Do you dream of teaching ESL/EFL at a university in Thailand? We’ve all thought it before as we sat on the beach with a Chang beer dangling from our fingertips, watching a sunset with our toes in the sand.
Thailand’s popularity as a tourist destination means that there are, however, loads of people who have thought exactly the same thing. Seduced by the modern conveniences, the low cost-of-living, the friendly people and the seemingly open atmosphere, it’s hard to say no to any of the joys that Thailand can offer. And, it seems that once people do start working here, they stick around. It’s not uncommon to meet a career ‘lifer’ who’s been here for 5 or 10 or even 25 years.
Having said that, if you are looking for a job in a Thai university, you will need to keep your eyes wide open, and really think about whether it’s a viable option for you.
Deciphering The Thai University System
There are hundreds of universities in Thailand, sub-divided into four main classifications: Public (government funded), National (private, non-profit), Rajabhat (regional), and Private (for profit, often with international partnerships). Adding to this list are Colleges, Institutes and Polytechnics, and there are also universities that may straddle classifications (i.e. National with a Private college faculty within the university).
Generally, expat teachers are more likely to be found at National or Private universities.
Thailand University ESL/EFL Job Qualifications
Recently, Thailand’s government took steps to tighten regulations on teaching, and the necessary qualifications needed to obtain a work permit. Gradually, and even given the uneven enforcement of said regulations, Thailand’s teaching scene is slowly changing to require, for example, at least an MA to teach on credit-bearing courses in universities, or an actual teaching license to teach in a school.
The profile of teachers in Thailand is changing. So, while the stereotypical, and rather unfortunate, cowboy teachers with an online TEFL still exist, they are simply not the majority anymore. Where I worked, out of 30+ English lecturers, most had relevant MA degrees, and about 60% had a teaching qualification.
Qualified non-native speakers of English are welcome, but may have to take an English proficiency exam. And, it’s possible to work in Thailand as an older person – unlike other Asian countries that place age restrictions on work permits.
Expected Remuneration for Instructors
The main problem with university teaching in Thailand is that nobody seems to have received the memo that if one decides to raise the bar for expected qualifications for teachers, one must also raise the salaries.
Even as the country itself has become less stable and more expensive, the basic salary is still around B 30, 000 to B 50,000 [roughly $850 - $1400 USD]. This hasn’t changed in years. Keep in mind that this is not a living wage in Bangkok – even if you are on a very tight budget.
[Looking for a higher salary? Here's what an instructor earns in Dubai.]
Accommodation is not included, or is counted as a part of the total salary, and while you may have health insurance, it isn’t enough to cover treatment at an international hospital. The university where I worked didn’t even cover a flight in: They don’t need to, as most prospective employees are already in Thailand when they start applying for jobs.
To be clear, when I negotiated my salary – yes, everyone in my department was paid something different – I started extremely high compared to these salaries, and bargained hard until I got almost what I’d asked for. The package you get does depend on whether you go National or Private, and what the reputation or rating of the university is. Much like buying a t-shirt on Khao San road, there doesn’t seem to be a set price.
Living Expenses in Bangkok
Living expenses in Bangkok depend a lot on where you actually live. I had a fully furnished studio on the top floor of a high-rise for B 9,500 / month, but I was far from being in a central area. The same apartment downtown would have cost B 20, 000. And while the public transport system can get you just about anywhere (and varies in comfort from rickety city buses to moto-taxis to khlong boats to ultra-modern commuter trains), it certainly isn’t free. Most people I asked agreed that their daily budget, including food and transportation was in the area of B 500 – B 1,000 / day.
Of course, these estimates are for Bangkok – anywhere outside of the city will offer much cheaper costs, but drastically lower salaries.
English Language Instructor Job Description
While the ESL/EFL job description varies depending on the university, there seem to be a few constants. Most university lecturers will find themselves with about 15 teaching hours per week, but will have to maintain office hours. There may be opportunities for paid overtime or extra projects (usually B 1,000 – B 1,500 / hour).
Holidays will also depend on the university: Some will require your presence (aka deskwarming) during term breaks, while another university might not. One lecturer I spoke to (at a Public university) had to sign in and out of work every day with a thumbprint scanner, even if she wasn’t teaching on that day.
Depending on the university, there may be an foundation program – designed to improve students’ English, or an international program where courses are taught exclusively in English. You may be expected to follow a set curriculum, but generally the English lecturers tend to have a lot of freedom in the classroom (which can indicate a lack of academic accountability and standards – again, this depends on the university’s ranking, and their academic management).
The Students
The students are lovely, albeit with rather low English skills [Thailand has an abysmal public education ranking, with PISA scores placing it at 54 out of 70 countries] and they do have a reputation of academic dishonesty. There are also quite a few non-Thai students (including Chinese and Russian), especially at the Private universities. The Thai students tend to enjoy “fun first, work second”, which means that even Academic programs can include games.
Of course, this all depends on the university. It is worth doing a bit of research to find out what is included, what is expected and how much pedagogical support you will have. With all the foreign teachers in Thailand, even a cursory search will bring in loads of blogs, internet comment boards and news articles.
One Final Tip
Teaching at a university in Thailand is a far cry from a beach holiday, and ultimately, my advice is the same for just about any other country: Do your research, don’t accept less than what you deserve, and keep an open mind. You may just end up being one of the ‘lifers’.
VIRGINIA PARKER (B.ed TESL, MA Applied Linguistics & ELT) is an ELT professional with nearly 20 years of international teaching, training, writing and ELT management experience. She worked at a private university in Bangkok in 2015-2016.