What are the advantages and disadvantages of full-time and part-time employment?

Full-time employment means that you are paid a monthly salary for a given amount of teaching hours per month. This salary should be paid despite public holidays, school activities, and other random class cancellations.

If you are teaching at a high school, full-time may also mean having to be at school for assembly, and having to join in extra-curricular activities. Full-time jobs may also bar you from doing outside work during school hours even if you don't have any classes. Despite the full-time label, some schools will not offer 12-month contracts, i.e. you will not get paid during the summer months. Universities generally allow full-time teachers to come and go as they please, and usually give 12-month contracts.

Part-time work could also be described as freelancing. Part-time work is paid per class taught at an hourly rate. The upside is that the teacher only has commitments to the classes he/she teaches and not to any other aspect of school life, with the teacher working as little or as much as he/she wants. The downside of course is that a part-time wage is not very stable considering the amount of public holidays, and class cancellations that are guaranteed to occur throughout the year. Overall, part-time work is good for newbies and retirees in need of something to occupy their time.

Back to the Newbie Guide



Featured Jobs

Recruitment Manager

฿55,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES Grade 4 Math and Science Teacher

฿40,000+ / month

Chiang Mai


Early Years Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Bangkok


Primary Science Teachers for MEP Program

฿33,000+ / month

Maha Sarakham


Part-time NES Summer Camp Teachers

฿450+ / hour

Bangkok


Summer Camp Teachers

฿700+ / hour

Chiang Mai


Featured Teachers

  • Ksenia


    Russian, 33 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Renalyn


    Filipino, 23 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Cecil


    French, 41 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Mary


    Filipino, 27 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Mayoshi


    Filipino, 39 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Sarah


    Filipino, 29 years old. Currently living in Philippines

The Hot Spot


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


The Region Guides

The Region Guides

Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?