Thailand provides handsome salaries to TEFL certified teachers

Teaching English abroad gets a whole new definition with a TEFL certificate. It refers to teaching English in a location where English is not the acknowledged official language. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, which is becoming a sought after profession across the world. With English language being much-admired as a global language nowadays, the necessity of English in all sectors of work calls for the great demand of quality English teachers trained with ESL / EFL teaching. Hence, the need and job opportunities of teaching English ranges from primary schools to corporate sectors. A TEFL certificate can be the ticket to travel abroad to one’s dream locales and destinations along with earning handsome payment.

Among all the destinations listed for teaching abroad, Thailand remains the top pick, as it has a great demand for EFL/ ESL English teachers. Asia is known as one of the well-paid regions in the world when it comes to TEFL and while Thailand may not be the most developed economy in Asia, it is a nation on the move and many English teachers are able to make enough to save a good percentage of their income after all the expenses. Owing to its low cost of living, most of the English teachers save enough to spend on a lavish weekend. Most schools in Thailand require an accredited TEFL certification for their English teaching criteria. In most Thai government schools, English teaching jobs can fetch you a basic salary of over 20,000 baht per month or 600 USD which any TEFL certified fresher teacher can expect. At private schools one can expect about 500 baht per hour along with other benefits such as health care, vacation, visa arrangements and other expenses. It is a notable factor that these high paying jobs at international schools not only involve English teaching in general but also other subjects such as science or math and the average salary at such schools is probably a bit under 100K baht. In addition, recruitment is usually from other countries, and is often dependent on the courses used by that school so if the school uses the British curriculum they will recruit from England, American curriculum they will recruit from the USA and so on. Many teachers leave their old jobs in the US and the UK in favor of international schools in Thailand, where they can enjoy a better lifestyle than they would get back home.

Predictably, a typical English teacher with a TEFL certification in Thailand can expect to make 30,000 - 35,000 Thai Baht which is approximately 850 USD - 1000 USD and many are able to make more with better experience. This means that most English teachers can realistically expect to save 150 USD - 250 USD in a month and many teachers actually make enough to save up to 500 USD. Salaries and living cost varies from region-to-region and from school-to-school. Along with a handsome salary, these jobs have better benefits too. A teacher will typically have longer holiday breaks, round trip airfare, and health insurance. These schools are used to working with foreign teachers and are more cooperative and understanding towards cultural differences.

A TEFL course can really pave way for those who have done an ESL teaching certification course and is looking forward to teach in Thailand. They should know that Thai schools occasionally provide free housing and other benefits, which amounts to a saving of 4,000 or 5,000 baht extra per month. Being an English teacher abroad along with a TEFL certification proves to be of real advantage and it becomes easy to try and find work for a really reputed or respected institution in Thailand. One of the interesting facts is that once the locals know about a teacher at any prestigious institution, they will all want to study with him/her and will gladly agree to pay good amount for the opportunity. It is equally important to know that in Thai society, teachers are looked up to and can draw instant admiration and respect in public. Those who have years of teaching experience, Thailand is the perfect place to settle for a few years. With ample local and international school jobs, amazing benefits and a cheap cost of living, many teachers are often found to be moving to Thailand permanently.