Salary and Benefits

Owing to the irresistible lure of the beaches and the unmatched excitement assured, Phuket is almost always brimming with visitors. And adding on to this appeal is the fact that there isn’t even dearth of good EFL teaching jobs. Phuket market is generally flooded by TEFL graduates vying to extend their exotic stay on the island. Simultaneously, there are the backpackers who stream in stay on. Therefore, the competition for good jobs is intense.

But this should be borne in mind that even relatively good teachings jobs pay less and are comparatively hard to acquire. Getting a work permit can also be problematic and there's a good possibility that you will be working illegally, at least to begin with. Teaching jobs in Phuket doesn’t assure a financially lucrative career but is ideal to support your temporary stay here.

For full-time jobs at a Thai school, salaries range from 20,000 baht to 35,000 baht per month with October and April usually as off sessions. This paid vacation differs from school to school and needs to be obtained through hard negotiation. In addition to the ‘gap months’ teachers will have paid leave for Thai holidays, which are quite numerous and scattered all over the calendar.

In Phuket, the standard rate for private lessons is about 400 baht per hour per student. This decreases with the increase in number of students.

Pay at language schools is usually around 250 baht per hour. The sessions are usually in evenings and weekends when the students are out of their regular schools.

Phuket Community College pays about 150 baht per hour (in 2003 with no work permit provided). Some EFL chains on the island also pay B220 an hour approximately, but without work permit again.

Prince of Songla University has a campus on Phuket. There is a Rajabhat and other two-year colleges. The government schools pay the same wages as everywhere else. The others tend to pay even less.

The better hotel jobs typically pay around B30,000+ a month with a work permit included and some expect a 45-50 hour five-and-a-half-day work week. A few pay in the mid- to high- B30’s, but they are rare.

Two International schools on the island, British Curriculum School and QSI pay better wages, but tend to hire from overseas and expect the same credentials that would be expected for teaching in the public schools back home. Dulwich is a true international school and can get you close to B80-90,000, but is quite selective. Kajon Kiet Suksa School pays B20-25,000. Some of the EFL language schools farm their teachers out to the local public schools have them teaching at 3-5 schools, sometimes all over the island, with no compensation for time or transportation.