Blogs on Teaching and Living in Thailand

High demand for English language skills

English is widely used as a second language in Thailand and there is a high demand for English teachers to help Thai students improve their language skills.

Ease of obtaining a teaching job

There is still a high demand for native English speaking teachers in Thailand, making it relatively easy for individuals with a degree to obtain a job in May when the Thai school semester starts.

Opportunities for non-native speakers in Thailand exist too. In fact, many Thai bilingual schools wouldn’t survive without them. And did you know that there are more Filipino teachers in Thailand than native English speakers? Filipino teachers are wonderful to have as teaching colleagues, they are diligent and hard-working. The only thing I can’t comprehend is why they accept working for much lower wages at ordinary Thai schools than us native speakers? I guess they must have their reasons. 

FYI, at my current workplace, a top tier international school in Bangkok, we’re all treated the same by the school owners. Teachers in my school hail from the UK, Australia, Ireland, the US, the Philippines, Bulgaria, Serbia, China and of course Thailand.

Friendly and welcoming culture

Thais are known for their friendly and hospitable nature, making it an attractive destination for foreign English teachers. Thais are known for their warm and friendly nature, which makes it a welcoming place to live and teach. Thailand is a culturally rich country with a long and fascinating history, making it an attractive destination for many people, including English teachers like myself. Not to mention the Thai cuisine, which is known for its bold flavors and is considered one of the best in the world.

Low cost of living

In my view, compared to many other countries, the cost of living in Thailand is relatively low, which makes it an affordable place for foreign English teachers to live and work.

Adventure, travel and job opportunities

Thailand is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant culture, and rich history, making it an exciting place to live and work. Thailand is located in a region with many other countries that are easily accessible, providing English teachers with opportunities to travel and explore during their time off.

Many backpackers extend their stay by teaching part-time as an English language teacher at a language school. Pay isn’t the best at language schools, though, but often those backpackers aren’t the most qualified and will travel on to a neighboring country after a few months.

Qualified teachers with a university degree may try to obtain a work permit and stay in Thailand long-term, many don’t, knowing that there are far better opportunities elsewhere in Asia.

Native speaking teachers, the ones with teaching related degrees eventually move to an international school, where pay and benefits are excellent and are able to save pretty good money. I am currently teaching at an international school myself and loving every moment of it. I must confess that it wasn’t easy to get my foot through the door since competition for these types of teaching jobs remains stiff.

Making lessons fun and engaging

I find Thais with the exception of conmen prying on tourists in the usual touristy hotspots generally shy when it comes to speaking English to foreigners. They will be super friendly and will relax quickly once the ice is broken through small talk.

Thai students are a fun bunch to teach and will quickly adapt to their foreign teacher’s novel teaching style. Most Thai teachers lecture lessons and the emphasis is on everything but on sharing or debating opinions. Thai school directors expect lessons by foreign teachers to be more fun with an emphasis on English conversation. In fact, it is the common approach used by many language schools and language programs when teaching foreign languages to Thai students. The idea is to make the learning experience as engaging and interactive as possible, while also providing plenty of opportunities for Thai students to practice speaking and using the target language in real-life situations. By emphasizing conversation and providing a fun and relaxed learning environment, teachers aim to help students feel more confident and motivated to continue learning the language. This can help increase student engagement and improve their overall language skills, including their ability to understand and communicate in English.

Working conditions

Too many schools in Thailand offer nothing but atrocious working conditions to their foreign teachers in my opinion. School management is generally speaking unsupportive of their teaching staff and hence the high turnover. The exception as I mentioned earlier are international schools. I saw my experience at my last school in Kanchanburi more of an internship as opposed to a real teaching position with real career progression.

Holidays and free time

English teachers in Thailand typically have several weeks of paid holiday time each year, this varies from school to school, between two weeks at language schools to 8 weeks at international schools and universities, which they can use to travel within the country or internationally. Some popular travel destinations for English teachers in Thailand include Chiang Mai in the north, the southern islands such as Koh Samui and Phuket, and Kanchanaburi in the west.

It's important for English teachers to plan their travels carefully, as visas and travel restrictions may apply depending on their nationality and destination. Additionally, some countries still require travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within a certain timeframe prior to arrival, so it's a good idea to check the most up-to-date information before planning a trip.

Aside from traveling, many English teachers in Thailand also take advantage of their time off to participate in cultural activities. Some popular options include learning Thai massage or cooking, visiting Buddhist temples, or taking part in local festivals and events.

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Blog by Miss Sandra

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Note that the author of the blog is expressing personal thoughts and musings, which do not necessarily reflect those of KruTeacher. Therefore, KruTeacher.com cannot be held responsible for any potential inaccuracies that may be present in the blog.