Hi people,

I am only half way through my online Tefl course and have a degree in teaching so have decided to take the plunge and head to Thailand in November. The only thing is I am undecided on where to go? I don't want to go to Bangkok although I hear it has the best money, but I want to be a bit more far away from the city. But I dont' want ot be too far from the people either!!

Chiang Mai looks like a great little spot but I was ondering if any of you have any opinions? Or where would you recommend a first timer go?

Thanks x

Hi Laurie,

I've been backpacking throughout Thailand for the past 2 months and have finally landed in Chiang Mai. It's a great little city. I am definitely here to stay. 

It depends what you are looking for during your stay. I've been to many of the islands as well as cities. Chiang Mai and Krabi are definitely on the top of my list. Krabi's advantage is that it's near the water, so taking a little weekend trip to neighboring islands is not difficult. But along with the beach comes tourism. Chiang Mai has tourism, but it's a lot milder. Oh, and did I mention how low the cost of living is here? :P

I have not yet started looking for a job, but I heard it can be quite difficult to find something here as there are already so many expats.

Hope this was helpful :) Good luck and have fun!

I've been thinking the exact same thing. Hoping to go in November too, but don't really want to go to Bangkok as I've heard soo much negativity about it. Also heard it's difficult to get a job in Chang Mai, and it's far from the water. So...I was thinking Surat Thani on the east coast. It's a residential province but is also just a few hours from the beach. I've seen quite a few jobs advertised already so looks hopeful.

You know if you've got a degree in education you could go to an International School anywhere in the world right? It's so much more money in those jobs! That's what I would do!

Hey there guys,

I have just started working in Chaing Mai this semester, so I have walked that road.  If you have any questions please let me know as I may save you some time, so that you can come to Thailand in the know.  

I first started working in Hat Yai (south Thailand) which was great as the pay was 45,000 baht a month and I was renting a 3 bedroom 3 bath house for 3,500 baht a month.  Then I moved to Bangkok the pay was more 50,000 baht but the cost of living is pretty high, so you have less disposal income.  So this semester I moved up to Chaing Mai as it is not as hot and humid as Bangkok, but there are allot of foreign people here so the pay is less.  I interviewed at Chiang Mai university that offered me 17,000 baht a month for 20 teaching hours, Yupparaj Wittayalai School for 22,000 baht a month for 22 teaching hours, and finally accepted a job at PRC for 29,500 baht for 16 teaching hours.  I am living in a resort right now at 8,500 baht a month till I find a new place. 

So you guys have to decide if you want to make and save money or have a better quality of life as Chiang Mai is great.  On the weekends you can go elephant trekking, white water rafting, waterfall hikes, mountain biking, or just hang out with the locals.

Anyway, I am happy to help and give you guys insight with real information so that you can make an educated decision on where you want to go.

Ajarn Patrick

Hello Again:

I wanted to forward you a useful teaching website here in Thailand called Ajarn.com.  Here is the link to the new teachers help guides www.ajarn.com/help-and-guides it will answer most of your questions and let you know what is going on in the Thailand teaching world.

I hope this helps.

Ajarn Patrick

Thanks so much, thats so helpful! Getting nearer to the end of the course now. Reconsidering places, maybe Krabi? Thanks for all your help!x

Chang Mai is a beautiful place as is Krabi. They say that starting off in Bangkok is your best bet for gaining experience however I have met people who started their teaching English abroad careers in other places. The one thing I would say is Krabi is a lot more expensive than Chang Mai so the cost of living may vary in that sense. I will be starting off in Bangkok for experience and then after I've gained experience and confidence I am free to teach anywhere in Thailand no matter how touristy it is or not. I guess I just thought it would be best to start off in the most logical place.

Hi,

Chiang Mai is amazing and if I come back to Thailand I definately want to try and get a job in the north. I've been living in Chachoengsao for a year and a half, it's a small town an hour outside of Bangers. Bangkok is fun and I do like it but I like living outside it and visiting, some peole love it. Chiang Mai is one overnight train to Bangkok which is super comfy and nice and all for 500 baht so roughly a tenner English money. As long as you are not too rural you can get pretty much anywhere by minivan and its cheap. It depends what you want from Thailand, if you have any questions give us a shout x good luck.

Hi Laurie,

It may be a little late replying to this post but I thought it wouldn't hurt if I did. First, like everyone else Chiang Mai would be a great place to kick start your teaching career simply because you can still avoid being stuck in traffic, it is less poluted and a little cooler. In a nut shell it is like a small Bangkok where you can still find a good volume of work.

My unplanned teaching career  began in Thailand back in 1990. The first place I ever taught was at a language school called ECC. I worked in various provinces until 2000 including Bangkok, Hat Yai, Hua Hin, Pran Buri, Phucket and Pattaya.Taking into account that it was roughly 10 years ago I last taught there, my favourite ones still are Hua Hin and Hat Yai.

If you ask me, I say see what you can find in Hua Hin as they are desperate for English teachers there and not to mention that the cost of living is much less than Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Krabi. I was last there back in April and I was so close at starting up a language institue myself but then decided to save more money before I commit myself fully.

There are maybe 2 language schools there at the most but there are several primary and secondary schools as well as 3 universities; quite a lot of potential work available considering you can get from one end to the other of the city in 10 minutes at the most. You will find everything there from Starbucks to Dunkin donuts to Pizza hut and KFC and Burger King; you name it you will find it and mostly all located along one strecht of road. Mainly families or elderly tourist go there and westerners who live there, are mainly retirees. So you get the picture. Still, there is a lot you can do there for entertainment. There also is a massive shopping complex. I rented a furnished flat for $4500 which included wifi, fridge and an air-conditioner. 

Hua Hin is around 200k from the capital and it takes two and half hour to get there via a coach that departs twice an hour. This province is a coastal province so the beach is always at your footsteps. You'll discover more first hand a culture in a purerer form. A great way to live. You should not be looking at anything that offers less than Baht 30,000 monthly salary even though you can comfortably save at least Baht 15,000 if you live and eat like a local.

Bangkok is also a good place to start but it would not suit the one who is looking to avoid becoming part of the rat race. It is fast paced and more expensive to live in and not to mention the traffic congestion and noise let alone the pollution. If Bangkok is going to be your destination make sure you do your best to find ones to live and work in, close to the BTS Skytrain. Believe me it will be the best desicion you'll ever make. There are over 11 million people living in the city so expect crammed carriages and delays during rush hours. Once you make Bangkok your base, you'll find little time to travel anywhere else outside Bangkok. I found it much less time consuming to travel to Bangkok for the day from Hua Hin than the other way around.

Hat Yai is the capital of the Songkhla province bordering Malaysia. Again it is a much slower paced and a nice city to live in. The one thing you should keep in mind about Hat Yai is the recent and sporadic religious tension occuring there. To me it is more appealing for a male teacher than a femal.

Krabi is a beautiful paradise island; well it's where the movie The Beach with Leonardo Di Caprio was flimed. I would say it is one of the most sought places to live in but teaching....I don't know if it is the right place to look for a teaching job and there were any you'll find yourself competing with the ones who are already based in Thailand.

In each of the provinces I worked in I successfully setup a language institute. I think you'll find teaching in provinces more rewarding than in the capital. Whatever the reason it may be you are going to teach in Thailand, let it be for gainning teaching experience and being part of a lovely culture. If it is saving money on the other hand then you should be looking elsewhere like Japan or Korea.

Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions about teaching in Thainalnd as I would be more than happy to help

Good luck

Fred 

Thanks Fred, loads of information to think about there.

Being in a boring job and an average place at home, I am def coming to Thailand for the lifestyle and culture, more than the money, I just hadnt decided where to go.

Lots to think about! :D  

Hi everyone! Is anyone going to teach, teaching or has taught in Phuket before? I am going out there now in September and was hoping I could sit in on a lesson to see what life as an EFL teacher is like in Thailand!

Thanks! 

Tara :)