Do I need to bring the original degree certificates? Answer
Will a lack of degree rule me out? Answer
Will a master's degree in linguistics put me above everyone else? Answer
Is one of those 'life degrees' worth a gamble? Answer
I've no degree and no experience. Does this rule me out of teaching in Thailand? Answer

Will I be able to pick up part-time work just to get some experience? Answer
When is the best time to look for jobs? Answer
I'm a farang but look like a Thai. Why don't schools seem to want me? Answer
Despite sending my resume to dozens of employers, why am I getting no replies? Answer
What's my earning potential in Bangkok? Is 40,000 baht a month possible? Answer
Does Bangkok have the most job opportunities? Answer
Is doing corporate teaching a lucrative gig? Answer
Where can I observe some English lessons in progress? Answer

Is my school obliged to give me a copy of my contract? Answer
Is there a benefit to doing say an 8-month or 10-month contract? Answer
What are the consequences of breaking a contract? Answer
Where can I teach once I have the little blue work permit book? Answer
Is it possible to get a work permit for a part-time job? Answer
How much notice do I need to give a school when I want to quit the job? Answer
Do schools pay air-fare if you sign a one-year contract? Answer
Should the school pay for the cost of a work permit? Answer
Should the school pay for the cost of a visa run?  Answer
Why are there so many horrible teacher agencies out there?  Answer
Do teachers keep their teachers license after they leave their current employer or does it get cancelled like the work permit? Answer
Is there such a thing as a teachers blacklist? Answer
 

What do female teachers wear? Answer
Do schools offer decent health insurance? Answer
What kind of resume works best? Any resume writing tips? Answer
Will Thailand like my long hair? Answer
Is a foreign teacher allowed to hit children? Answer
Why is ajarn.com aimed chiefly at English native speakers? Answer
I need to swot up on my grammar so what books would you recommend? Answer
Are the streets of Chiang Mai paved with gold for a teacher? Answer
Is voluntary work easy to find? Answer
Is hotel teaching work easy to find? Answer

Is getting a TEFL certificate a wise idea?  Answer
Is an on-line TEFL certificate worth doing? Answer
Why are on-line TEFL courses so much cheaper? Answer
What qualifications do you need to enrol on a TEFL course? Answer
Does ajarn.com recommend any particular TEFL course? Answer

What visa do I need to apply for a work permit and teacher's licence? Answer
Do you need to hand in your work permit and surrender your one-year visa once you quit a job? Answer
What kind of visa do I need? Answer

Once I'm in Thailand, what's the best way to start as regards a job-hunt? Answer
Should I fix up a job before I leave home or get one there? Answer
Is it difficult for a husband and wife or a 'couple' to find work at the same school? Answer
Can I teach in Thailand without knowing any Thai language? Answer
What are the perils and pitfalls of renting a house or an apartment? Answer  
What's the ideal age for a teacher in Thailand? Answer
 

Do I need to bring the original degree certificates?
The straightforward answer is yes, you do need to bring the original certificates. The Ministry of Education in Bangkok not to mention countless employers, will certainly want to see the originals. You may (and I stress the word may) get away with photocopies in some places, but it's not really worth the risk. Bring your originals. The frame as well if you have to.

Will a lack of degree rule me out?
It's true that things have got a lot tighter in Thailand over the past twelve months or so and many employers are now insisting on a degree certificate because it's become by and large a legal requirement. There are still options open to you though if you don't have a degree. Quite a number of colleges and universities don't require a degree and it might be said that a number of private language schools will overlook the lack of a formal qualification. Shop around and see what's out there.

Will a master's degree in linguistics put me above everyone else?
With your qualifications I can't for the life of me think why you are considering Thailand when the salaries are going to be far better in other countries but possibly making money is not your main objective. You might try and set up a job with one of the proper and better paying international schools before you get here, but if you take a look at the ajarn jobs board, you'll see that a 30-40,000 baht job is exactly that - you won't get more because you have a masters degree. On another note, you'll find that quite a few farang directors and recruiters (in Bangkok especially) won't exactly drop to their knees and beg you to join the teaching staff. Very often teachers with an MA in linguistics tend to be theorists rather than good facilitators of an energetic, communicative language lesson.

Is one of those 'life degrees' worth a gamble?
You would certainly be taking a gamble, especially if you came up against a farang recruiter who knows exactly what those life degrees are about. You may get lucky and the person interviewing you could be so desperate for teachers that he/she doesn't care how you obtained the degree, but I think you can forget it for the better jobs. These life degrees are not difficult to check up on. You just bang the name of the university into a search engine and viola! Not worth the risk in my opinion....and they're quite expensive as well aren't they?

I've no degree and no experience. Does this rule me out of teaching in Thailand?
I think we have to look at things in black and white here. You're certainly at the bottom of the pile. You will find work for sure simply because it's a teacher's market right now - but you can forget the better-paying jobs as things stand.

Will I be able to pick up part-time work just to get some experience?
I don't think you'll have any problems at all. There really is something for everyone over here in Thailand at the moment and there are many many schools or perhaps kindergartens that are just desperate to get a farang body in the classroom. Keep your eye on the ajarn.com job ads, especially the private language schools who might be looking for someone to teach a few hours 'here and there'.

When is the best time to look for jobs?
The best time to look for jobs as regards there being the most choice is certainly April and May with October a fairly close second. The worst months are December and January. Don't let that put you off doing a job search any time of the year though. There is always a demand for decent teachers.

I'm a farang but look like a Thai. Why don't schools seem to want me?
It's all about changing the mindset of the employers, particularly the Thais. Many Thai school owners tend to have a pre-conceived idea about what a farang teacher should look like. It's all about finding a school that will give you 'a chance'. They are out there - you just haven't found one yet. Once you get into the classroom and do your thing, and the students warm to you and recognise your qualities, you'll be fine. How does the saying go - you might need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince.

Despite sending my resume to dozens of employers, why am I getting no replies?
It could be one of several reasons but I'll give you the main two. Firstly, do you actually match the requirements? You'd be surprised how many applications schools get from teachers who clearly don't fit the position and in many cases didn't read the job ad carefully enough. The second reason is that generally - and Thai admin staff aren't going to thank me for saying this - but they suck at handling e-mail enquiries. It's got so bad that very rarely do I communicate with any Thai person by e-mail full stop. I don't know what it is about Thais and e-mail but even my wife agrees that they are extremely poor in answering e-mails in a timely manner - and my wife is Thai! When it comes to weighing up e-mail versus a phone call.......get dialling!

What's my earning potential in Bangkok? Is 40,000 baht a month possible?
Your earning potential is whatever you want it to be. You can certainly pull in 40,000 baht in Bangkok. How hard are you willing to work? You could do an 8-4 Monday to Friday gig for 35,000. A couple of private students twice a week maybe giving you another 8-10,000 baht a month. Much time off for yourself? no. Will you burn out in six months? possibly. Your earning potential is directly linked to how hard you're willing to work or rather how many hours you're willing to do.

Does Bangkok have the most job opportunities?
Yes, Bangkok has the most TEFL positions on offer and it certainly offers the best salaries, but there are plenty of options outside Bangkok for people who can't stand life in the big city (and there are plenty of folks in that group)

Is doing corporate teaching a lucrative gig?
Corporate teaching is now paying as much as 600-800 baht an hour at some places so it can sound very attractive, however; very few teachers succeed at becoming 'full-time corporate teachers'. The very nature of the beast dictates that most companies want their staff to study a couple of times a week in the evening so corporate teaching is often the icing on the cake to supplement your full-time salary from elsewhere. Exceptions to the rule would be hotel teaching and those opportunities where a company will employ someone as a full-time 'in-house' teacher. This kind of position can realise a salary of up to 70,000 baht a month for a bit of teaching, proofreading, editing, etc. These in-house jobs aren't that easy to find though and often get filled through word-of-mouth.

Where can I observe some English lessons in progress?
Your best bet is to ask at the school where you are thinking of working. No reasonable employer would refuse someone the opportunity to sit at the back of a class and get a feel for how things work.

Is my school obliged to give me a copy of my contract?
For sure they are. And I always went through contracts with a toothcomb with extra fine teeth. You should be given time to look over the contract carefully and to raise any points that you are not sure about. OK you don't want to earn the reputation of a troublemaker before you've even set foot in a classroom but it's important to let your employer know that you don't take contracts lightly. I've seen teachers whip out a biro and sign their name before you can say "what do you mean I'm not entitled to the annual bonus". Take your time reading a contract. It can save you a lot of headaches further down the line.

Is there a benefit to doing say an 10-month or 11-month contract rather than the standard twelve?
The 11-month contract is often the scourge of the English teacher in Thailand. It's a way for schools to get rid of you for a month, unpaid of course, when the students are on school holidays. So you lie on a beach or stay holed up in your apartment without any wonga going in your back pocket. Look for the 12-month contracts that pay a nice bonus upon completion. They're the contracts to go for.

What are the consequences of breaking a contract?
It depends on the relationship you have with the school. Yes, you do hear rumors of schools threatening teachers with deportation and immigration blacklists if they break contracts, but in truth it very rarely happens. It's usually the school owner losing a bit of face so he reacts by throwing his toys out of the pram. I couldn't tell you the name of one single teacher who's been fitted up with concrete boots either. If you have to break the contract, then you'll have to go ahead and break it but do so as a last resort. Of course, if you're a very average teacher or known as a person who upsets the harmony of the teacher's room, the school will probably be happy to see you go anyway.

Where can I teach once I have the little blue work permit book?
The standard blue work permit book only covers you to work at the location stated in the book. Many language schools who send teachers out to do corporate work, are (or were) blissfully ignorant of this law and although they were very isolated incidents. I have heard of one or two teachers getting into trouble for working 'off-site'. However, about a year ago I got an e-mail from an ajarn reader who told me that if an employer goes to the Ministry of Labor and fills in a WP.7 form and hands over a few hundred baht, they can effectively turn an ordinary work permit into a roaming one. I've not personally heard of anyone doing it but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

Is it possible to get a work permit for a part-time job?
It depends on the definition of part-time. There are more and more 'part-time' positions becoming available in deals that invariably include a work permit - mostly at Thai government and secondary schools etc. If you are working a few hours a week at a private language school, I would say it's highly unlikely you would secure a work permit. Most private schools want a teacher to commit to full-time work before they go to the hassle of obtaining your little blue book. As usually the key expression is 'in general'

How much notice do I need to give a school when I want to quit the job?
Usually the notice period is one month and that seems to be a Thailand standard. I have heard of some teachers being asked to notify the school three months in advance but that's just plain daft.

Do schools pay air-fare if you sign a one-year contract?
Thailand is not Korea or Japan. Very very few employers pay for air-fare regardless of how long you sign up for.

Should the school pay for the cost of a work permit?
In my opinion every school should pay for the costs of the work permit, visa and teaching licence but sadly many still don't. We're not talking about a great deal of money here and making the teacher pay for this stuff themselves always smacks of penny-pinching.

Should the school pay for the cost of a visa run?
I've never heard of a school reimbursing a teacher for the cost of a visa run but there might be one or two out there. You might get the cost of the actual visa back but you'd be working for the greatest employer in Thailand if you got reimbursed for train tickets, beer and that nice little dark-skinned companion you found in Vientiane. She sure showed you where you could file your application. 

Why are there so many horrible teacher agencies out there?
Almost anyone can set up a teacher agency and provide teachers to schools. Many schools just don't know where to turn in their quest to hire foreign staff so enter the agent who promises them the world and delivers someone who looks every inch the quintessential foreign teacher. I'm not tarring all agencies with the same brush here. Some agencies do care about the teacher's development and progress and check on things from time to time, but for too many agencies, all they seem to be interested in is taking a cut of the teacher's pay.

Do teachers keep their teachers license after they leave their current employer or does it get cancelled like the work permit?
Part of the teacher's licence paperwork might certainly be kept by the employer or even the employee, but the question is 'do I need to start the whole teacher's licence / work permit process again when I start a new job and unfortunately the answer is yes.

Is there such a thing as a teachers blacklist?
Ah that old chestnut. The teachers blacklist. Who is it shared by? Who inputs the information? Does the thing even exist? I've had a few e-mails down the years from teachers who seem to think they are on some mysterious blacklist without ever having seen it. There may well be a blacklist of some sort that's shared between a specific group of schools who operate under the same umbrella, but there's nothing further reaching than that. For a network of unrelated schools to get together and compile a blacklist, it would mean designating a member of admin staff for each school to work closely together. That's just way beyond the capabilities of your average admin department I'm afraid so it isn't going to happen. You do hear of teachers being threatened with the blacklist by irate school owners, especially if the teacher has broken a contract and left the school in the shit. But they are generally very idle groundless threats.  

What do female teachers wear?
If you haven't already done so, then check out our Julia's journey article, where we tracked the progress of a British female teacher as she prepared for life in Thailand. This article has a fairly large section devoted to what women should wear in the classroom.

Do schools offer decent health insurance?
Schools usually offer only the most basic of health insurance packages. If you want something a little better, then you might be better paying your own way. Ajarn.com has plenty of information on health insurance and even an ajarn.com group policy under the expert supervision of our very own Tony Dabbs. Start by reading this article if you want to know more about health insurance for foreigners in Thailand.

What kind of resume works best? Any resume writing tips?
Keep it simple. Employers are interested in your qualifications and what experience you have in the TEFL-related arena. That's all they want to know. I recently read a three-page resume where the applicant had listed (in detail) TEN jobs he'd held in the aeronautical industry. In my opinion, a complete waste of time when you're applying for the job of a teacher. Keep it simple and that means just one A4 size page with a nice photo at the top. 

Will Thailand like my long hair?
Long hair on male teachers is generally a no-no. Check out the ajarn.com fashion guide for the full skinny on how to present yourself in the classroom.

Is a foreign teacher allowed to hit children?
This is a question we've had come up a few times on the ajarn discussion forum. Having never worked in the Thai school system, I can't offer a personal observation but it seems from reading other teachers points of view that it's a case of one rule for Thai teachers and one rule for the farangs - that is to say the Thai chalkies can smack the hell out of their own kind but foreign teachers must leave well alone unless they fancy getting hauled up in front of some teacher/parent committee.

Why is ajarn.com aimed chiefly at English native speakers?
Although most of the jobs on the ajarn jobs page are for native-speakers, there are many positions there for non-native speakers as well. Often what the schools want and what the schools are prepared to accept are two entirely different things. many schools are aiming high when they request a native speaker. many schools lower their sights when it dawns on them that no native speaker wants to work in the sticks for 20,000 baht a month.

I need to swot up on my grammar so what books would you recommend?
Look for anything with the name Michael Swann on it. For me, he's the grammar guru and you'll always find a well-thumbed Michael Swann reference book on my teacher's desk. He has a very neat and simple way of explaining things and his books are always well-indexed. The book I have is called Practical English Usage by Michael Swann.
Another great writer of English grammar books is Raymond Murphy. His Essential Grammar in Use series is wonderful because it has the explanation of the grammar point on the left-hand side (with lots of examples) and student exercises on the right-hand side. If you've got Mr Murphy and Mr Swann in your teacher's bag - you can't go wrong!
A series of grammar books that many teachers seem to like (and I absolutely hate) is by Betty Azar. The books are so badly organized it's not true. Steer well clear of them.

Are the streets of Chiang Mai paved with gold for a teacher?
Despite being officially Thailand's 'second city' the salaries and earning potential are generally way below what you can make in the capital. The piss-poor salaries on offer there have never failed to amaze me. Of course there's that perpetual argument that the cost of living in Chiang Mai is significantly lower than it is in Bangkok. I've been taken to task over this many times down the years but personally I think that that statement or comparison is complete bollocks. I've sometimes found CM to be even more expensive than the big mango.

Is voluntary work easy to find?
Yes, voluntary work is easy enough to come by in Thailand and you certainly shouldn't have to pay for the privilege. Get tapping into Google and you should come up with some decent names. If you're looking for a good cause in Bangkok then you could do a lot worse than the Goodwill Foundation, who help underprivileged women get a chance in life.

Is hotel teaching work easy to find?
I don't know about easy to find but the vacancies are certainly there. We do get hotel positions crop up on the jobs page now and again so it's worth keeping your eyes peeled. Hotel work never seems to pay that well but when you work ten meters from the beach and you dine on hotel leftovers (piquant lobster and baked alaska) then it's something of a trade-off I guess. If you fancy this kind of work, the direct approach method might serve you well. In 2007, we did a very interesting hot seat interview with a hotel teacher, which you can read here.

Is getting a TEFL certificate a wise idea?
Many teachers will tell you that a TEFL certificate is no longer a legal requirement when it comes to obtaining a teacher's licence and work permit, and while that may be true, you have to keep in mind that many employers still request one. If you are applying for a job and you are up against someone who has a TEFL certificate (and you don't)...... guess who the job's probably going to? 

Is an on-line TEFL certificate worth doing?
The 'problem' with on-line TEFL certificates is that many of them contain no actual observed teaching practice. Therefore if you are interviewed by a foreign academic director (or whoever does the hiring and firing), then there's a fair chance they will see certain brands of on-line TEFL certificate and know that you've never set foot in a classroom in your life. Other interviewers won't give a damn as long as the certificate looks nice and says 'TEFL' on it. On-line TEFL certificates are useful inasmuch as they give you an indicator of what teaching will be like and what you are expected to know.

Why are on-line TEFL courses so much cheaper?
I suppose on-line TEFL courses are cheaper because the provider doesn't have so many overheads. Are on-line TEFL courses of less value than other TEFL courses? - it depends who you show the certificate to.

What qualifications do you need to enrol on a TEFL course?
It varies from course to course. Some simply require that you have a decent command of the English language, others might require you to have finished at least a high school education. You need to qsk the course provider in question. 

Does ajarn.com recommend any particular TEFL course?
Sorry, no. So many TEFL course providers are sponsors of the ajarn.com website that it would be totally unethical for us to favor one course over another.

What visa do I need to apply for a work permit and teacher's licence?
You need a non-immigrant visa to secure a work permit or rather to start the work permit process. A tourist visa is no good I'm afraid. Look at the ajarn jobs board - many employers state that they will provide the paperwork for the teacher to get a non-immigrant visa - because that's the visa you need.

Do you need to hand in your work permit and surrender your one-year visa once you quit a job?
Yes. The one-year visa that comes with the work permit is inextricably linked to your job. Once you quit that job the visa and work permit are null and void. In most cases, immigration then give you seven days to leave the kingdom and sort yourself out with another visa from a neighboring country (or wherever you choose to go)

What kind of visa do I need?
Thailand's visa laws are unbelievably complex. Everyone moans about it. We've prepared a visa / work permit FAQ page which will hopefully go some way to providing answers.

Once I'm in Thailand, what's the best way to start as regards a job-hunt?
How you cope with the first stages of life in Thailand depends on what type of character you are. Some people will make five good contacts and have three jobs lined up within 48 hours while others will be panicked into the first job that comes along.
My advice - come with enough money to tide you over for two weeks. Spend that two weeks looking for somewhere nice to stay (an apartment not a hostel), make a few friends, scour the ajarn jobs board or listen for things on the grapevine. Attend a few interviews.

Should I fix up a job before I leave home or get one there?
This is a no-brainer and yet so many people feel the need to set up a job before they leave home. Don't do it! Employers can promise you the world in an e-mail but come over and check things out first before you sign on any dotted line. Is that accommodation you were offered really as good it sounded? Are the facilities what you expected? Is your teaching load heavier than what you accepted? Things can look very very different when you're here compared to reading an e-mail in your bedroom in Ottawa.

Is it difficult for a husband and wife or a 'couple' to find work at the same school?
I've worked with a number of husband and wife / boyfriend and girlfriend couples down the years and they are usually an employer's dream because they represent stability. Couples will help each other out with lesson plans and generally look out for one another. Schools know that couples make good employees! As long as you don't try to suck out each other's tonsils in the playground or 'have a domestic' in full view of the parent's association treasurer, you'll be hot property! 

Can I teach in Thailand without knowing any Thai language?
It's not necessary to know any Thai language at all to secure a teaching job. That said, it can come in bloody handy when you're disciplining a class of 30 rowdy teenagers or asking why  a single soul hasn't done their homework.

What are the perils and pitfalls of renting a house or an apartment?
We've prepared two fairly extensive guides to renting a house or an apartment. You can view the ajarn guide to renting an apartment here, and the guide to renting a house here.

What's the ideal age to be for a teacher in Thailand?
This is always a difficult question to answer because different employers look for different types of employees. Some schools might be looking for a young, gorgeous thing in his twenties to flash his Hollywood smile at the paying parents as they drop off their kids at the school gates, while others may feel that the balding lecturer type in his late 50s suits the situation perfectly. Funnily enough, I get asked this 'perfect age' question mostly by folks in their 40s and I can never understand why. It's a terrific age to be looking for teaching work in Thailand. A guy in his 40s represents a degree of stability and worldly experience. Teachers in their twenties, particularly early-mid twenties, can be an extremely risky hire (certainly from my experience) While they are undoubtedly dedicated to the teaching, they're also often here for the cultural and travel experience (and that's perfectly understandable) The younger teacher doesn't mind the work but they'll want to mix that with a good dose of scuba-diving and weekends away. So they tend not to be the most reliable teachers when a school needs emergency cover or there's a Sports Day in the offing. At the other end of the scale, older new arrivals fret about the official / unofficial retirement age. Again, the official retirement age is another one of Thailand's many grey areas and I've heard conflicting reports and information. Officially the retirement age is 60 I think but if you are working at a particular school on your 60th birthday, you are by and large allowed to continue. Private language schools don't care. I worked with a teacher well into his 70s once.