Teaching English in Thailand: What Nobody Tells You

I landed in Bangkok in September 1989 with a degree in English Literature, a CELTA certificate, and absolutely no idea what I was doing. The school that had hired me from the UK looked completely different in person from the photographs they had sent. The classroom was smaller. The class sizes were larger. The air conditioning was broken.

And I stayed for twelve years.

Thailand is like that. It gets under your skin in ways that are very difficult to explain to people who haven't experienced it. The heat, the food, the warmth of the people — yes, all of that. But also something else. A pace of life that is genuinely different. A way of treating strangers with hospitality that doesn't feel performed.

This is my honest guide. Not the brochure version. The version I'd give a younger colleague before they got on the plane.

Should you go to Bangkok or Chiang Mai?

This is the first question everyone asks, and it matters more than you might think.

Bangkok has the most jobs. Full stop. If you're a first-time teacher with limited experience and no specific qualifications beyond your TEFL certificate, Bangkok gives you the widest choice. International schools, language centres, government schools, kindergartens — the city of eleven million people needs English teachers at every level.

But Bangkok comes with Bangkok. The traffic is genuinely extraordinary — I've spent two hours travelling four kilometres. The heat is relentless. The cost of living, while low by European standards, is the highest in Thailand. And there's a transience to the expat community that can feel lonely if you're not careful.

Chiang Mai is where I spent the last eight of my twelve years, and I'd recommend it without hesitation to almost any teacher who isn't specifically tied to the international school circuit. The city is smaller, cooler, safer, and has a mature expat teacher community that actually knows each other. Housing costs are dramatically lower. Weekends mean mountains, temples, markets. And the standard of teaching opportunities — once you've built a reputation — is genuinely high.

My honest recommendation: if this is your first posting and you want to maximise job options, start in Bangkok. If you have a year or two of experience and want quality of life alongside good teaching, go straight to Chiang Mai.

Salary and what it actually buys you

A new teacher at a language centre in Bangkok will typically earn between ฿35,000 and ฿45,000 per month. An international school position, particularly if you have QTS or a teaching licence from your home country, might pay ฿55,000 to ฿80,000 or more.

Now, here is the thing that nobody explains properly before you go: these figures feel modest until you understand what ฿35,000 actually means in Thailand.

A good one-bedroom apartment in a decent area of Chiang Mai: ฿7,000–12,000 per month. A meal at a local restaurant: ฿60–120. A motorbike taxi across town: ฿30. Weekend flights within Southeast Asia: sometimes under ฿1,000 if you book ahead.

I lived comfortably, ate well, travelled regularly around Southeast Asia, and saved money every month on a salary of ฿42,000 in Chiang Mai. I would not have been able to do that in London on the equivalent amount.

The calculation changes at international schools with higher salaries — many teachers at the top Bangkok schools save very significant amounts each year.

The schools to look for — and the ones to run from

After twelve years, I can tell a good Thai school from a bad one within about ten minutes of a conversation with the director.

Good signs: they can tell you immediately who your predecessor was and why they left. They have current foreign teachers willing to speak to you candidly. Their contract is in English and specifies your exact take-home salary with all deductions listed. They discuss your work permit before you get on the plane — not after.

Red flags: they are vague about housing. They use the phrase 'we are like a family here' to describe the management style (this almost always means 'we will ask you to do things outside your contract'). They cannot connect you with a current teacher. They ask you to start on a tourist visa 'just while the work permit is being processed' — this is illegal and if there's an immigration check you carry the consequences, not them.

One specific thing I've seen repeatedly: schools that advertise generous salaries and then make deductions for 'services' or 'accommodation' that were never mentioned. Get every number in writing before you agree to anything.

The visa situation, plainly explained

You need a Non-Immigrant B visa and a valid work permit to teach legally in Thailand. Your school must apply for and provide the work permit — you cannot obtain one independently.

Do not work on a tourist visa or in a visa-run arrangement. I know people who did this for years without issue. I also know people who were arrested, deported, and permanently barred from returning. The risk is real and the consequences are severe.

For the Non-B visa, you'll apply at the Thai embassy in your home country before you leave. You'll need a letter from your school, your degree certificate, your TEFL/CELTA certificate, and your criminal background check. Start gathering these documents at least three months before your intended start date — the authentication processes in some countries take considerably longer than you'd expect.

What I'd tell my 24-year-old self

Go. Don't overthink it. The worst-case scenario — a bad school, a difficult year, an early return home — is far less catastrophic than it sounds when you're sitting in your parents' living room in March trying to decide. You'll learn more about teaching in your first year in Thailand than in any amount of preparation.

But do your research on the school. Speak to current teachers. Make sure your work permit is in order. Open a Bangkok Bank account in your first week. Download a good Thai phrase app and learn twenty words before you arrive — your students will love you for it.

And if you end up in Chiang Mai — find the Saturday Walking Street market on your first weekend. That was where I decided to stay.