InsideOut Travel—Teaching in Thailand

by Sean Enright

Thailand, the land of smiles, a faraway exotic place filled with friendly people—sounds nice, doesn’t it? Well, it could be just the place for you if you’re up for a lifestyle change and a 20-hour flight because native English speakers are high in demand now. All you need is a college degree and a sense for adventure, and you could be the next English teacher in this tropical paradise. You won’t even need a teaching certificate.

Read on if you want to become a teacher in Thailand.

Getting a Job

There are three main ways to begin your job search. You can go through a placement agency. You can locate schools on the Internet and contact them directly or, you can fly over and find a job once you’re there. Of course, each of these options has its pros and cons and what’s best for one person might not be so for another.


	Teaching in Thailand
	by Sean Enright Thailand, the land of smiles, a faraway exotic place filled with friendly people—sounds nice, doesn’t it? Well, it could be just the place for you if you’re up for a lifestyle change and a 20-hour flight because native English speakers are high in demand now. All you need is a college degree and a sense for adventure, and you could be the next English teacher in this tropical paradise. You won’t even need a teaching certificate. Read on if you want to become a teacher in Thailand. Getting a Job There are three main ways to begin your job search. You can go through a placement agency. You can locate schools on the Internet and contact them directly or, you can fly over and find a job once you’re there. Of course, each of these options has its pros and cons and what’s best for one person might not be so for another.				Going through a placement agency is probably the easiest and least stressful option. An agency will find you work in the area of your choice, help sort out your working visa, and take care of any other details that might come up. They are also a good resource of information but, they do charge a substantial fee, sometimes more than $1,000 USD. “You’re not dealing with a Third World healthcare system here. In fact, many Thai doctors are Western-schooled.” If you think this is the way to go, a good place to begin would be with TEFL in Thailand at www.tefl-teach-thai.com. The company provides courses in teaching English as a second language and then places you in a job. At present, such courses float around the $500 USD mark and take anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete. If you like doing things on your own, another option is to get on the Internet, locate schools, and make contact with them yourself. While this route costs next to nothing, you will have to start earlier, plan further ahead, and sort through details on your own. As Thailand is majority Buddhist and a fundamental tenet of the faith is to live in the moment, there is a tendency to procrastinate (according to my standards) on things like paperwork. So, expect to follow up with your contacts regularly, making sure that you get a contract and the necessary visa forms before you arrive in the country. more >> << home
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Teaching in Thailand

by Sean Enright