'tuppence' in & yes I'm from the NE UK with attendant (soft) accent. I've been teaching here for almost 5 years, largely in private schools in Bangkok province ranging from Sarasas to high tier EPs. I returned to the UK in May of this year because, after 4 years of continuous teaching, I needed a break before I went mad.

After a couple of months back home I returned & experienced the Government EP sector, employed by proxy via agencies. I've just finished a month long stint in stated type of school as a personal favour, just to keep some money coming in & to keep my hand in. I'll be starting a new job next month, with all the attendant benefits that come with having a specialist science degree, Thai teaching licence & experience.

After speaking to the teachers at the school, I decided to calculate their monthly salary in 'real terms', taking into account visa costs etc. The following is a breakdown resulting in their actual salary.

Monthly Salary

For an English teacher with no degree, 32k p/m over 9 months equivalent to 24k p/m over 12 months

Monthly salary in real terms = 24k

* I'm paid 35k, the maximum, as I 'tick all the boxes' but it's only for a month anyway.

Visa Costs

*Costs below include sundry expenses such as taxi fares to the visa company, snacks, drinks etc.

- Initial visa run to Laos for a double entry TR visa = 7.5k

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

- Border run to Cambodia to activate 2nd entry = 3k + 1k lost wages

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

*This will only allow you to stay in the country for 6 months, so for a 1 year contract you have to rinse & repeat...

- Visa run to Laos for a double entry TR visa = 7.5k + 2k lost wages (now you are working)

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

- Border run to Cambodia to activate 2nd entry = 3k + 1k lost wages

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

Total visa cost for 1 year = 38k or (say) 3k p/m

Now the salary is down to 21k p/m

Misc Expenses

- No free breakfast / lunch provided, as is usual in private schools

- No health insurance provided, so you'll have to pay for visits to the clinic; generally 500B+

- No paid sick / personal days

Just to make the numbers nice: lets say, for misc expenses, you have to budget 1k a month. That would leave you with a final monthly salary of...

20k p/m or 400 pounds

In Central Bangkok 10k rent is not unusual for a small studio apartment, 2k utilities if you use aircon, transport to & from work...it doesn't leave too much left for even basic living.

Contract

- Absenteeism, even if authorised, on a Monday or Friday will result in 3 days deduction of salary pro rata

- Unauthorised absenteeism results in a 3 day's deduction of salary

- 1 hour's pay deduction for every hour late. 1 minute late results in a 1 hour deduction

- Unless 3 months notice of termination of employment is given, the employee must reimburse the company 50k

- Etc

Employment Conditions

- If you don't wai the director every morning you will be replaced

- If a Thai teacher doesn't like you (even at first sight), you will be replaced

- If the students don't like you, you will be replaced

- If you refuse to do anything, you will be replaced

- Etc

Communication

For the foreign teacher, communication works as such: The director informs the Thai coordinator, the Thai coordinator informs the Thai teachers, the Thai teachers inform the students, the students inform the buffalo & the buffalo shits in the field; only then is the foreign teacher allowed to eat the shit.

Expect to get:

- Emails at midnight on Sunday asking for paperwork to be handed in on Monday morning

- Requests for paperwork 15 minutes before home time, which means you leave 1 hour late

- 10 different answers from 10 different people. When it all goes wrong, it's your fault.

- Etc

Also you'll be working illegally. There's the negligible but real chance that you could be arrested & deported. There is no job security because there is an army of illegal workers, or backpackers as people like to call them, ready to take your place.

This is in Central Bangkok though. There is better news for your friend but I'm tired now so I promise to update tomorrow.

Cheers

[puukao]

I would have him develop some lesson plans and post them to youtube. You will then realize if (a) you ENJOY doing this for FREE, ( you get a good feeling by helping others, © you are PROUD of what you are doing, etc...

or you feel like it's a waste of time since your (ooooops.......YOU'RE......lol) not getting paid. almost a LOOSER (oooops....LOSER).

Edited October 12, 2015 by puukao

[ryanhull]

Well, I'll throw my 'tuppence' in & yes I'm from the NE UK with attendant (soft) accent. I've been teaching here for almost 5 years, largely in private schools in Bangkok province ranging from Sarasas to high tier EPs. I returned to the UK in May of this year because, after 4 years of continuous teaching, I needed a break before I went mad.

After a couple of months back home I returned & experienced the Government EP sector, employed by proxy via agencies. I've just finished a month long stint in stated type of school as a personal favour, just to keep some money coming in & to keep my hand in. I'll be starting a new job next month, with all the attendant benefits that come with having a specialist science degree, Thai teaching licence & experience.

After speaking to the teachers at the school, I decided to calculate their monthly salary in 'real terms', taking into account visa costs etc. The following is a breakdown resulting in their actual salary.

Monthly Salary

For an English teacher with no degree, 32k p/m over 9 months equivalent to 24k p/m over 12 months

Monthly salary in real terms = 24k

* I'm paid 35k, the maximum, as I 'tick all the boxes' but it's only for a month anyway.

Visa Costs

*Costs below include sundry expenses such as taxi fares to the visa company, snacks, drinks etc.

- Initial visa run to Laos for a double entry TR visa = 7.5k

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

- Border run to Cambodia to activate 2nd entry = 3k + 1k lost wages

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

*This will only allow you to stay in the country for 6 months, so for a 1 year contract you have to rinse & repeat...

- Visa run to Laos for a double entry TR visa = 7.5k + 2k lost wages (now you are working)

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

- Border run to Cambodia to activate 2nd entry = 3k + 1k lost wages

- 30 day extension at the local immigration office = 2.5k + 1k lost wages

Total visa cost for 1 year = 38k or (say) 3k p/m

Now the salary is down to 21k p/m

Misc Expenses

- No free breakfast / lunch provided, as is usual in private schools

- No health insurance provided, so you'll have to pay for visits to the clinic; generally 500B+

- No paid sick / personal days

Just to make the numbers nice: lets say, for misc expenses, you have to budget 1k a month. That would leave you with a final monthly salary of...

20k p/m or 400 pounds

In Central Bangkok 10k rent is not unusual for a small studio apartment, 2k utilities if you use aircon, transport to & from work...it doesn't leave too much left for even basic living.

Contract

- Absenteeism, even if authorised, on a Monday or Friday will result in 3 days deduction of salary pro rata

- Unauthorised absenteeism results in a 3 day's deduction of salary

- 1 hour's pay deduction for every hour late. 1 minute late results in a 1 hour deduction

- Unless 3 months notice of termination of employment is given, the employee must reimburse the company 50k

- Etc

Employment Conditions

- If you don't wai the director every morning you will be replaced

- If a Thai teacher doesn't like you (even at first sight), you will be replaced

- If the students don't like you, you will be replaced

- If you refuse to do anything, you will be replaced

- Etc

Communication

For the foreign teacher, communication works as such: The director informs the Thai coordinator, the Thai coordinator informs the Thai teachers, the Thai teachers inform the students, the students inform the buffalo & the buffalo shits in the field; only then is the foreign teacher allowed to eat the shit.

Expect to get:

- Emails at midnight on Sunday asking for paperwork to be handed in on Monday morning

- Requests for paperwork 15 minutes before home time, which means you leave 1 hour late

- 10 different answers from 10 different people. When it all goes wrong, it's your fault.

- Etc

Also you'll be working illegally. There's the negligible but real chance that you could be arrested & deported. There is no job security because there is an army of illegal workers, or backpackers as people like to call them, ready to take your place.

This is in Central Bangkok though. There is better news for your friend but I'm tired now so I promise to update tomorrow.

Cheers

Wow, you sure paint a grim but real picture of anyone considering teaching, thank fully my mate has found himself a tiling job which I helped him get, seems quite easy going too so he is happy... he is saving up some bucks to come over hopefully at Christmas.... I am pretty much out of this topic but I am glad its raised a good debate and probably will open eyes up to others considering such a career here.

Its funny actually becuase I am looking at schools for my son, some very expensive and I am left thinking... is some koh san road teacher with 0 IQ going to be teaching him? I think not, aside from the social side to things I would rather give him 2-3 hours home teaching a day and send him to an ok school if that makes sense. I am sure the majority of you lot are very good teachers but I would hate to be paying silly amounts for some numb nutt to be teaching him 'the wheels on the bus go round and round' if you know what I mean.

Thanks for all the replies guys but as I say, I am probably off this thread now,

Cheers

[brewsterbudgen]

All teaching jobs are not the same. Try teaching corporate classes or IELTS prep. It's not difficult to make 60,000+ with none of the headaches or nonsense described above.