How much should I expect to make?

 

A few paragraphs back, I mentioned that the supply of native English teachers doesn’t meet the demand. It’s because of the salary. To be very honest, if you’re choosing to come to Thailand, making fat stacks shouldn’t be your main priority. Cultural adventure, remember? The average salary that you can expect to make is about $800-$1000 USD per month (~฿25,000-฿35,000 THB). Don’t worry, the cost of living is extraordinarily cheap and you’ll still be able to save a few hundred bucks a month, but this is the reason why the government has to ignore people working on tourist visas. There just aren’t enough college grads signing up to come teach here when they could do the same thing in a place like Japan or Korea and make a lot more money.

 

Where should I teach?

 

Every teaching gig in Thailand is going to differ drastically from the next. First off, Thailand is actually really big. It takes probably around 30 hours to get from the mountainous northern area of the country all the way down to the tropical southern region. Combine that with a population of 67 million and you end up with a massive number of schools and regions that all need English teachers. While some people are lucky enough to lock down a job in a place that you can find in your Lonely Planet book, those positions are not the majority.

 

When it comes down to it, your experience is going to be what you make of it. Your level of happiness isn’t going to directly correlate to the address on your mailbox. Your success will lie in the connections that you make and the experiences you have. I’ve had friends who taught in beach towns and hated it and I’ve had friends who taught in places I’ve never heard of and loved it.

 

What are most jobs like?

 

When it comes to actual classroom time, most teachers on average spend about 18-22 hours per week in a classroom. You’ll still have to be at school in your office from 7:30-3:30 everyday, but some days you might only teach 2, one-hour lessons.

 

Thai schools also love to cancel classes. It could be a citywide sports day, an impromptu parade, or school-wide scouts day (did your parents ever sign you up for an extracurricular boy-scout or girl-scout camps? These are mandatory programs for all Thai students). And as for all of these schedule changes, you likely won’t find out about them until arriving at school that day. Smile and go with the flow.

 

As for what age group you’ll teach, schools will typically hire you for one of three levels. The first is kindergarten, or Anuban as it will probably be listed on Ajarn.com. These little nuggets are adorable, are between 3-6 years-old, and you’ll probably spend a lot of time with each individual class.

 

Level two and three are primary and secondary school, respectively. Primary is called Prattom and secondary is called Mattayom. Prattom students range from 6-12 years-old and Mattayom students are anywhere from 12 to 18. With these grades, you’ll probably only see each of your classes once or twice a week.

 

As for contracts, they’re a funny thing in Thailand. Schools do them because they know that’s how we do things back home. Typically though, most schools will just ask you to commit to either one or two terms, with each term lasting about 4-5 months. Beyond that, think of a Thai school contract like an NFL contract. The school can terminate it at any time and you can give a month notice and opt out at any time.

 

Does my age matter?

 

Kind of. Schools ideally want to hire teachers between the ages of 18 and 50. Thailand is full of exceptions, though.

 

Man this all sounds pretty intense, will I still be able to travel?

 

Of course, my horse! I’m not naive enough to think that traveling southeastern Asia isn’t at least part of your motivation for wanting to do this. While teaching will be a full time job, Thais love their breaks and want to chill just as much as we do.

 

There are countless public holidays and the majority of schools are going to be closed for all of March, April, and October. Remember when you were a student and summer was one 3-month long stint? Thailand breaks it up. Which is pretty great because you never have to go longer than 4-5 months without getting an extended break.

 

It’s during these months that you’ll be able to explore and achieve that Instagram-fame that you’ve been so lusting after. Go rock climbing in Krabi. Sign up for a jungle trek in Chiang Mai. Recreate the Hangover movie with your buddies in Bangkok. Take a trip to any of the islands (Koh Lipe, Koh Chang, or Koh Lanta. Not Phuket). And, if you’re feeling extra bold, proceed with caution and check out one of the infamous ping-pong shows.

 

Alright, I’m stoked. But is it safe?

 

You and I are badasses that don’t worry about trivial things like “personal safety.” But your mom does.

 

Like everywhere in the world, if you’re an idiot, you’re going to get yourself in trouble. I’ve traveled through different places throughout Mexico and Europe and I’ve felt safer in Thailand than I have anywhere else. Use common sense and you’ll be fine. Don’t get too drunk, smile at locals, avoid confrontations, be extra vigilant in touristy places, and be careful crossing the street (seriously, this is probably the most dangerous part about Thailand). Otherwise, the common sense required here is the same as it is back home. Lock your doors, don’t cruise down dark alleyways by yourself at night, and never say anything bad about the King. Okay so that last one is a little Thailand-specific, but Google Lese-Majeste and you’ll see why.

 

Oh and don’t do drugs. They’re hella illegal here. There’s also a good amount of corruption that exists within the police department, so technically you can pay your way out of most things, but I still think your money is more wisely spent elsewhere.