Peter
Working in Rayong
Monthly Earnings 100 - 200K per month
Q1. How is that income broken down? (full-time salary, private students, on-line teaching, extra work, etc)
My teaching salary is 35K and my online income is anywhere between 80-160K per month. I don't really need the salary, but I teach because I enjoy it. Having smiling, happy faces every day beats staring at a laptop. Luckily I can juggle both during a normal school day.
Q2. How much money can you save each month?
I typically save all my online income as my school salary is more than enough to survive on in Rayong.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
I live in a condo for 7,000 per month, which has a nice pool and a gym.
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
About 500 baht for fuel. I have my own motorcycle so my only expense is fuel.
Utility bills
Zero for electricity since it is included in my rent. The water bill is typically 200 baht per month.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Probably about 10K per month.
Nightlife and drinking
Zero. I don't drink and there is no nightlife in Rayong.
Books, computers
Zero. I have my own laptop, which I use to work online as well as teach.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Very good compared to my home country (South Africa). Having two incomes and being able to save one of them also helps.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Safety. I know this is not a country that most Americans, Brits, or Europeans would consider safe but compared to South Africa it's very safe. Everything is relative.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
It all depends on your lifestyle. I would say that you shouldn't depend on only your teaching salary. Find extra revenue streams where you can, and you'll thrive, not just survive.
Phil's analysis and comment
Thanks Peter. 100,000 to 200,000 baht a month is a hell of a salary range. How many months a year do you hit the 200 mark?
I would love to know how many hours of online teaching you do a month, given that you have to fit that around your full-time job, and also your hourly rate. I know there are many teachers who do well with the online stuff but not sure many are making 160K if it's purely a second job. I stand to be corrected though.
My old pal, Johnny Reid, read this and made a good point - "many teachers keep the bricks and mortar gig just for the work permit and visa, it certainly isn't for the money"
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