Teach English Abroad In Thailand

Requirements and Qualifications

• Degree

  Bachelor's degree or higher required.

• TEFL Certification

  A minimum 120 hours accredited TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certification approved and internationally accredited.

• Tattoos

  Minor, visible tattoos are possible on this program but must be disclosed at signup and handled on a case-by-case basis. 
  
  No visible tattoos of Buddha.

• Age Requirements

  Eligible age range is 21 to 55 years old.
  
  Those ages 56 - 59 can be screened and accepted on a case-by-case basis. 

• Medical and Mental Health Considerations

  Medical test required? 
  Yes. For work permit
  
  Medical Disqualifiers
  Speech impediment
  Autism
  Walking with cane
  Legally blind or deaf
  Dyslexia
  Chronic dizziness
  Schizophrenia
  
  Conditions Require Discussion with Xplore before Approval
  HIV
  Bipolar
  Epilepsy
  Depression
  Cancer
  Anxiety
  
  Notes
  All listed conditions with the exception of HIV require a doctor’s note.
  
  If taking any medication for mental health, must have doctor’s note. 

• Dependents and Pets

  It is possible on a case-by-case basis to travel with dependents (spouse/partner/children) on the Thailand program.
  
  NOTE: We cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred or logistics in relation to their dependent, including but not limited to: Food, Schooling, Child Care, Visa, or Transport.
  
  Pets Thailand: 
  It is possible to bring Pets on the program however we discourage participants from traveling with a pet. If choosing to do so, the participant must bear all responsibility, logistics, and costs. We are unable to arrange or manage your entry into the country with a pet, nor can we guarantee support for pets at your placement. Moreover, bringing a pet may limit your placement and accommodation options, as finding suitable accommodations could become more challenging. It might also significantly increase your start-up costs.
  
  We can organize transport from the airport to orientation for an additional cost of 2,500 THB. The participant will need to find their own accommodation.

• Religious Attire and Garments

  Religious garments (hijaabs) may be reviewed and accepted on a case-by-case basis. 
  
  Note: You will need to be flexible with placements.

• Criminal Background Check

  Clean background checks. Minor offences can be reviewed for acceptance on a case-by-case basis.

• Language And Country Of Citizenship

  This program is only open citizens (passport holders) from the following 7 nationalities: 
  USA
  Canada
  UK
  Ireland
  Australia
  New Zealand
  South Africa
  
  Non-native speakers 
  Can be screened and accepted as long as they come from Central / South America, East or West Europe, Russa, Turkey. They must have at least a C1 level of English to be placed in a paid teaching job. Must see an intro video at signup to confirm eliglibility.

• Contract Length

  One semester (5 months) or for 1 year (12 months) (renewable).

• School Types And Placements

  Public Schools and Private Schools.

  
  70% chance of placement at public schools, 30% chance of placement at private schools

• Teaching Subjects And Topics

  Teaching English Only OR homeroom teacher teaching multiple subjects in English. Participants must be open to teaching multiple subjects. 

• Placement Locations

  Top locations are; Bangkok; Trang; Sukhothai; Ubon & Chonburi. 

  Teachers can work in urban & rural areas and also big & medium sized towns.
  
  No one is placed in a rural area unless specifically requested.
  
  Preferences are requested but placement location is NOT Guaranteed.

• Working Hours

  40 working hours per week (17-25 hours of teaching). The rest of the time is grading, meetings, and lesson prep.
  
  Saturdays and Sundays are off each week (no weekend work),

• Class Size

  Public Schools: 30 - 50 (sometimes have a co-teacher), on average, classes range from 25 - 35 students.

• Hiring Seasons

  No positions starting in March, April, or October because of long school breaks. Any other month of the year is good!
  
  Hiring season usually goes from early May to early September, and also from early November to February.

• Visa Support

  Thailand Tourist Visa, Visa Exemption or Non-immigration B Visa:
  
  Arrive on a tourist visa, visa exemption, or Non-B visa. The in-country team will confirm. Visa type will depend on nationality, program length, and intake date. Please wait for the go-ahead from us to apply for your visa. We will send you a visa application guide and give you the green light to apply for the visa 1-2 months before your intake.

  1. Arrive on visa exemption or tourist visa. Initial 60 days, can be extended one time for 30 days. Extension costs ฿1,900.
  
  2. Will switch to a Non-B visa once at school with school paperwork. Will do a visa trip.
  
  Visa Trip: length - average 3-4 business days
  
  Est. visa trip costs - $300 - $500

• Housing

  Housing Onsite TESOL - If you are taking TESOL in Thailand, we pay for your accommodation in a shared room. Utilities not included.
  
  Housing during Orientation week if you have taken online TEFL Plus or already have your TEFL, we pay for your accommodation in a shared room and utilities are included.
  
  Housing once at Placement - It's common for landlords to ask for the first month's rent and 1 to 2 months of rent as a deposit. Rent is inexpensive, usually $150 - $300/month.
  
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  Health Insurance - teachers should purchase travel insurance that covers them for the duration of their contract in Thailand
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  Accommodation Assistance: After accepting a placement, the placement team can review accommodation options in the area.

• Online Culture And Language Course and Onsite Orientation Week

  Online Thailand Cultural Foundation Course (40 hours): Interactive course. Course materials are included. Topics include Thai History, Culture, Language, Living and Working, Diversity. 
  
  One Week Culture, Language Orientation: In-class one week culture and language program upon arrival in country, including:
  
  -Temple visit and meditation
  -Visit to Rescue P.A.W.S.
  -Muay Thai class
  -Cooking class
  -Market tour 
  -Beach welcome dinner
  -Classroom sessions on diversity in the local context
  -Teacher workshop
  -Workshop on how placement works
  -Teaching practicum session in a local school

• Other Important FAQs

  1) What is living expense per day?
  It’s best to plan on ฿100 a meal and that includes drink; however, local Thai food can range from ฿30-฿60.

  
  2) Do schools provide lunch?
  Some do but not all.  This will depend on each individual employer and their policy.

  
  3) What is the cost of transport?
  Taxis can range from ฿60-฿200 for a 15-30 minute trip. Motorbike taxi is roughly ฿50. Songtaews are the cheapest option for transport. In most places songtaews will have a set route and can cost anywhere between ฿10 – ฿30 per trip.

  
  4) Is transportation from my accommodation to work included?
  Some schools will assist teachers with transportation but this is very rare. However, public transport in Thailand is very good. 

  
  5) How safe is it?
  Like anywhere else it is recommended that you remain alert; however, Thailand is a relatively safe place for both men and women to be alone. 

  
  7) What are the age groups I will be teaching?
  Anything from kindergarten to high school. While we do try to meet individual preferences, we cannot guarantee that you will be placed with the age group of your choice.

  
  8) What are the working hours? And days per week?
  You should expect to be at school for 8 hours per day, but you will only have about 4-5 “in class” hours though. In most cases you will work a regular Monday to Friday, 7:30AM to 4PM with an hour for lunch. There may be times when you are asked to participate in events or activities outside of these hours.

  
  9) Are there sports after school that you have to attend or teach?
  This will depend on your school. In most cases, teaching activities out with work hours is voluntary, however they do have concerts, cultural festivals and after school activities every now and again that you will be expected to attend. 

  
  10) After my contract can I still travel in the country or do I need to leave straight away?
  You can stay as long as you like as long as you have a job and you maintain a legal visa status.

  
  11) Can I renew my working contract and visa without leaving the country?
  It’s possible but you’re much more likely to have to do a visa trip.

  
  12) How long is the working visa valid for?
  It depends. Typically, 6 months or 1 year depending on length of contract.

  
  13) What type of visa will I be arriving on?
  It depends on the country of residence.  For some countries (UK, South Africa), it is very unlikely you will receive a non-immigrant B in your home country. Participants who are unable to obtain a Non-B visa should come to Thailand with a tourist visa. 

  
  14) Are there organized activities during evenings and weekends?
  You evenings and weekends will usually be your own. XploreAsia do hold meet ups for teachers throughout Thailand at different throughout the year. These meet ups are a great we to meet up with old friends and meet new people who are in your area.

  
  15) Will I receive any language lessons? How will I understand my students?
  During your orientation week and TESOL course you will have several Thai language lessons to get you started. One of the key things to remember in your classroom is to gesture your directions. You may find that your students have a lower proficiency of English than you were expecting, but overtime you will learn to communicate with your students and colleagues.

  
  16) Where is the best place to work?
  This will differ from person to person. There are no bad places to work as every person has their own preferences. We find that there are tremendous benefits to working in both rural and urban areas.

  
  17) What is possibility of second job to make more money?
  Many of our teachers take on extra work to build up their monthly income. In some cases, people are able to double their income with extra work on the side.  This can be negotiated through your employer or done privately and usually for English tuition.

  
  18) How are the authorities?
  The authorities are genuinely helpful and professional.  They should be treated with respect as in your own home country. 

  
  19) Medical services and insurance?
  We require that participants be fully insured in Thailand with travel insurance for the duration of their stay. This must be arranged prior to as obtaining insurance once you have left your home country can be difficult and expensive.  The insurance that schools may provide is too basic to provide good quality medical care. 

  
  20) What is phone and Internet connectivity like?
  WIFI can be spotty all over Thailand so we recommend getting a larger data plan on your phone in case you need to hot spot your other devices. Phone connectivity is really good and cheap and there are many places to assist you with this process. XploreAsia will provide you with a Thai SIM card upon arrival and will help get you up and running within the first two days of the course.

  
  21) Can non-native speakers participate in the course and placement? 
  We can accept candidates from other countries and EU passport holders; however, they will often be difficult to place and will almost certainly take us longer to place. Thailand has restrictions on what countries they are currently offering work permits to, but exceptions can be made which are subject to each employer’s relationship with the Authorities. For this reason, participants need to be open minded and flexible with their placement preferences.

  
  22) What if you are unhappy in a job? Can you get a new one?
  Yes, but we don’t often find this to be a problem. If the applicant really dislikes the job and they have a good reason, then we can help move them. But they need to understand that this can take time, and we ask that they be patient and flexible.

  
  23) What us the dress code for teaching?
  Men are expected to wear smart trousers and a collared shirt. Depending on the school you may also be required to wear a tie. Women are expected to where a skirt and a smart shirt or blouse or a dress. Some schools may permit women to wear trousers. The dress code varies depending on the school but you should plan to dress to impress.

  
  24) How difficult is the TESSOL course? Can I fail?
  Yes, you can fail. However, the XploreAsia staff continuously monitoring applicant’s progress and should they feel that an applicant requires additional support it will be offered to them to ensure that they are able to pass the course.

  
  25) Must the teachers have CV’s?
  Yes. Your CV should be added to the XploreAsia template and sent to XploreAsia ahead of your arrival in Thailand.

  
  26) Are there any serious laws they are very strict on?
  Thailand has a zero tolerance on drug possession and speaking negatively about the Royal Family.  

  
  27) Can couples be placed together?
  This can be done, but not always at the same school. The schools may be within the same town. For participants travelling in couples or friends, they need to be extremely flexible and open to placement location.

  
  28) What is the level of English and behavior of students?
  This will vary city to city; however, there is typically beginner knowledge of English throughout the country.  Thai students are generally well behaved.

  
  29) What curriculum will they follow at school?
  There is no set curriculum; each school will have their own curriculum and procedures.

  
  30) Will my colleagues speak English?
  Yes.  Sometimes only limited English though.

  
  31) Will I work with any special needs children?
  Yes, probably, but they won’t necessarily be classified as such.  They will just be in your normal classes.

  
  32) What are the chances of schools deducting security money? And how does this work? 
  Schools may sometimes hold a small portion of salary in escrow until the end of the contract to dissuade teachers from leaving in the middle of a school term.  This is, however, a rare policy.

  
  33) What are the expected deductions from your paycheck? Does is differ from school to school? Yes, some schools take off tax at 3%. But normally they don’t take off tax for the first year. 

  
  34) Will I get paid overtime?
  No.

  
  35) What are the chances of getting a salary increase?
  If you do a good job there is potential to get a pay rise or a resigning bonus.

  
  36) What are the chances of teaching English in neighboring countries?
  We work with several other countries in Asia and we can help participants who are interested in teaching elsewhere get started.

  
  37) Is all paperwork and books supplied by the school?
  Yes, most of the time, but not all the time.

  
  38) When are the school holidays?
  Typically, Thai government schools have a month holiday in October and two months in March-April.

  
  39) What is the big difference between language schools, private schools, government schools and varsity?
  Starting times and salaries vary.  Also, they have different holidays.  Language schools typically do not have long holidays.

  
  40) Can participant choose part or full time?
  Most of our positions are full time.

  
  41) Is religion a big issue?
  No, however it is important to be respectful at all times of other religions.

  
  42) What happens if you lose your job? Can you get a new one?
  If you are fired due to poor conduct, XploreAsia will no longer help with placement.

  
  43) Are you expected to work during school holidays?
  Not normally, however your school may ask you to participate in an English camp or activities camp of some kind.

  
  44) Can you drink tap water?
  It is recommended not to drink the tap water, as there can be bacteria our bodies are unfamiliar with. Bottled water is cheap and it’s safer to go buy a bottle. But if you happen to get a mouth full brushing your teeth, etc., there’s no need for concern.

  
  45) Would XPLOREASIA prefer it if a participant completes the TESOL course online or upon arrival in Thailand?
  The in-class TESOL provides significant benefits as opposed to the online version. Depending upon your situation, XploreAsia strongly suggest participation in the in-class TESOL. Below are some benefits of the in-class TESOL that would not be applicable to the online format:
  •        Thai culture and Thai lessons 
  •        Network of friends 
  •        Thai children are unique, practical training gives the applicant an opportunity to get to know how to work with Thai students. 
  •        Volunteering in Thailand with our non-profit English Camp, a great experience! And looks great on a teacher's resume. 
  •        Gets participants very comfortable to teach in Thailand.