TEACH IN THAILAND
Conditions to be a teacher in Thailand
Thailand as the majority of countries in the world requires at least a Bachelor degree to be able to teach. The Thai Ministry of Education will ask you for this degree to be able to issue you a teaching license in Thailand (“Teaching License”).
Additional conditions are defined by each school and the job requirements. For example, it is common that English teachers are requested to get a TEFL certificate (Teach English as a Foreign Language). You can easily find resources online and get TEFL certified in few weeks.
When you apply, remember to attach translations in English and if possible into Thai of your diplomas, teaching licenses, letters of reference, and everything that builds more credibility for your profile.
Being a teacher in Thailand
Being a teacher in Thailand means having 20 to 25 hours of classes per week (usually in the morning), but having to stay in the school all day. The work of preparation and correction are usually done at home in other countries. In Thailand it must be done in the premises of the establishment. This time at school can be used to work overtime in order to increase the salary.
Visa & Work Permit
Like any foreigner working in Thailand, you need a work permit. A work permit is a blue booklet that specifies your position and your employer. You can find more information about the work permit here.
The school must sponsor your work permit by providing all necessary documents. Most of the time the school also cover the cost related to the work permit (they may actually refund the costs after completion of your contract).
Work Permit cost varies between 750 THB and 3,000 THB depending on the duration of your contract.
To get a work permit you must enter Thailand with a non-immigrant visa – in general a Non-Immigrant B (B for Business). For more information about the process and the required documents, the best way is to visit the website of the Thai Embassy in your country. The reason is that documents may vary a little bit from one country to another. The cost of the visa also depends on the embassy.
Types of schools
We can classify the schools in 3 categories: the government schools, the international schools and the private tutoring institutions.
The government schools are the regular schools and offer stable jobs when you satisfy the requirements in terms of certification (e.g. TEFL). The salary range is usually between 25,000 to 45,000 THB per month.
The international schools provide higher salaries but are less flexible. They are also more selective during the recruitment of their teachers. Typically, working in international schools is more challenging compared to the government schools. The salary range is usually between 45,000 to 80,000 THB per month.
Finally the private tutoring institutions offer full-time or part-time jobs (paid per hour) based on the demand they have. The salary range is usually between 300 to 700 THB per hour.