Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2013 10:59:05 GMT 7
Problems You Are Likely to Encounter Teaching English in Thailand
Be Warned, Teaching English in Thailand Comes with Its Own Set of Problems
Many people come to Thailand every year to teach English. Filled with dreams of beautiful beaches, clear ocean, cheap living and gorgeous girls, teaching in Thailand seems like teaching in paradise. Quickly though, most teachers learn the problems teaching English in Thailand can often outweigh the benefits. If you're thinking of coming to Thailand to teach English, make sure you're aware of all the potential problems before you get here. Because, once you're here, and the first problem rears its ugly head, disillusionment can set in fast.
Employers lie in Thailand about salaries, benefits and vacation time - Every teaching English job I've ever had in Thailand, I've been lied to about the salary, benefits and vacation time. Even in my current job working for a large international company, I've been promised contracts I haven't received, salary increases that didn't materialize and vacation time I never got. That's why I recently resigned my latest job (even though I love the job and my students) and am, yet again, looking for a teaching job in Thailand where I don't get lied to. Be warned though, they really are few and far between.
Getting a work permit can be a problem when teaching in Thailand - Work permits are difficult to get in Thailand. They shouldn't be but, because many Thai employers and Thai teaching agencies lie about getting you a work permit, you'll very quickly come across a job that doesn't get you one. If offered a work permit and then told, after you take the job, that they can't get you one, threaten to quit and, if they still aren't getting you a work permit, then do quit. Teaching English in Thailand is difficult enough without teaching minus a work permit too. There are jobs that will get you one, so make sure your job is one of them.
Salaries for teaching jobs in Thailand are very low - A few years ago, when the cost of living was lower, English teaching salaries for western teachers in Thailand were quite good. Nowadays, seeing as how the average teaching salary in Thailand hasn't increased in over 10 years, salaries are low. Average teaching salary in Thailand is between 25,000 to 38,000 baht per month for most teachers (approximately $737 to $1,117). I don't know how teachers survive on that, as I've never made below 50,000 baht a month (around $1,470) and currently make a lot more, yet still find it difficult to live on my salary and save money too. Teaching jobs in other parts of Asia pay a lot more so, if you're not too married to the idea of Thailand, unless you have a high paying job with an international school, I'd say try Japan, Korea or Malaysia instead.
Teaching agencies in Thailand have bad reputations - Avoid getting a job through a teaching agency in Thailand if at all possible. Most teaching agencies have very bad reputations (for good reason) and almost everyone I know has been scammed by one at one time or another. My current job is through an agency, which is one of the better ones, and I'm still lied to on a monthly basis. The only job I have ever had in Thailand where I wasn't lied to was through an agency run by a westerner and not a Thai and what he told me was exactly what I got. So, if you're coming to Thailand to teach English, avoid the agencies if you can. You'll have fewer problems that way.
Jumping through government hoops can be a problem while teaching in Thailand - There are many ridiculous requirements for work permits, visas and anything else related to working in Thailand legally. For instance, every 90 days, you have to physically go down to the immigration office and report your address. I've lived at the same place for six years, yet, every 90 days I still have to take time off my job and report to immigration. Why? No one really seems to know. Plus, when you leave Thailand and you have a work permit, you also have to go down to immigration before you leave the country and pay 1,000 baht (around $30) for a re-entry permit. If you forget to get one before you leave, when you come back, your work permit will be cancelled and you'll have to start the application process again. Why? No one seems to know.
Traveling to your job in Thailand can be a problem - Cities like Chiang Mai and Bangkok (where most of the good teaching jobs are) have horrendous traffic problems. Getting to your teaching job every morning can be an enormous problem and, unless you live close to your job, can require three or four different modes of transportation. My current job requires me to go by motorcycle, then underground train, then taxi, then motorcycle. By the time I get there, I'm so tired I just want to sleep and getting home at night is even worse. Some people do live near their jobs but, because most teachers change jobs every year, you either end up moving a lot or eventually are living miles away from where you work.
These are just a few of the problems you will encounter when you teach English in Thailand. I've been here so long that I've decided I need to get out of teaching in Thailand in the very near future as the problems are beginning to outweigh the benefits. If you're planning on coming to Thailand to teach English, make sure you're aware of all these problems (plus a lot more!) before you arrive and be sure you can handle them. If not, teaching in Thailand is definitely not for you.
Be Warned, Teaching English in Thailand Comes with Its Own Set of Problems
Many people come to Thailand every year to teach English. Filled with dreams of beautiful beaches, clear ocean, cheap living and gorgeous girls, teaching in Thailand seems like teaching in paradise. Quickly though, most teachers learn the problems teaching English in Thailand can often outweigh the benefits. If you're thinking of coming to Thailand to teach English, make sure you're aware of all the potential problems before you get here. Because, once you're here, and the first problem rears its ugly head, disillusionment can set in fast.
Employers lie in Thailand about salaries, benefits and vacation time - Every teaching English job I've ever had in Thailand, I've been lied to about the salary, benefits and vacation time. Even in my current job working for a large international company, I've been promised contracts I haven't received, salary increases that didn't materialize and vacation time I never got. That's why I recently resigned my latest job (even though I love the job and my students) and am, yet again, looking for a teaching job in Thailand where I don't get lied to. Be warned though, they really are few and far between.
Getting a work permit can be a problem when teaching in Thailand - Work permits are difficult to get in Thailand. They shouldn't be but, because many Thai employers and Thai teaching agencies lie about getting you a work permit, you'll very quickly come across a job that doesn't get you one. If offered a work permit and then told, after you take the job, that they can't get you one, threaten to quit and, if they still aren't getting you a work permit, then do quit. Teaching English in Thailand is difficult enough without teaching minus a work permit too. There are jobs that will get you one, so make sure your job is one of them.
Salaries for teaching jobs in Thailand are very low - A few years ago, when the cost of living was lower, English teaching salaries for western teachers in Thailand were quite good. Nowadays, seeing as how the average teaching salary in Thailand hasn't increased in over 10 years, salaries are low. Average teaching salary in Thailand is between 25,000 to 38,000 baht per month for most teachers (approximately $737 to $1,117). I don't know how teachers survive on that, as I've never made below 50,000 baht a month (around $1,470) and currently make a lot more, yet still find it difficult to live on my salary and save money too. Teaching jobs in other parts of Asia pay a lot more so, if you're not too married to the idea of Thailand, unless you have a high paying job with an international school, I'd say try Japan, Korea or Malaysia instead.
Teaching agencies in Thailand have bad reputations - Avoid getting a job through a teaching agency in Thailand if at all possible. Most teaching agencies have very bad reputations (for good reason) and almost everyone I know has been scammed by one at one time or another. My current job is through an agency, which is one of the better ones, and I'm still lied to on a monthly basis. The only job I have ever had in Thailand where I wasn't lied to was through an agency run by a westerner and not a Thai and what he told me was exactly what I got. So, if you're coming to Thailand to teach English, avoid the agencies if you can. You'll have fewer problems that way.
Jumping through government hoops can be a problem while teaching in Thailand - There are many ridiculous requirements for work permits, visas and anything else related to working in Thailand legally. For instance, every 90 days, you have to physically go down to the immigration office and report your address. I've lived at the same place for six years, yet, every 90 days I still have to take time off my job and report to immigration. Why? No one really seems to know. Plus, when you leave Thailand and you have a work permit, you also have to go down to immigration before you leave the country and pay 1,000 baht (around $30) for a re-entry permit. If you forget to get one before you leave, when you come back, your work permit will be cancelled and you'll have to start the application process again. Why? No one seems to know.
Traveling to your job in Thailand can be a problem - Cities like Chiang Mai and Bangkok (where most of the good teaching jobs are) have horrendous traffic problems. Getting to your teaching job every morning can be an enormous problem and, unless you live close to your job, can require three or four different modes of transportation. My current job requires me to go by motorcycle, then underground train, then taxi, then motorcycle. By the time I get there, I'm so tired I just want to sleep and getting home at night is even worse. Some people do live near their jobs but, because most teachers change jobs every year, you either end up moving a lot or eventually are living miles away from where you work.
These are just a few of the problems you will encounter when you teach English in Thailand. I've been here so long that I've decided I need to get out of teaching in Thailand in the very near future as the problems are beginning to outweigh the benefits. If you're planning on coming to Thailand to teach English, make sure you're aware of all these problems (plus a lot more!) before you arrive and be sure you can handle them. If not, teaching in Thailand is definitely not for you.