TEFL Phuket News

Some of the more frequently asked questions from students making the transition to teaching life in Thailand.

Do I need degree to teach in Thailand?

We have a lot of students with this particular concern. When you research teaching in Thailand you are likely to come across the official standpoint which states that you need a degree to obtain a work permit. In fact, the reality is that it’s very possible to find work here legally. There is a shortage of English teachers in Thailand and this is reflected through the amount of people teaching here WITHOUT a degree certificate. Lots of students without degrees take the course each month and all have success finding work.

What type of Visa shall I enter Thailand with?

You have several options to choose from when it comes to acquiring a Thai visa, they are as follows:

The Education Visa: This allows you to enter Thailand for a period of 90 days on a one-way ticket. We are certified by The Thai Ministry of Education and once enrolled on the TEFL course we can process all the necessary paperwork for you to apply for the Ed Visa at your local Thai consulate in Thailand - Free of charge!

The 60 Day Tourist Visa: Does exactly what it says on the tin. You can apply for this in your home country and enter Thailand for… 60 days! You can actually extend the visa by 15 days for a small fee at the immigration office if needs be.

The Non-immigrant ‘O’ Visa: Just like the Education Visa, this allows you entry for up to 90 days to ‘seek work and/or visit family and friends.’ There is an advantage to taking this visa if you are considering taking some time out prior to starting your TEFL course as you can apply for a 12 month, multiple-entry, non-immigrant ‘O’ visa. This allows you to do a quick run over the boarder every 90 days and get a stamp for an additional 90 days.

The 30 Day Tourist Visa: This allows you entry for 30 days and you will receive the visa at immigration when you enter the Thai Kingdom. We do not actively encourage this type of visa as you may be asked to produce a ticket for your return journey out of Thailand.

Note: you can take the course on any visa and we will assist you in every way we can.

What’s the chance of me getting a job as soon as I’ve become TEFL certified?

In short… Great! The jobs market is full of English teaching positions and we encourage all our students to start looking for work as soon as they begin the course.  For a number of years there has been a lack of English teachers in Thailand and if you are diligent in your job search, you should have something lined up ready for when you graduate. We often see our students stepping out of the training classroom on the Friday and straight into the teachers staff room the following Monday. We’ll give you all the assistance we can; once enrolled you can make full use of our jobs board which has job postings for both Thailand and other countries throughout Asia. Our staff has years of experience working throughout Asia and will give you all the assistance you need. 

How much money shall I bring with me to Thailand?

In comparison to most of our students’ native countries, the cost of living in Thailand is greatly reduced. Excellent accommodation can be found from 6000 to 7000 baht (roughly about $200) per month. We advise you to bring a couple of months living expenses but as prices in Thailand are cheap, most people live comfortably on $900 per month (about 30,000 baht)

The prices quoted here are for life in Phuket:

1 kg of bananas = 20 baht

1 kg of mangoes = 45 baht

Papaya Salad, popular Thai dish = 30 baht

Larb Moo w/Rice, popular Thai dish = 50 baht

Can of Coke = 14 baht

Bottle of water = 10 baht

Beer at a 7/11 = 35 baht

Beer at a bar = 40 ‐ 100 baht

Sunbed on a popular beach full day = 100 baht

One‐hour Thai massage 250 ‐ 500 baht.

Rent for a private, cozy room with bath & aircon = 6,000 baht.

Rent for a small house with sitting room, porch/deck & aircon = 12,000 baht.

Motorbike rental = 3,000 baht.

So your total expense to live, eat, have transport and some fun will be between 15 and 25,000 baht each month.

You may find, as many others have, that there is opportunity to work a little privately as a tutor after school, should you wish to supplement your income.

You’ll be living and working in one of the world’s most desirable destinations with students from all around.

If you have any other questions… why not drop us a line?

Our TEFL graduates are finding English positions all over Thailand; it seems that Asia in general is crying out for people to fill this ever expanding gap in the market. The great benefit for our students is freedom; they have the freedom to change who they teach, where they teach and what they teach. Once you have some teaching experience, backed up with a TEFL certificate, pretty much the whole of Asia opens up to you.

Imagine if you will a country that relies heavily on its people’s ability to speak English and yet only a handful of natives actually speak it fluently. This is the current situation in Asia and this is where the gap in the market comes from. Businesses all over Asia need to converse internationally in English and to take Thailand as an example, they rely heavily on the tourist trade were communicating in English is a necessity for most of the hotels, restaurants, bars, transportation services, tour operators, hospitals… the list goes on - thus the demand for people to teach English. Business owners, parents and Thais looking to broaden their job opportunities realize the importance of learning English and a teacher in Asia is treated with the upmost respect.

With the teaching English job market at a high, students taking the TEFL course have more options than ever before in choosing what kind of teaching they would like to become involved in. The more traditional option, and probably the one with the greatest number of vacancies, is to teach at a school and both government and international schools are always on the look out for new English teaching staff. If you choose the route less travelled by, but one which still has plenty of opportunities, you might want to consider teaching to a different audience and working in a hotel. The teaching methodology is much the same but the interaction with the students is very different. Business English is yet another avenue you could explore, and then there is private tuition, were you have the option to design your own timetable. The great thing is that once you have taken all those fantastic experiences and memories on board from one particular place, you’re free to move on to the next exciting teaching escapade.