Should I teach English in Thailand? The answer is yes! Here’s my top tips and advice for teaching English abroad in Thailand.
Teaching English in Thailand
There’s something in the air in Thailand. I’d call it pure magic. When you’re here you feel fulfilled, happy, blessed, content and that all is right with the world.
Thailand is awesome for:
New teachers
Short-term work
Super friendly generous locals
Buddhism (95% of Thais are buddhist)
Massages / Islands / Temples / Tuk Tuks / Buckets of questionable liquids
Healthy delicious cheap food…..ohmyword the food, food!
Are you a new teacher? Thailand is for you!
Thailand is a fantastic foot in the door for new teachers. There are ample opportunities to go and do your TEFL course then jump straight into a guaranteed job / internship afterwards. My favourite guys are MyTEFL who are offering 35% off their 120 hour course for all Teacake readers! It’s essential in today’s ESL market so go get one!
Get your TEFL certificate
Get 35% off your TEFL course here with code TEA35
No degree? No problem!
If you do not have a degree, Thailand is a great place to start your teaching career and gain some excellent teaching experience.
Find out what to do if you have no degree
No TEFL and little experience? Do an internship!
If you want to get a TEFL certificate and teaching experience at the same time, why not excel in your English teaching and take part in an internship in Thailand?
Doing an internship (MyTEFL offer a 6 month paid-salary internship in Thailand) will give you everything you need to get your dream job straight away!
Click to learn more about the internship in Thailand
MyTEFL 6-month Thailand Teaching Internship
Get paid to teach and travel in Thailand with MyTEFL!
You will first complete your 120 hour online TEFL certification; then you will head out to Thailand in Chiang Mai or Hua Hin to complete a one week Thailand Orientation Course.
Find out more about the Thailand internship
Once you complete the orientation course, you will be placed into a fully-paid teaching position
Click here for full Internship details
Where I taught in Thailand
I actually only taught here for a month whilst doing my CELTA course in Chiang Mai with International House.
I taught adults and the experience was unbelievably good. Thais are very willing to learn English. They’re also polite, friendly and patient people. I spoke to many expats teaching English here at the time and they were very happy teachers!
Looking for short-term work?
For travellers on the road who want to make a pit-stop and earn some extra money, most schools and agencies will allow teachers to sign only a six-month contract. That’s really great news for teachers who have wanderlust like Teacake and easily get itchy feet!
Money?
I’m not going to beat around the bush here: Thailand is not going to allow you to save buckets of money like China or South Korea can. However, when you take into consideration the cost of living here, you’re going to be comfortable and Thailand is just so soul-fulfilling!
Where to find a job in Thailand
Ajarn is by far the best ESL job website for Thailand but I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – looking around yourself, visiting schools, asking locals, knocking on doors – that’s the best way you are going to get a good job. No doubt about it. Fly there and start hunting. Good luck!
Related Reading
How to Teach English Abroad without a Degree
Immediately said ‘yes’ when I read the title of this post.
Fantastic!
I’m doing a TESOL and teaching program in Thailand beginning at the end of this month! I’m so excited! Love your blog!
Yay! Good luck with the TESOL! Keep in touch and let me know how it goes, I’m very keen to hear :D
I’m totally convinced that teaching abroad for a year is something everyone should do, but it’s not a great career so get out while you’re still young!
I’ve been teaching English for five years in Asia and I feel it has a lot of potential as a career! Do your Celta, your Delta…you can mentor other teachers, be an expert in different areas and end up training others whilst still teaching!
Alice,
What was your experience like doing the CELTA? Was the program difficult as I heard from others it can be quite challenging? Would you recommend the program to aspiring teachers who have no completed a TESL course elsewhere?
Hi April! The CELTA course without a doubt is one of the best courses I’ve done. It certainly is challenging and most of the teachers on that course had done teaching before and had experience under their belt. For teachers who had no experience whatsoever, it was tough for them. I recommend the TEFL course first to dip your feet in the water and see if you like it. If you then want to go the whole hog, go for the CELTA!
Very helpful feedback. Thanks for the tip Alice.
Hi Alice! First of all, thank you for this article. I’m very interested in TEFL in Thailand. I have a BA, but I’m not a native English speaker. I’ve been learning English since I was 5 years old and I’m pretty fluent. Do you think it might be hard for me to get a job in Asia?
Not at all Fran. You’re going to be OK :) Do you have a TEFL certificate at all? That will really help you get a good job.