Thailand
Qualifications
A university degree is a requirement for most schools in Thailand, but there are some exceptions to this rule, and there are people teaching English in Thailand without a degree who have also managed to obtain a work permit. For information on visas and work permits, go to the Thai Visa site.
Types of English teaching jobs
Chances are you will be teaching children, but there are also university and corporate teaching jobs as well. There are “international schools” as well, but many are international in name only. One glimpse at the salaries that are offered will tell you if it is a legitimate international school or not.
Salary
32-38,000 Baht/month is the average salary in the larger cities. If you earn just over 40,000 Baht/month, you should be able to save about $100-200 US/month. TEFL salaries at language schools and public schools in Bangkok range from 26,000 on the lower end of the scale to 45,000 Baht per month on the higher end; in the Thai provinces you can expect to see offers of 20,000-35,000 Baht. Thailand is not the place to go to save a vast amount of money or to pay off student loans.
University TEFL positions generally pay between 25,000-35,000 Baht, but there are more opportunities to get some private students since the normal teaching load at a university is less than at a typical language school.
Working conditions
Teaching hours are between 20-25/week, less at a good university and a little more at a language school. Any hours you work over your contract is paid as overtime at a higher rate of pay.
General information
The TEFL market in Thailand is a bit unique to the extent that there are already several thousand expats living here and available to interview on short notice. Because of this, many school managers do not bother answering applications from people living abroad. So your best chance of landing the ideal TEFL position is to be in Thailand, with a mobile phone on your belt, an updated resume in hand, look sharp and ready to hit the pavement. If you can arrange a few interviews and/or set up some appointments via email before arriving, so much the better,
Be prepared to enjoy the 'Thai' experience and basically forget about any wild notions of getting rich or saving money. You can live pretty well on TEFL salaries but there is not much left over at the end of the month. You must accept the Thai way of doing things; Thais are very stubborn and proud. Be prepared for some very hot and humid weather!
Links
http://www.teflasia.com/
http://www.thailandteacher.com/
