Salary and Benefits

Salaries at Thai schools depend on the type of institution (public or private) and the level of instruction (secondary or post-secondary). The average pay is about 30,000 baht (roughly £420 or $730).Salaries are usually paid monthly, on the last day of the month, although some firms pay twice a month. While most schools will pay via direct credit into the bank account, there are some schools that will pay via cheque. Some schools offer different salaries / packages for local hires and those hired from abroad. The teachers recruited from abroad may get a better salary and in many cases they will get their return airfare paid for. This is more predominant in the international schools than in any other sector of the industry.

For the universities, pay package ranges from 40,000 to 60,000 baht a month, and more sometimes including benefits such as housing. In the International Schools salary would range from 45,000 to 80,000 baht per month without housing allowance. The actual salary amount depends upon the school and the number of subjects the teacher is able to teach other than English. Bilingual & Trilingual Schools usually has to offer between 36-45,000 baht a month plus paid holidays and a bonus after contract completion. The bonus varies by school but is typically close to one month's salary. The pay at a government school is 20,000 baht to 35,000 baht. One of the bonuses of working at these Government or Thai High schools is that the food at the cafeteria where the kids eat is also available to the teachers. Food in the schools is always very cheap and like all Thai food, it's usually pretty good. Another perk at these schools is internet usage as most Thai schools are now connected to the internet so you can spend lunch time or other quiet times catching up on emails. A full-time job (about 50 minutes a period from 8:30 – 3:30 hours Monday – Friday) at a Private School generates a monthly income ranging between 35,000 – 45,000 baht in Bangkok. In Language Schools salary would range from 35k – 40k baht/month in noted institutions to 25k – 30k baht in less discriminating schools in multiple locations and further less in ‘garbage schools’ of remarkably poor standard and ethics.

The market is quite negotiable provided the teacher is qualified, experienced, young and perhaps most importantly, well presented. Some of the language schools are into profit making and are ready to cough up handsome pays if the get a taste of the four magic ingredients mentioned above. Timing also comes into it. The best way through is to joke, have fun to reach the goal- figuring on getting 10 - 25% more than the initial offer.

Some companies provide medical insurance whereas the other doesn’t varying from school to school. The two most common medical insurance policies with English teachers seem to be those from either Blue Cross or AIA. There are several different medical insurance policies offered. Some have maximum coverage ranging from 15,000 baht per claim up to 600,000 baht.

There are some mighty good fringe benefits associated with being an English teacher in Thailand. First of all, in Thai society, teachers are looked up to, admired and respected. The level of respect is determined by factors like the teacher’s presentable bearing and appearance in the school. Some schools take training seriously and may even organise training sessions and seminars in resorts, with everything paid for.