How to get a job teaching English in Bangkok [Updated for 2022]
Thailand is a popular place for English teachers and there is a lot of demand. While there are positions available all around the country, both in cities like Chiang Mai and smaller towns, the biggest number is in the capital, Bangkok. Courses like TEFL, TESOL and CELTA in Bangkok are also popular for those wanting to start teaching English in Bangkok, and those wanting to teach elsewhere in Thailand or South East Asia.
While Covid hit TEFL teachers all over the world hard, and many businesses closed, Thailand has now opened up again and thus TEFL in Bangkok has too and potential teachers are free to enter to look for work. There is now a high demand for English teachers in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand and it is a good time to start out there.
We taught in Bangkok twice, back in 2007 and in 2016-17, so if you are thinking of teaching English in Bangkok, here are some tips from people who have worked there.
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Types of jobs teaching English in Bangkok
Government schools in Bangkok
Most government schools in and around Bangkok employ English teachers to deliver language lessons to their students. You work directly for the school and take lessons with different classes each day. Class sizes in Thailand can be large, so you can expect 50 students in a class. There are two types of English classes – those on the Thai program and those on the English program. Students on the English program study most of their subjects in English and so have more English lessons per week. Those on the Thai program will only have a couple of English lessons in a week and will generally thus be lower level.
Your workday will be a typical school day and you will likely get weekends off. You will also get the school holidays off work, but not all schools will pay you during the holidays.
The Thai terms run from April to October, and then from October to February or March.
It’s possible to get a job for one semester in one of these schools (although you might not get a work permit). Read our post to find out more about this and other short term teaching jobs
Private schools in Bangkok
Private schools also employ TEFL teachers in Bangkok for their English classes. Since students have to pay for these schools, class sizes can be smaller. Some private schools are bilingual, so teach in both Thai and English. Again, you’ll work a normal Monday to Friday week with weekends off, and won’t have to work during school holidays.
In both Government and private schools you can also get a job teaching other subjects. In schools where subjects like science, maths and I.T are taught in English, English-speaking teachers with degrees or further in those areas are in demand to teach the subjects.
Jobs in private and Government schools in Thailand start at around 30,000 baht per month, although you can get much more with experience and the right contacts.
Universities in Bangkok
Teachers work at the various universities in Bangkok, either preparing students for degrees delivered in English, teaching on degrees in English or providing English lessons as an additional subject. Hours at universities tend to be low – around 12 per week, but the salaries are also low (less than 25,000 baht a month). Many teachers make up these salaries with extra lessons or private classes.
There are exceptions to this. Stamford University employs well-qualified and experienced teachers, both native and non-native, and pays well. Assumption University also pays better wages and gives you accommodation on campus. Both will recruit from abroad.
Teaching jobs in universities in Bangkok can be difficult to get at first because they tend to be in demand.
Language schools in Bangkok
There are language schools teaching English all over the city. Most teachers are employed on a part-time basis, although there are some that offer full-time contracts. Language schools teach all ages: after-school and weekend classes for children and teenagers, and group and 1:1 adult classes. Some specialise in preparation for exams such as the SATS (necessary for Thai students to attend some of the English medium university courses), TOEFL and IELTS. There are also a lot of business classes offered in offices around the city.
Work tends to be evenings and weekends, with some lessons during the day and you may have to do split shifts. If you work in businesses you may also have to travel around the city. You will work all year round.
Read English teacher Henry’s story of starting teaching at a language school in Bangkok.
Language school classes pay around 300-600 baht an hour, depending on experience. Once established, you can get more, particularly for business and exam classes.
Finding a job teaching English in Bangkok before you arrive.
It’s possible to find teaching jobs in Bangkok before you arrive. Some schools do recruit teachers from abroad. If you have a CELTA or Trinity TESOL certificate and two years experience you can get a job with the British Council from your home country. The full-time package for those recruited from abroad is good and includes flights, paid holidays and health insurance.
Read Pete’s story of how he started out teaching English and taught at the British Council in Bangkok.
Bell Education work with partner schools and recruit teachers from abroad to work on the English program in Assumption College (an English medium private school). Other schools and agencies will also organise teaching work for you before you get here. If you do that, make sure that you thoroughly research the school or organisation. A couple are reliable, but there are a lot of unscrupulous agencies out there, out to exploit new teachers.
If you are getting into TEFL, we strongly recommend reading our guide to common TEFL scams to protect yourself.
Finding a job teaching English after you arrive in Bangkok
A lot of people don’t organise work before they arrive, but just turn up and find something. Schools in Bangkok quite reguarly want to meet a teacher before they employ them, give them a face-face interview rather than on Zoom and perhaps see a demo lesson.
Your first place to start is the website Ajarn.com. As well as advice about teaching in Thailand, Ajarn (meaning ‘teacher’ in Thai) has an extensive and up to date jobs list. Schools, universities and language schools all post their vacancies here.
Facebook may also help you. There are several Facebook groups for teaching in Thailand, and schools and recruiters post there too. English Teaching Thailand and Teaching Jobs Thailand are just two.
Another strategy is to get off your computer and pound the pavement. Many shopping centres around Bangkok have ‘learning zones’ where you will find several language schools. You can see what floor they are on from the Centre Directory. Put your smart clothes on (don’t look like a backpacker!), print off copies of your c.v. and a covering letter and call into the various schools. Ask to see the director, but if he or she isn’t there, leave your documents for them to see later.
Hopefully some of the schools you contact through Ajarn, Facebook or by calling in will call you or send you an email inviting you to an interview. Again, wear your smart clothes, be polite and act like you would in any interview.
Read our advice on how to write a c.v and covering letter to get you that TEFL job.
Interested schools may ask you to do a demo lesson. They usually just want to see what you are like in front of a class, your classroom management skills, and overall, your personality. You will probably be given a topic for the demo, and maybe materials, and be told the age and level of the students.
Can you get a job teaching English in Bangkok as a non-native English speaker?
Absolutely. Yes. We worked with a guy from Iran, a Polish guy, an Indian and several Filipinas in Thailand. There are no visa restrictions regarding nationality for teaching in Bangkok. Many teachers work in
You will need to bring proof of your English level, ideally your TOEIC certificate.
For more advice on finding a job teaching English as a non-native English speaker
What you need to teach English in Bangkok
To teach legally in Bangkok you do need a degree. This seems to be because it’s a requirement of the teacher’ license that is connected to the work permit. People do teach in Thailand without a work permit. There are also ways to get one without a degree if a company employs you in a non-teaching role. I don’t want to advocate this as it might get you into trouble, but it is done.
If you have a degree, you need to bring it. Schools need it to apply for your non-immigrant visa. It is also useful to have it authenticated before you arrive. This means stamped and signed by a notary, and then sent to the Foreign and Commonwealth office in your home country. As this is the same process as you need for authenticaing documents for other countries, it’s worth doing.
You also don’t need to have a TEFL certificate to teach in Thailand. Many schools will ask for one, though, and you really should have had some training before you go into a classroom.
You can read our thoughts on teaching English certificates in this blog on what TEFL qualification to do:
CELTA in Bangkok
You can do a CELTA at International House in Bangkok and ECC in one month. This is a very intensive course but well worth it to learn how to be an effective teacher. The course includes teaching practice of Thai students, and you are observed by your tutors and given lots of feedback. We think it is much easier to start a TEFL job in Bangkok if you have already had some experience in the classroom. The courses start at various times during the year. At International House, the CELTA in Bangkok costs about $1600. They also offer a package which includes the CELTA course costs and accommodation in an apartment.
There is also a Trinity TESOL Certificate in Khao Yai national park, which sounds like an awesome place to study! The Trinity certTESOL is considered equivalent to the CELTA. It also takes four weeks and includes teaching practice of real students. The price is about $2600 including all accommodation and meals.
TEFL in Bangkok
There are also many other schools offering generic TEFL certificates in Bangkok, including some that will train you and then place you in a school. Some of these are courses which are available worldwide, and others are only found in Thailand. While there are some great courses out there, you need to be aware that if you take a TEFL in Bangkok that is only found in Thailand, it may not be widely accepted outside Thailand.
As I’ve said, you don’t need a TEFL certificate to teach English in Bangkok. While it would be the best idea to do a course where you get some practice in the classroom, it’s not possible for everyone. If you haven’t got the money and/or time to do a CELTA in Bangkok or even a TEFL course, you could do a TEFL course online. International TEFL and TESOL training have a range of online courses starting from $200 that will enable you to find teaching work in Bangkok. You can get 15% off by clicking on the advert below.
Another option is TEFL Pros. Whitney, the owner, taught in Thailand and the videos and materials you use during her course are all from Thai classrooms. Doing this course will give you an insight into Thai students. They give personal tutor feedback and support. They are also partnered with schools and so will be able to help you get placed in a job. You can also get the first two lessons for free if you want to try it out.
If you already have a TEFL certificate, of course, bring it to Bangkok. Again, this will be used to get your non-immigrant visa and work permit.
Visas for TEFL in Bangkok
Talking about visas, it’s a good idea to get a tourist visa before you arrive. Tourist visas give you 60 days in the country and then you can renew it for another 30 days. This gives you 90 days to get a job. Your work will then apply for a non-immigrant B visa for you. It’s supposed to be possible to do this within Thailand, but a lot of people go to the Thai Consul in Vientiane, Laos for this.
You can get a tourist visa at any Thai Embassy or Consul in any country. It doesn’t have to be your home country.
Make sure you have enough pages in your passport for all these visa stamps. Both the Thai and the Laos visas take a whole page. You can get a new passport in Bangkok, if necessary, though. Your passport also needs to be valid for at least another six months to be allowed into the country.
If you don’t get a tourist visa you will only get a 30-day stamp on arrival in Thailand. This can only be extended for a further 30 days, so doesn’t give you as long. Also, if you haven’t got a visa and you don’t have proof of a ticket out of Thailand or a return ticket, the airline may not let you on the plane.
For the visa, you may need a police check from your home country. This seems to depend on the consul you go to, and if you are teaching children or not. We didn’t need one this time, so for more information, see the very informative post from Thailand Starter Kit on Thai visas.
Insurance
A vital thing you need to arrange before you go is insurance. Don’t be one of those people who thinks “it won’t happen to me”. If you have an accident while you are here, you need insurance to pay for your healthcare and potentially to airlift you back home if it is serious. While healthcare is relatively cheap in Thailand, the cost of treatment for a serious condition will really mount up.
A good company is World Nomads, because you can extend the policy while you are abroad. You don’t know how long you are going to be working here so this helps.
Money
It goes without saying that you need to bring money. Even if you have a job arranged before you arrive, you’ll need to last the first few weeks before you get paid. You’ll also have things like the deposit and first months’ rent to pay for.
It costs 200 baht to get money out of the ATM in Bangkok. I wouldn’t suggest carrying a lot of cash over, but look into getting a bank account or card at home that allows you to fee-free withdrawals abroad, or at least low-cost ones. You don’t want to spend all of your hard-earned cash on bank charges. From the UK, we have Revolut and Starling cards.
Work Clothes
Otherwise, bring some smart clothes for teaching and interviewing and comfortable shoes. In Thailand, teachers tend to wear trousers and shirt for men, and trousers/skirt and shirt/top or a dress for women. Ties are not always necessary for men, but it’s a good idea to bring at least one. Some schools have other uniforms for different days, like sports kit and traditional Thai clothes, but you can sort all of that out when you get here.
I wrote a slightly tongue-in-cheek post about what to bring to Bangkok that you might want to read (it’s mainly about what you don’t need to bring, to be honest):
Finding somewhere to live in Bangkok
Bangkok is big, it’s very, very big and the traffic is dreadful. There are not only traffic jams at peak times, but also at random other times that don’t seem to make sense! Unless you want a massive commute, you want to live either close to where you are working, or on either the BTS or the MRT. The BTS Skytrain has two lines: Silom and Sukhumvit and the MRT metro two lines. Ideally, you don’t want to have to change lines, as the hub stations get busy.
If you don’t know where you are going to be working, then don’t look at renting an apartment long-term until you do.
When you first arrive, book a hotel or guesthouse for the first few days. Somewhere on the Sukhumvit BTS line or the MRT would be a good idea. I’d suggest somewhere either around Asok BTS/Sukhumvit MRT or Sala Daeng BTS/Silom MRT because they are the transport interchanges. You can easily hop on either mode of transport to get around. Another option is around Banglampu and the famous Khao San Road, where there are lots of cheap guesthouses.
Alternatively, get an Airbnb apartment on a short-term basis. You can rent them by the week or by the month. Try out one or two areas where you might like to live and try out the commute.
Once you have a fixed workplace, you can start looking for somewhere longer-term to live. You can rent an apartment on a tourist visa. There are two main ways to do this: through an agent and by just turning up at the building.
Most people coming to live in Thailand don’t speak enough Thai to rent an apartment, so they use English-speaking rental agents. Bangkok has loads. You can find them through websites like Renthub and Hipflat. There are many Facebook groups for expats in Bangkok where agents advertise their apartments, such as Bangkok Expats Classifed.
Another option is to find an area you like the look of that is easy to get to from your school, walk around and call into the reception of the condo buildings and ask if they have any vacancies. Apparently, the management office will have a list of vacant apartments and the landlords. We didn’t try this, so we don’t have direct experience of it, but we’ve heard of plenty of people who have. If you have a Thai speaking friend, it would be a good idea to take them with you to do this.
Most landlords will want you to sign a year contract. They don’t want to have to keep advertising and letting the same apartment. Some will let you negotiate a six month or maybe even three-month let. You’ll probably need to pay more rent if you do this though.
To move in, you will need to pay your first months’ rent and two months’ deposit.
If you are not sure how long you are going to be in Bangkok, you can also take over someone’s lease who is moving out. Since you can lose your deposit if you break a contract, people who need to leave Bangkok early advertise for a tenant to take over their apartment. You can find a lot in the Facebook groups mentioned above. There is even a group Bangkok – Take over my lease dedicated to just that.
Another idea is to find a room in a shared house or apartment with other people, either locals or expats. This has the added advantage of helping you meet new friends (assuming you like them!) as well as moving into a place that is ready stocked with furniture and gadgets and already has the utilities connectd. You can find people looking for roommates on the Facebook groups mentioned above, and on Craigslist.
Your first few days in Bangkok
Your first purchase should be a pay-as-you-go sim card for your phone. You can find them in some 7-11s, and on the IT floors of the big shopping malls like MBK, Terminal 21 and Fortune Town. You can also pick one up at arrivals at the airport. The main networks here are True, AIS and Happy. The cards come with various offers, and you can arrange packages for things like data. I found this blog which gives you a rundown of the types, packages and costs: Which mobile company should you choose in Thailand.
Obviously, to use a Thai sim card, your phone needs to be unlocked, so make sure you do that before you leave home. In the UK mobile operators will unlock a contract phone once your contract is up, and a pay-as-you-go phone for a small fee.
When you get online, download the app Line. This is the free call and messenger service that everyone uses here. It’s very similar to Whatsapp or Viber. Schools may want to use this to get in touch with you.
You are going to spend a long time on public transport in Bangkok, so get a travel card. Mangmoon is a card which covers all forms of transport. You buy the card and then just top it up with cash. Doing this removes the need to queue to buy tokens or one trip cards.
Bank accounts
It’s quite difficult to organise a Thai bank account until you have your work permit. While people do manage it, it will involve visiting lots of bank branches and asking until someone agrees. Alternatively, you can just wait until your work permit is processed. This can take several weeks, if not months, so like I said above, make sure you have a bank account from home that doesn’t charge you a fortune to take your money out.
Meeting people
Right, so you have a job and somewhere to live. It’s time to meet some people and set up your social life. Hopefully, there’ll be some nice folks where you work. Meetup is a great website for, well, meeting up. It’s basically a lot of groups people set up for a massive range of activities. In Bangkok alone there are hundreds of groups including yoga, chess, golf, life drawing, book clubs, role-playing, running and theatre. Then there are the groups simply for socialising. We wrote this blog on how to make friends abroad which might help.
We particularly like Bangkok Afterwork, which also has a Facebook group. Each month they hold an event at a bar around the city. You pay an entry fee, usually about 250 baht, and for that get a free drink and snacks and the chance to mingle with lots of other like-minded folks.
Another date for your diary should be Random Thainess. Again, they have a Facebook Page. Once a month, about six people give short talks about aspects of Thai culture, including why there is a wai, to becoming a monk and muay thai.
If you are female, Girls Gone International has a big following and lots of events. Other people we know say good things about Bangkok Young Expats Meetup.
For more FAQs about teaching in Thailand generally, Nina answers them very well in her post about how to teach English abroad in Thailand. She also has some useful and sometimes funny blogs on her experiences there!
Have fun teaching in Bangkok. It’s a great city to live in and there is a lot to do. If you have any more questions, just write a comment or send us a Facebook message and we’ll get back to you.
For more posts on teaching English all over the world and interviews with other TEFL teachers, see our Teaching English posts
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Teaching abroad is a wonderful experience – I’m going on 5 years in Germany! These are all great tips, many that can also apply to jobs in Europe! #feetdotravel
Oh that’s great. How is Germany? Would you like to write about it for us?
Guys, an awesome post! I was looking at teaching Korea but I have been to Bangkok many times and I absolutely love it so I know I would enjoy living and working there. Super super helpful tips and I have so many questions to ask you offline! Thanks for sharing and am saving this for later!
Feel free to message us through Facebook for more information.
I lived in Bangkok for around 10 years and loved it there. I never knew about the Facebook groups for meeting other expats. I go back at least twice a year for a few months so will definitely check them out.
Hi James, the Facebook groups may be a new thing, but they are huge right now, as is Meetup. What did you do in Bangkok?
Wow! What an extensive post with lots of great tips. I have a fellow teacher friend who has been teaching math in Thailand for the past 2 years. He loves it!
This is such a great guide to starting off teaching there! Wow, thank you for sharing this. It would be such an adventure to do this!!
Hi,
I am looking at a teaching job in Chiang Mai, Bangkok or Phuket. I love Thailand and would love to teach ESL to young learners.
My problem is I am over 60 now, retired but still need to work. Does anyone have an idea about getting a legitimate visa to work over age 60?
I don’t think there is an age limit to work permits in Thailand, so you should be fine. What did you do before you retired?
Hi Kate and Kris,
thanks for your very informative and helpful post. I would like to ask for your advice on my situation: I am a non-native English speaker, with IELTS academic 7.5, bachelor + several master degrees (not in education; one taught in English). I would like to work part-time for English language schools in Bangkok for a 2-3 months period, starting next month. Do you think I could easily find something? I’ve already sent some resumes and been asked to go for interviews, but as I am not there yet I couldn’t. I would like to have an idea of how is easy to find something once I am there.
Thanks a lot!
Mauro
You will have to be there to find work. Your issue will be with working legally. You won’t get a work permit for such a short time.
Thanks a lot for the reply. I was already aware about the work permit issues indeed, do you think I can easily find something part-time, even without all the paperwork?
Not legally, no. Illegally, you will be able to but be aware of the consequences of being caught.
Hi Kate and Kris, thanks for the awesome immensely informative blog.
My name is Joshua and I (Dutch nationality) have been teaching English conversation and IELTS for a little more than 4 years now in Jakarta, Indonesia.
All of this without(!) a bachelor degree and simply based on my TESOL certificate from LTTC (got it here as well).
Last holiday was the first time for me and wife (Indonesian) and kid (both nationalities) to be in Thailand (Hua Hin to be exact) and we loved every minute of it.
There are so many similarities between Hua Hin and Bali for example and people tell me that Bangkok is a lot like Jakarta.
Apart from being so similar cost of living is way cheaper out there in Thailand which is always a big plus.
Now we are seriously considering moving to Thailand and since the pay is way better I’m told Bangkok is the place for me to teach.
Do you guys have any tips for me and my specific situation? Do I need to get a degree first or can I get a degree in TESOL/CELTA over there while I teach? Does it make any difference that I have over 4 years experience in teaching Senior High conversation and IELTS?
Thanks a lot again for this ever so helpful blog and I’m looking forward to reading your reply.
Thanks for the compliments! To get a work permit for Thailand you need a degree, regardless of your experience. There are people working there without a degree, some of them have other ways to get the work permit. Is there a possibility for you to do a degree before moving to Thailand?
Hey Kate and Kris
My friend and I are concidering going to Asia, probably Thailand, to work for a bit. We are Danish and just graduated from university with a degree in communication and have absolutely no experience with teaching besides a few voluntary jobs in Central America and Africa.
Do you think there is a chance we could get a teaching job in Thailand even though we’re Danish and don’t have a degree? We’ve studied in Australia and are fluent in English..
Could you just clarify for me, you said you have just graduated from university but you don’t have a degree. You don’t need to have a Bachelor’s degree in teaching to teach English in Thailand, but you do need a degree in something. If you have this, then look for a TEFL course in Thailand. There are lots. Choose one with assessed teaching practice. Then you can look for a job. You’ll be fine getting a job if you are Danish, as long as you have great English. Send us a message on Facebook if you have more questions.
Hi Kate and Kris!
I am planning to move to Thailand for six months since I have a break in between my undergrad and doctorate program. I plan to move in January and stay until early August. From what I read, the schools are not typically in session during a lot of these months. Others have also said that it is easy to get a job year round. In your opinion, do you think I would be able to find a job during that time of the year? (January – August)?
Thanks so much. Your blog is soooo helpful!
Hi, You might be able to get some work in language schools, as they are year round. As you’ve heard, the Thai school terms are from October to February and April to October. You’ll need some sort of teaching qualification for that. There’s also the option of volunteering in a rural school somewhere if being paid is not an issue! Something to consider is that for 6 months, schools may not want to get a work permit or visa for you. Send us a PM on Facebook if you want some more help.
Thanks for the compliment! It means a lot!
Lovely place with great food. I really enjoyed my time there. Haven’t taught there yet but thinking I might after I leave my current position in Dubai. Is it easier to go and find work or apply before hand?
The majority of positions are filled from within the country.