You many need to get a non-immigrant visa, or a business visa or a working visa… there are many names and number designations that are country specific. For example, teachers who are moving to the United Kingdom require a working visa (or a working holiday visa if they’re under 30) but I needed a non-Immigrant B visa to enter Thailand to take up my post here.

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What kind of stuff do you teach at CMU? I teach English language skills - grammar, reading comprehension, listening, and writing, to all the university students who are non-English majors (the English majors are in a separate program). I have students from engineering, general science, biology, foreign languages, accounting, and many other disciplines.
English classes are required for all science and humanities students. These classes cover the first two years of study. As many as 1500 students may be enrolled in a particular English class during a semester. That means that there are probably about fifty or sixty sections being taught by twenty or twenty-five ajaans, each with two or three sections. Some of the lessons involve listening to a tape, and on certain days you can hear the same lesson reverberating through the hallways, as different classrooms play the same tape at the same time, but not quite in synch with each other. Or, you may hear a humanities tape and a science tape mixed together in the air. Charles Ives would have been proud.

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How many classes do you teach, and how big are they? At CMU, I usually teach five classes per semester, which means five classroom hours a day, three days a week. Usually I have two or three sections of the same class, which means if I have a good lesson plan for one section, I can use it over again in the later sections of the same class. On the other hand, sometimes I have a terrible lesson (it happens) in the morning class, and later I improve on it. Or, sometimes I have a plan that works really well in the early going, but by afternoon all that magic has somehow gotten out of focus like the previous night’s dream. Lesson planning is not a static thing; it’s very organic.
My classes at CMU usually contain from twenty-five to thirty-five students. Once, by some twist of fate, I got a class of only thirteen students, but that’s very rare.

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Okay! School vacation’s over! Ready to go back to class? No?? Don’t worry, I won’t make you work too hard or stand up in front of the class… unless you want to, of course. But if you’ll just follow me, I’ll show you where I work.

What kind of job do you have? I teach English at Chiang Mai University, known in northern Thailand as maw-chaw. (Maw-chaw is the initials for the university in Thai.) I got the job when I first came to Chiang Mai a year ago, and so far they seem to like me. I get paid by the hour, and I teach 15 hours a week. I don’t make a lot of money, but it’s enough to get by if I budget myself and don’t go hog-wild on weekends. Most farang ajaans at CMU have a second job, and so do I. My second job is at a Catholic high school for girls. Between the two jobs, the money I make is pretty good.

What is an ajaan? An ajaan is a college teacher, a professor. It’s a title of respect. When I go out on the town, people who know me often call me ajaan John. It means they think I’m a really swell guy. I kind of like it.

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We had another guy quit at work today. He lasted one week. I hate this certain mentality of some foreigners who come here to work, but expect to be able to do so without doing any actual work. Why apply for a job, waste everybody’s time being trained up, getting a work permit, getting a visa, only to turn around and walk out the next day?

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To work as a diving instructor, in a bar or restaurant, as a web designer, salesman, in telemarketing or as an IT consultant etc. can be attractive to many foreigners in Thailand, due to the pleasant climate and the friendly people, but there are also some regulations and laws that we recommend you to notice.

The Best Teaching Jobs in Thailand

Opportunities for the Experienced English Teacher

Whilst teachers without a degree or EFL certification may be able to find work in a few Thai government schools and private language institutes, an experienced and highly qualified teacher has far more options available.

The highest salaries can be found by teaching in Thailand’s many upmarket international schools. While most are based in Bangkok, more are opening up in other provinces such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya. These schools provide teachers not only with a good salary but teacher accommodation and opportunities for self development too. Most schools detail their recruitment packages on their respecive websites. The Thai Ministry of Education provides a detailed list of international schools and their contact information.

Teaching in Thai International Schools

In international schools and bilingual programs students are not necessarily Thai. They may be children of an expatriate couple or from a mixed marriage between a Thai and ‘farang’- the Thai word for foreigner.

Working in such a cosmopolitan atmosphere is both motivating and rewarding. Students study with many other nationalities, using English as their medium of communication, a common third language to facilitate conversation between each other, be it Thai and Swede, French and German, Korean and Japanese. Consequently, their learning curve is much shorter as they immerse themselves in English, both for social and academic purposes.

International Schools also offer the teacher structure and support. They have the best teaching facilities and employ non-teaching staff to provide assistance to both students and teachers. Most schools are based on the British Curriculum, such as Dulwich International College or St John’s International School. Others follow the International Baccalaureate, Australian or American system.

Other benefits include long holidays and many schools offer a flight allowance and relocation assistance, a rare commodity in Thailand. International school teaching vacancies listed on the job database at ajarn.com, (Thailand’s foremost source of teacher recruitment) show the range of benefits available, with salaries levels quoted at around 60,000 baht per month ($1900) for a qualified and experienced teacher. This is considerably more than the average English teacher’s salary in a government high school or private language institute, who advertise their salaries at 30,000 - 35,000 Baht per month.

An additional bonus is that job opportunities are often advertised in Educational publications outside of Thailand such as the Times Education Supplement (TES) and the Education Guardian, a supplement of the British based Guardian newspaper (online versions are available). This is unusual, as most Thai schools insist on a face-to-face interview and therefore tend to advertise locally.

Teaching in Thailand’s Hotels and Tourist Resorts

Don’t overlook the advantages of teaching in the private sector. Some of the best teaching positions are to be had in the major hotel chains in Bangkok and the main tourist resorts. The Marriot Group, The Hilton and Six Senses Resorts are just a few of the hotels which are likely to employ their own English language trainers.

Salaries are usually around 40,000 baht per month but are topped up with a guaranteed monthly gratuity (a share of the tips) and a food and beverage allowance for use within the hotel’s restaurants.

Students (hotel employees) are adults and are often highly motivated, eager to apply what they have learnt in the classroom to their job. Planning lessons and writing materials are also easier for the teacher as employees share a common background and similar work ethic. It is therefore much easier to provide examples in a specific work context, whether it be a vocabulary lesson, visiting a guest room to identify the items in it, or use of the hotel menu to learn how to take food orders in English and describe dishes to guests.

Whilst the contracted holiday allowance is not as attractive as in International Schools, the paperwork and record keeping is considerably less, avoiding the time consuming completion of a mountain of attendance sheets, student reports, school lesson plans and teaching records, currently required by the Thailand Ministry of Education.

Bear in mind that hotels do not always advertise their vacancies, as often potential applicants enquire ‘on spec’. Sending a resume, references and copies of your qualifications to the relevant Personnel department will enable your details to be kept on file.

Where to Find a Job

In addition to the teaching vacancies advertised on ajarn.com, look in the local, regional newspapers for jobs in the main tourist areas. Thailand’s most popular English language daily, The Bangkok Post, regularly features teaching positions in its classifieds section and publishes an Educational Supplement (The Learning Post) every Tuesday. Local teaching websites are another good source of job hunting.

Good Luck!

Guaranteed Job & Work Permit

Do you yearn to spend many happy years living and working in tropical Thailand? Then this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for. World-Wide TEFL is a Teacher Training Centre located in Pattaya and who specialize in training people to attain the TEFL qualification.

Once qualified World-Wide TEFL will guarantee you a job placement and Work Permit… They even offer you 30,000 baht while you practice teaching in schools for a two month period.

Teaching English in Thailand

“While Bangkok absorbs an enormous number of English teachers, both trained and untrained, there is also demand in the other cities such as Hat Yai, Chiang Mai in the north, and Songkhla in the south, where there is less competition for work. Not much teacher recruitment takes place outside Thailand. Even Thai universities and teachers’ colleges, as well as private business colleges, all of which have EFL departments, depend on finding native-speaking teachers locally. In short, anyone who is determined to teach English in Thailand and prepared to go there to look for work is virtually guaranteed to find opportunities. Finding language schools to approach is not a problem

Global Vision International Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certification in Thailand Travel, teach and gain a TEFL! Get your TEFL certification and teach English in Phang Nga, Thailand. Renowned for its stunning natural beauty, this region is abundant with wildlife, white sand beaches, culture and history. As a participant in the GVI Thailand program, you will study the GVI TEFL course, developed specifically to train people to teach with minimal resources, attracting those with an interest in sustainable development and conservation, and those wishing to enter the commercial TEFL Industry. Cost: From $2,830 Dates: All year round for 5 or 10 weeks. Contact: Global Vision International, 252 Newbury Street, Number 4, Boston, MA, 02116, USA. Call Toll free on 888-653-6028; info@gviusa.com; www.gviusa.com Featured Phuket, Thailand CTESOL: Teach English Around the World 4 week – (140 hr) Internationally accredited courses worldwide. Our training centre in Phuket provides teacher training, certification and career guidance and support throughout our graduate’s teaching career. The course has a very practical emphasis and features a high proportion of actual teaching practice hours in the classroom. Teach, travel, live and work abroad. Dates: Course available each month all year-round Cost: $1490 USD. Contact: Luke Fisher; info@teflcorp.com Website: www.teflcorp.com Featured Ban Phe, Thailand CTESOL: Teach English Around the World 4 week – (140 hr) Internationally accredited courses worldwide. Our training centre in Ban Phe provides teacher training, certification and career guidance and support throughout our graduate’s teaching career. The course has a very practical emphasis and features a high proportion of actual teaching practice hours in the classroom. Teach, travel, live and work abroad. Dates: Course available each month all year-round Cost: $1490 USD. Contact: Luke Fisher; info@teflcorp.com Website: www.teflcorp.com Featured Teach in Thailand Has it been your dream to live and work in Asia? American TESOL Institute is one of the largest TEFL teacher training organizations in the world—can not only make this dream come true but also help you experience and explore the culture, language, food and history of Thailand. The project comprises of TEFL training for the first month and then four months of practical teaching experience which may be anywhere in Thailand. For more information, visit www.justtefl.com. Featured Ajarn.com: The Largest and Most Comprehensive Website for English Teaching in Thailand. The site has an extensive job board, plus general information about living and teaching in Thailand, including freelancing. The job board contains mostly full time positions, but many schools will be interested in part-time or weekend teachers as well. Contact: www.ajarn.com or see www.ajarn.com/Education/Resources/Yellow_Pages/index.htm for a list of language schools in Thailand. American University Amumni Center (AUA), www.auathailand.org. Bangkok’s best known and most respected language school - a good place to look for weekend work. They offer a one month TESOL certificate course and also have a Thai language program. The Bangkok Post: www.bangkokpost.net. Check the jobs section for postings. Bangkok University: www.bu.ac.th/english. Another reputable university in Bangkok where English in taught. The British Council (Thailand): www.britishcouncil.or.th. Located at the fringes of Siam Square. The Chulalongkorn Continuing Education institute is located in the same building, upstairs (only open on Saturdays and Sundays). English teaching jobs are posted on the site. Chulalongkorn University: www.culi.chula.ac.th. Thailand’s other top university. Located in the heart of the city behind Siam Square. English is taught here. Cornerstone Workplace English, cwe@loxinfo.co.th, Cornerstone Workplace English is a Christian language school, which teaches business English on site in Thai businesses in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We are looking for professional native English speakers with ESOL/TEFL qualifications and some experience to work with us. Cultural Embrace Teach in Thailand! Thailand’s education system recognizes the need to improve its English language skills, thus hiring foreign teachers. Expect to teach an average of 20-25 hours a week, with extra time needed to create lesson plans, attend faculty meeting, and extra-curricular activities. Students’ age range from elementary to professionals, with varied levels of English skills. TEFL certification is included. For more information visit www.culturalembrace.com/2949203_24622.htm. Contact: info@culturalembrace.com Dave’s ESL Cafe Discussion Board on Thailand, www.eslcafe.com, is a lively board with a lot of inside tips, experiences and dialog among experienced teachers. The forum also has a fine master index of links helpful for those who wish to teach English and live in Thailand. ECC (Thailand) Chain of language schools with 50 branches employing 500 native speaker teachers, who must have a bachelor’s degree and at least six months teaching experience or a CELTA entry level qualification. Contact: 430/17-24 Chula Soi 64, Siam Square, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; 011-66-2-253-3312; fax. 011-66-2-254-2243 or in the U.S.: 425-930-5421; jobs@ecc.ac.th, www.eccthai.com/jobs.asp English Plus Another of the large language school chains for teaching English with a branch in Thailand. Contact: www.eltcom.com. Inlingua A major chain for teaching English with many branches, including one in Bangkok. Contact: www.inlinguathailand.com. Island TEFL 4-week Certified Course - Thailand Package A: 4-week certified TEFL course. Package B: 4-week certified TEFL course PLUS 2-month volunteer placement in a state school on Samui (full accommodation included in this package option). 10 hours of observed teaching practice. Gain your TEFL qualification in a troipical paradise. Contact: info@islandtefl.com, www.islandtefl.com Khao San Road, www.khaosanroad.com, is a portal which provides information useful to English teachers in Thailand and expatriates in general. LanguageCorps Thailand Teaching English in Thailand: Flagship Program Program include TESOL certification, guaranteed paid jobs, regional excursions, host country language instruction, support of a local “Corps Advocate,” a prepaid cell phone, visa preparation, and pre-departure and re-entry packages. Contact: teach@languagecorps.org, www.languagecorps.org Learn to Teach English with Learn in Asia The TEFL Certificate certifies you to teach in Thailand and worldwide. The course focuses on the dynamics of teaching English, specifically to Thai and Asian learners. Contact: Learn@Learn-in-Asia.com, www.learn-in-asia.com Siam Educational Experience (SEE) SEE 4-week (120 hours) Accredited TEFL Training Course SEE’s TEFL Programme benefits include Ministry of Education TEFL accreditation, Cultural Awareness accreditation, Survival Thai language skills; plus visa and job placement assistance. Chiang Mai, Thailand. Programme fee from $756. Contact: info@siameducationalexperience.org, www.siameducationalexperience.org SIT TESOL Certificate Course The School for International Training (SIT), Vermont, USA, has been a leader in the field of TESOL training programs for over 30 years. The Certificate Course held at AUA Language Center in Bangkok is a 4-week, 130 hour course that provides participants with knowledge and skills in teaching English, as well as the tools needed for their ongoing reflection and growth as teachers. Graduates are highly sought after throughout Thailand and internationally. Contact: training@auathailand.org, www.auathailand.org/sit/index.html Starfish Ventures Teaching English in Thailand If you like children and want to help children in Thailand prepare for a better future join our Teaching Venture program. Jobs are avaialable throughout the year and you be living in a Thai community away from the tourists. Experience life in Thailand first-hand and volunteer to help the local people. Contact: enquiries@starfishventures.co.uk, www.starfishventures.co.uk Stickman’s Guide to Bangkok, www.stickmanbangkok.com, contains a wealth of information related to living and working in Bangkok. A great source for those who wish to teach English in Thailand. Teach in Paradise Great teacher training available in Chiang Mai and Pai for those who wish to teach English in Thailand. Contact: info@teachinparadise.com, www.teachinparadise.com Teach in Thailand, www.thailandteacher.com. Employment Postings, Resources, Message Forums, Facts & FAQ’s for teaching English in Thailand. TEFL ASIA, www.teflasia.com, is an excellent portal for Asian ESL jobs, articles and resources with positions in Thailand. TEFL International TESOL Certificate TEFL International is an internationally recognized 4-week course which trains you to be an English teacher. As the largest organization of its kind in Asia, we pride ourselves in providing a supportive course with lifetime job placement assistance. We operate courses all year long in Thailand, China, and Morocco. Accommodations are included in the course fee. Contact: info@teflintl.com, www.teflintl.com TEFLPlus Thailand’s best value teacher training courseconducted on beautiful Patong Beach, Phuket, is a 4-week 125-hour course offering more practice teaching classes than any other provider. Train to become a professional teacher of English and earn an internationally recognised TEFL certificate. Contact: info@teflplus.com, www.teflplus.com TEFLworld in Koh Samui, Thailand Graduate with a worldwide accepted certificate from stunning Koh Samui, Thailand. TEFL World offers an honest professional, practical, affordable and enjoyable 6 week TEFL course that prepares you for the actual English teaching experience. Certified by the Ministry of Education, our course exceeds international standards with 10 hours of observed teaching practice and tutor feedback. Contact: info@teflteachsamui.com, www.teflteachsamui.com Text-And-Talk Academy in Thailand Language training programs, translation services, corporate English teaching, free lesson plans, job services and much more. Contact: benbow@langserv.com, www.langserv.com Thai Visa, www.thaivisa.com, provides expatriates and prospective English teachers in Thailand information about the legal formalities. Thailand TESOL, www.thaitesol.org, is a fine organization for those who teach English in Thailand. Thammasat University, www.tu.ac.th/org/litu/enlitu.html, is one of the top universities in Thailand. Two campuses, one in Banglumpoo and the other at Rangsit. Youth Hostels Association of Thailand: International Community Service Programme Volunteers with basic Teaching English as a Foreign Language experience spend 3-5 months teaching 4 hours a day in different locations around Thailand in exchange for living and travel expenses within Thailand. Contact: bangkok@tyha.org, www.tyha.org Wall Street Institute in Thailand: The New Way to Learn English We use a totally flexible multi-media based approach to teaching English, including small classroom sizes, social club activities, a total English language environment. We are open everyday at two locations, students have unlimited access to our learning facilities. Contact: info@wallstreet.in.th, www.wallstreet.in.th WorldWide TEFL English Teacher Training Academy in Thailand Teach English as a Foreign Language around the world with a certificate that schools and employers recognize and value. Our full time, 1 week, 120 hour course which takes place at our center in Pattaya, Chonburi in Thailand will give you valid a certification and allow you to teach English and start your teaching career. Our certificate reflects the fact that we operate as licensed institute of education, so our graduates have education recognition for completing our course. Contact: info@worldwidetefl.com, www.worldwidetefl.com

Teaching English Can Be Just the Beginning

While teaching English is by far the most common type of international work, and probably has the easiest paths to follow in terms of finding a job, there are many other options for native-speakers living abroad that can be both challenging and lucrative. Working as a temporary salesperson for a foreign company combines very well with the longer stability of a teaching position, and has the added benefit of networking possible business connections down the road.

I have been teaching English for the past year in a small town about two hundred kilometers from Bangkok. After graduating from college, I went through the proto-typical angst over career choices, and decided on teaching English as a stopgap measure, basically a way to be doing something worthwhile while I figured out what I really wanted to do. Thailand was an easy choice, due to the relative security and good infrastructure, and also because I had an old roommate who was a Thai citizen. I have found the Thai people to be incredibly warm and truly grateful to have me teaching there, and love the general daily challenges and discoveries of life abroad.

One of those adventures showed me the inroads to a very interesting means of supplementing my income, while also gaining some experience in the international business scene. As part of my contract with my school, I live with a Thai host family, a tremendous stroke of good fortune for me. This family has accepted me without reservation, and helped me with the myriad obstacles and bewilderments of life abroad. They own a large furniture factory, exporting dining sets and other pieces all over the world. I try my best to learn the business and help them, designing a new website and occasionally speaking with customers. During the first week of March, we participated in the Thailand International Furniture Expo, and I got a glimpse of a use for my English abilities extending beyond the classroom.

English is the language of business, a truism of life that allows people from vastly different backgrounds to communicate and make use of each others’ resources. While more people speak Mandarin as a native tongue, English is the global second language, a compulsory part of nearly every school curriculum and the closest realization of the Esparanto dreamers. For the TIFF fair, I brushed up on my host family’s company history, general profile and basic operating procedures, then put on my dashingly handsome Bangkok-tailor-made suit, threw a handful of business cards and breath mints in my pocket, and went to work.

I spent the next five days talking to businessmen from all over the world, and was told time and time again how nice it was to be able to talk to a native speaker. Many of the foreigners were accompanied by a Thai translator, and thus felt much more at ease and in control when they were able to speak directly to me. Our company also hired a young lady to translate in Japanese, but English was by far the preferred medium of communication. I showed our full range of products, and was quite pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make a sale. Indeed, my lack of in-depth knowledge of the furniture business was never a liability, as each importer wanted to know the same basic information on prices, shipping methods and time to delivery. Working with my host family was a real treat, with a mix of rushing to set up the booth through nailing some huge sales keeping the excitement at a constant high.

During one break in the rush of visitors, I took a stroll around the fair, checking out the competition and noting the different approaches to sales. I had removed my blue “exhibitor” badge, and, as I still was in suit and tie, was approached numerous times by various salespeople. I was struck by the disparity of spoken English ability, and a few times caught myself wondering just how many business deals might have been lost due to failures to communicate. There were a few farang translators like myself, and when I spoke to them, they remarked on just how easy this job was. Indeed, knowledge of Thai, while helpful is definitely not a necessity. For the most part, due to the vagaries of the Thai educational system, the company owners can read and write English at a much higher level than they can speak. Thus, they have little trouble giving their native-speaker salesperson all of the information necessary to do the job, and then reap the obvious benefits of setting their customers at ease.

In Thailand, large scale international fairs such as TIFF are fast becoming near-monthly occurrences. The overabundance of cheap labor, along with the current Prime Minister’s emphasis on developing business and global trade (including Free Trade Agreements in the works with Australia and America, among others), has created a fertile ground for the export business. Some are already calling Thailand the “Detroit of Asia” for the latest growth in the automotive industry south of Bangkok. As trade continues to expand, the need for English salespeople to assist in all phases of the dealmaking process becomes more and more urgent.

Temporary jobs of this ilk pay anywhere between two and six thousand baht per day, depending on length of contract, experience and your familiarity with the company. Most companies advertise in the Bangkok Post, www.bangkokpost.net, and The Nation, www.nationmultimedia.com, Thailand’s two daily English newspapers, as well as international jobs boards, such as www.escapeartist.com. Additionally, possibilities for networking abound during large-scale fairs, to such an extent that I had four solid offers during my thirty minute tour of the booths. Little experience is required, but a clean appearance and professional attitude will help secure most positions.