Teach English in Thailand

TEFL Teach Thailand is about living as part of a local Thai community, sharing your knowledge and experiencing a beautiful life in one of the world's dreamiest destinations!

All you need is a Bachelor's degree, to be a native English speaker and an appetite for adventure.

Take off somewhere tropical and exciting. 5 & 10 month teaching placements in Thailand. Book your place today!

Teach Abroad. Teach in Thailand!

Why teach English in Thailand?

• Share your experiences with lots of other native English teachers living and teaching English in Thailand.
• Thai students are polite, fun and extremely keen to learn English!
• Living costs in Thailand are low so your 30,000 THB monthly salary goes a long way! Click here for Living Costs in Thailand
• Your day is usually finished by 4PM leaving you plenty of time to explore
• Choose from a 5 or 10 month contract
• Thai schools have long holidays so you can visit other exciting parts of South-east Asia like Laos, Myanmar, China, India, Cambodia, Vietnam and Philippines.
• Thailand is world famous for its fluffy white tropical beaches!
• The Thai people are amongst the friendliest anywhere in the world.

Pack your shorts, sunscreen and flip-flops as the temperature rarely drops below 28 degrees C!

Debbie John and Richard Mann in Phatthalung

Who can teach English in Thailand?

The requirements for teaching in Thailand are a Bachelor's degree and nationality of the UK, USA, CAN, SA, AUS, NZ or IRE.

Why apply for Thailand teaching positions through ESLstarter?

We are a TEFL placement agency run by former TEFL teachers. As such we have extensive first-hand experience of teaching TEFL in exotic, far-off lands! We put this package together to make it easy for other people to be able to achieve their dream of teaching English overseas.

Jump to:

• FAQs
• Practicalities
• Fast facts Thailand
• How much in Thailand?

FAQs

Does ESLstarter help with the visa process?

Yes! We will help you to organize the documents you need in order to get a teaching visa for Thailand. We'll arrange your school contract and employment letter as well as assisting you in getting all the other documentation needed.

Do I have training?

Yes, you will attend a full orientation* at a resort in Thailand with all of the other native English teachers who will be starting with you at the same time before you actually begin your teaching placement.

*please note that the orientation is only for those who are completing the online TEFL course. Those who are participating in the Bangkok TEFL course will have some orientation as part of the course.

What happens at the orientation?

The orientation will take place over three days at a resort or hotel in Thailand. You'll meet all of the other native English teachers here and so can establish contact with those who will be teaching in your town or city. The orientation covers masses of material from Thai culture and customs, to basic Thai language skills, to lesson planning and how best to deal with naughty students!

Will there be other foreign teachers at my school?

In most cases yes! Thai schools are generally quite large and the ones that hire foreign teachers usually have at least 3 or 4 native English speakers working there. Thailand is also a popular destination for ex-pats so there is always a lively social scene even in the smaller cities and towns.

How will my teaching schedule work?

The school day in Thailand starts around 8AM and goes through until 3.30PM or 4PM. Actual classes start around 9AM so normally you'll have an hour or so to prepare the day's lessons before you start teaching. Classes are normally between 40 and 50 minutes and the foreign teacher would teach around 4 classes per day. This would usually mean teaching two classes in the morning and two classes in the afternoon. The working week is from Monday to Friday.

Do I always teach the same class?

You would normally teach each class in the school once a week. If it's a big school, you might be responsible for teaching a particular year group and so would teach each class from that year group once a week.

How big are the classes?

Class size can vary quite considerably in Thailand. Some schools have a special English program and class size for these schools is relatively small. It's not unusual to teach four or five students per class where this type of program is offered. The other end of the scale is the schools where no separate English program is assigned in which case classes can vary from between 25 and 50 students!

What do I need to wear to work?

Thais favor a smart appearance for teachers so the usual work attire would be a shirt, tie and trousers for the guys and skirt and blouse for the girls.

Will the school have a curriculum?

Some schools have a curriculum for the foreign teachers to follow and others don't. Your role will be to teach the students conversational English and help them to improve their pronunciation. There are usually internet facilities at the schools for printing off lesson plans and other teaching materials. Teaching aids, text books, CDs and quizzes are also almost always at hand.

Will the school provide lunch?

Usually it's possible to get lunch free of charge at the schools.

When does the Thai school term start?

Thai term starts in May and November.

When are the holidays?

The month of October is a holiday as are March and April. October is usually paid but March and April often aren't. However, it's easy to find extra work such as summer camps during the March - April period.

Can I extend my contract at the school?

Yes! Our schools encourage teachers to stay longer than the initial 5 or 10 months so you are welcome to extend your contract if you want to spend longer in your teaching job in Thailand.

How will I get paid?

Your school will help you to get a Thai bank account set up and then you will be paid electronically into this bank account every month.

Is it easy to send money home from Thailand?

Sending money home is very easy, cheap and convenient. You can wire transfer cash back to your home bank account from any high street bank in Thailand. The fee per transaction is usually around $20.

Practicalities

Health Care

The standard of health care in Bangkok is excellent and in the provincial capitals it is very good. From the rural areas it's probably best to head to a provincial capital to get the best treatment. Most doctors speak English and pharmacies are plentiful even throughout the smaller towns and cities.

Food

Dive in and try it! Thai food is simply world-class! From fiery red curries to stuffed pork omelet, from mouth-melting mango salad to tangy chicken soup, Thai cuisine is hot, bursting with flavor and utterly addictive. Street vendors with an ardent following of local diners are always a great bet for a cheap and tasty fill! If you long for some home comfort food, Western restaurants serving up European and American food are never far away.

Travelling in Thailand

The best (and cheapest!) way to see Thailand is to do as the locals do and hop on a bus. The country is well-served by a bus network that reaches into even the most remote of spots, far from the tourist crowds. Fares are extremely competitive with a two hour air-con bus journey costing around THB120. Trains are also an economic way to travel around Thailand. Tickets can be booked on-line or in person and 3rd, 2nd or 1st class carriages are available on the sleeper trains that head north toward Chiang Mai and Nong Khai or south toward Hat Yai, Trang and the Malaysian border.

What to bring

Save on baggage allowance by leaving your winter wardrobe at home. The temperature in Thailand rarely gets below 28 degrees so sweaters and jackets are not necessary!

Here's a quick check-list of what we'd recommend bringing with you:

• Smart, conservative clothes for work
• Summer clothes
• Umbrella (for rainy season)
• Beachy stuff like flip-flops and swim-wear
• Sun-tan lotion
• Shades
• Hat
• Mosquito repellent

BUT, if you forget any of the above, don't worry as it's all readily available in Thailand in many cases at a fraction of the price!

Fast Facts Thailand

• 63,050,510 - current population of Thailand
• 95% - percentage of Thai population that are Buddhist
• 146,000 - population of Thailand's elegant northern capital Chiang Mai
• 64 years - the number of years Thailand's Head of State King Bhumibol has reigned.
• 30 degrees C - the average annual temperature in Bangkok
• August, September & October - the peak rainy season months with an average of 213mm's worth of tropical downpours per month!
• 1 -average rainy days in December, January and February
• 168cms - the height of an average Thai male
• 2,585 meters - the highest point in Thailand which is Mount Ithanon, located in Doi Ithanon National Park near Chiang Mai
• Farang - the word that Thai's use to refer to foreigners. Farang is also the Thai name for Guava fruit!
• Siam - the name that Thailand went by before 1949
• 14.4 million - the number of foreign tourists the Tourism Authority of Thailand hopes to attract in 2011

How much in Thailand?

Thailand is an inexpensive country to live in by Western standards. Here's a guide to how much bang you can get for your Baht...

Item	Cost THB*
Furnished apartment in modern residential block	3,000 - 4,000 monthly
Bowl of noodle soup from a street vendor	30
Big Mac set	120
Espresso	30
Food court meal	30
Dinner for two in a mid-range restaurant	400
Pint of beer	100
6 pack of Thai lager	119
Glass of wine	150
10 minute taxi journey	70
Beach bungalow accommodation	200
Tube of toothpaste	50
1 liter bottle of water	10
English language newspaper	30
1 month gym membership	800
Overnight sleeper train ticket from BKK to Surat Thani	900
Tray of fresh fruit	20

*At time of writing, USD1 = 32THB or £1 = 48THB