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Teaching English in Thailand--part 2.

© Jonathan Griffiths

What is the best way to find a teaching job in Thailand? One possibility is to search beforehand. The best tool for this is the internet. Two good sites to help you find opportunities are Dave's Esl Cafe and Ajarn.com (the Thai word for teacher)Most schools, however, will not hire teachers without first meeting them. The best way to find a job, therefore, is from inside the country. Before you arrive, prepare yourself fully. Print up plenty of copies of your resume. Bring and make copies of any teaching qualifications. Those who plan on staying in Thailand for an extended period will also need an original and copies of their undergraduate diploma. Immigration requires this document to process a work permit.

Before you leave you should also decide what kind of establishment you want to work in. There are several options. I will list four. First, you could try a language school. These privately-run schools are probably the easiest in which to find work. However, many of these schools will make teachers work long hours, with little training, and a low salary. Teachers are usually contracted out to other schools and companies. You could find yourself teaching kindergarten, high school, at a private company, or in-house. Often, there is a fair amount of travel involved. Before you sign any contract, be sure to talk to teachers who are working for that school. If you are not permitted to do so, it is probably better to look elsewhere. Some of the major language schools in Bangkok are ECC , Siam Institute, Nava Language School , and A.U.A.

A second option is to teach at an international school. These prestigious schools teach the children of rich business people and expatriates. You will often have children from all over the world in your classes. These lucrative jobs usually require teachers who are trained in education. Check the following link for a list of schools .

A third possibility is to teach at a university. Thailand has a number of universities of varying quality. Most of these universities employ foreign teachers in their English departments. Advantages of teaching at a university are the low number of hours, freedom to devise one's own syllabus, and the prestige it offers. A disadvantage is the low salary (higher at private universities). However, teaching at a university will often lead to many requests for private tutoring (see below for more details). Most university jobs require at least a bachelor's degree and experience. Often a master's degree, not necessarily in education, is required. Check out a list of universities .The most prestigious universities include Chulalongkorn , Thammasat , Mahidol , and Chiang Mai University.