This is the second part of a two part post on how to get a job teaching English in Thailand in just 10 days. If you haven’t read the first part yet you can find it here: Teach English in Thailand

Day 5: Hit the Pavement

Time to actually get yourself out there in front of some employers, so put on your business clothes, grab your resumes, diploma and transcript copies and copies of your reference letters and get moving. The first place you want to go is a photo shop to get some passport type photos. Most of the schools in Bangkok will ask for a photo as part of your application package so be prepared. You can find numerous photo shops around the Khao San Road area where you can get passport sized photos taken for around 100 baht for four. Get 12 or more.

Next go to check your email since you might have responses from yesterdays inquiries. Immediately call and/or email any schools that have shown an interest to schedule an interview. Make sure to get directions to the school as well.

The rest of your day is going to be spent visiting schools. It is not the most efficient way of conducting a job search due to the traffic in Bangkok, but it is good to get some face to face exposure and practice interviewing. The top thing to keep in mind when interviewing is to smile and show enthusiasm.

When you visit the schools greet the receptionist and ask to talk to someone about a teaching job and make sure to hand them your resume. Make sure to smile and be polite at all times. It is possible at some schools you will get an interview on the spot and may even get a job offer.

When looking for walk-in interviews the best place to start is Siam Square because of the large number of English schools. Get a taxi and tell the driver “Siam Square”. He’ll get you there and once you arrive take some time to walk around. You’ll find that there are branches for Siam Computer, ECC, The British Council, English First and Go Chula in or around the Siam Square area. You’ll also find some smaller English schools as well. Siam Discovery shopping mall across the street also has a branch of Inlingua. Visit them all and drop off a resume and get an appointment if possible.

After you’re done at Siam Square get on the BTS and take it to the Ratchidamri station. Once you arrive at Ratchidamri station walk south towards Lumpini Park about 5 minutes to get to AUA, which is one of the larger and most well known English schools in Bangkok. Drop off a resume and try to schedule an interview.

Don’t be discouraged if nothing happens. Remember, the purpose of walk-ins is to grow more comfortable talking to employers.

You’ve very likely had a long, hot and tiring day. Head back to your hotel and take a long relaxing shower and go get some dinner. Head back to bed early because your next day should be just as busy.

Day 6: Searching The Bangkok Post and The Nation

After you have breakfast head straight to a coffee shop or bookstore and pick up copies of The Bangkok Post and The Nation. These are the top two English language newspapers in Bangkok and are a decent source of job ads, although not as good as they have been in the past. Scan through the classifieds circling any promising looking advertisements. Immediately call those with a phone number to schedule an interview. Make sure to mention that you meet their qualifications and are looking for work immediately.

Now go to the internet café to check for any email responses to the inquires you’ve been sending out. Respond to them immediately by phone if possible and schedule an interview. Also, send emails to contacts from The Bangkok Post and The Nation that did not have phone numbers listed or couldn’t be reached by phone.

By now you should have a good sized list of interviews scheduled so you’ll spend the rest of the day heading off to interviews. Dress you absolute best. The job itself may be casual, but for the interview you want to look conservative and as good as possible. You’ve heard the phrase “You never have a second chance to make a first impression” before? Well it is more true in Thailand than most places where employers are very likely to judge you by your appearance, dress, smile and enthusiasm rather than your actual qualifications to do the job. In Thailand looks count for very much.

Day 7: More Interviews

After a good breakfast check you email again and call to schedule more interviews with any schools that have responded. You should still have a decent list of interviews and the rest of today will be another interview day. Remember to dress your best, smile, be enthusiastic and polite.

Day 8: Relax

You’ve had three very busy days so unless you have a very promising interview scheduled take the day off and relax. Sleep late, get a massage, do some sightseeing, but relax. Do check your email and follow up with inquiries, but try to take it easy today.

Day 9 & 10: Interviews and Contracts

Both days start by checking your email and responding to any inquires. You should also check again at http://www.teflasia.com/ajarn/browse_jobs/index.html and http://www.daveseslcafe.com and respond to any new job listings at either site. By this time you should have at least one job offer, but do not accept the first offer. Make sure you examine the contract first carefully.

And thanks to Louis for this…Check your prospective school at TEFLWatch before you accept a position. TEFLWatch has a pretty good list of Bangkok schools with comments from current and past teachers about the working conditions. Definitely worth a look before you accept any contract. TEFLWatch is no longer online as a resource to check language schools. Thanks Mike!

Ask questions about the contract and the job. How many hours a week are you required to teach (anything over 25 is too much)? Will the school sponsor a work visa (they should)? Will the school help you to find an apartment (they should)? What is the pay (anything less than 35,000 baht a month is too low. Overtime should be 400 baht an hour minimum)? If you can talk to other teachers at the school and see if they are satisfied with the job. Are they treated well? Are they paid on time? Once you are satisfied go ahead and sign the contract.

By following the steps above anyone with a college degree can easily find a job teaching English in Thailand in 10 days or less. Keep in mind that TESL/ESL jobs in Thailand do not pay very well by western standards, but the cost of living in Thailand is quite low. If you are able to live simply you will be able to cover your expenses and save a few hundred dollars a month. And there are a huge number of jobs available for English teachers. With a nice appearance and some organizations finding a job and becoming a teacher in Thailand in 10 days is virtually assured.

Just added is my list of Thailand International Schools which could be a great time saver for you in terms of finding out where the schools are and getting contact information.

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While this post about teaching in Thailand was written over 2 years ago it is still as relevant today as it was then. In fact, considering the state of the market for English teachers it might be even more useful now.

Many people dream of teaching abroad and Thailand often comes to mind as the perfect destination to live and teach English. Of course there are many questions and concerns, but I want you to know that actually finding a teaching job once there should not be one of them. Right now it’s a teachers market in Bangkok and finding a job has never been easier.

If are a native English speaker with a college degree in ANY subject you can easily find work teaching in Bangkok within 10 days, just follow the steps below.

Before You Leave:

There are several things you’ll want to have in order before you leave to make your job search easier once you arrive in Thailand.

1. Make several copies of your college degree and pack them along with the original in a protective case of some sort.

2. Some employers in Thailand will ask for University transcripts so get several copies to bring along with you.

3. Create a resume specific to teaching abroad before you leave. Make sure it emphasizes any teaching, training or travel experience that you have. Save your resume to either CD or flash drive before you go so you can print it at an internet shop in Bangkok. For added comfort, save it to both places and email it to yourself as well. I know a bit overboard, but I have been bitten by corrupt data before.

4. Most employers will ask for references so make sure to get 2-3 letters of reference from employers, co-workers or teachers. Ask them to write a short letter of recommendation and make sure to let them know you will be applying for ESL jobs. Ask them to include their name, phone number and email address, but NOT to date the letter. This will allow you to insert the date yourself and use the letters for a long time.

5. Send contact emails to the big English schools in Bangkok before you leave. You should summarize your qualifications, let them know when you’re arriving in Thailand and ask for an interview. The big schools are constantly hiring and this simple step might get you a job before you even arrive. The major language schools in Bangkok are ECC, Wall Street, AUA, Inlingua as well as several others. You might also want to check out my list of International Schools in Thailand if you’re looking for something more long term and lucrative.

6. Pack 2-3 nice outfits for interviewing. This means suit and tie for men and business attire for women, either skirt or pants is fine, but I think a skirt is viewed more positively by the Thai’s. Once you get the job you can buy your clothes in Thailand (they will be much cheaper than at home), but for the initial interview phase you want to come prepared.

Day 1: Arrival in Thailand

Hopefully you booked a hotel before you arrived, but if not don’t worry. There are literally hundreds of hotels in Bangkok with prices from under $10 a night to hundreds of dollars a night. Use TripAdvisor to do some research and find a hotel or guest house that matches your budget. For those on a tight budget head straight to Khao San Road (Banglampoo) which is a haven for backpackers and has dozens of cheap guesthouses. Relax and get some sun if possible, it’s good for jetlag.

Day 2: Get Your Bearings

Sleep in late and let your body start to adjust. No job searching today, instead just wander about and start to take in your new surroundings. Get some light exercise and sunshine (good for jetlag). Back at your room unpack your resume, transcripts, degree etc. Unpack one set of interview clothes. If they are wrinkled take them to the hotel or guest house laundry and get them ironed. Have a good dinner and get to bed early.

Day 3: Get a Mobile Phone

You’ll need a number for prospective employers to call you at. Don’t give them the number to your hotel or guest house and ask them to leave a message. This is both unprofessional and unreliable. Many messages will go astray or be delivered late. And mobile phones are cheap and easily available in Bangkok. Simply go to one of the large shopping centers such as Central Pinklao (close to Khao San Road) or Mah Boon Krong – MBK (close to Silom, take the BTS and get off at the National Stadium station) and you’ll find many shops selling both new and used mobile phones. Expect to pay 2000 baht (around $60) or upwards for a decent phone. Try to buy new if you can afford it. You can get used phones cheaper, but I don’t recommend it. The used phones will generally only last anywhere from 2 months to 2 days and there is no return policy. Save yourself some hassle and buy new, it’s still inexpensive.

Once you get the phone you’ll need a number which means you need to get a SIM card for your phone. Most of the mobile phone shops sell SIM cards as well so you can purchase it at the same time as the phone for around 300 baht. They will also install the SIM card for you. If they don’t sell SIM cards take the phone to the DTAC office (4^th floor of Pinklao Central and 6^th floor of MBK). Once you have the SIM card make sure you ask to have the language on your phone switched to English before you go.

You now have a phone and a number and the final step is to put minutes on the phone. This is done with prepaid phone cards which can be bought at any convenience store, most notably Family Mart or 7-11. Just go to the cashier and ask for DTAC (Happy) or AIS (1-2 Call) card depending on what SIM you have. Cards come in various amounts from 100 baht to 500 baht. To activate the minutes call the access number on the card, enter the serial number (followed by #) then the password (followed by #). Your minutes will be added to the account within seconds.

Day 4: Hit the Computer

Get your resume CD (or the flash drive) and head out to one of the internet cafes. Open your resume and add your new phone number to it and then print out 20 copies. The cheaper internet cafes will charge just 5 baht a copy. Keep your resumes in a thick folder to keep them safe and unwrinkled.

Next, fire up IE or Firefox and browse over to http://www.teflasia.com/ajarn/browse_jobs/index.html where you’ll find one of the best lists of available teaching jobs in Thailand around. Take a look through and copy any of the one’s that seem promising to you. Send an email to each of the promising one’s and paste your resume directly into the body of the email rather than attaching a file. Many people won’t open attachments because of virus risks. In the email tell the school that you are in Bangkok and are looking to start immediately. Ask them to review your resume and ask for an interview. Close the letter with your phone number and email address.

By now you could probably use a break to clear your head, stretch your legs and get something to eat. Head out to get some great Thai food and if you’re adventurous enough eat at one of the many street vendors or noodle shops where the food is both cheap and delicious.

Now back to the internet café and fire up your browser again to visit http://www.daveseslcafe.com . This site isn’t specific to teaching English in Thailand, but there are usually some Thai jobs listed. Browse through the list and send emails to any of the jobs that look good to you. Just like before, tell the school that you are in Bangkok and are looking to start immediately. Ask them to review your resume and ask for an interview. Close the letter with your phone number and email address.

Finally, send follow up emails to the big English schools that you contacted previously, if you haven’t heard back from them yet. Refer to the previous email and let them know that you are now in Bangkok and ready to start working immediately. Close the letter with your phone number and ask for an interview again.

I don’t want to make this a 5000 word post so I’m gonna stop here for now. You’ve done all the necessary preparation and I’ll bet you’re ahead of 90% of the people looking for work for the first time as teachers in Bangkok. You’re now ready to actually get out there and get yourself a job teaching English in Thailand and I will follow up with the steps for days 5-10 tomorrow so check back then.

Teach English in Thailand in 10 Days (Part 2)

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One of the big occupations for those expats settling in Thailand is teaching English as a foreign language. In fact, you can see my guide to getting a teaching job in 10 days if you’re interested in that type of thing.
The problem is that over the past few years the pay rate for native English speaking teachers in Thailand has not only stagnated, but in some cases has gotten even worse. Jobs that used to pay 40-45k baht a month are now starting off at a measly 30-35k baht a month. How the heck is the struggling English teacher expected to make ends meet with a salary like that?

Well, some inventive folks have decided it’s no longer worth teaching in Thailand, but they still love the country and the culture and would like to continue living there. The compromise they are making is to teach outside Thailand in Korea, Japan or the Mid East countries where salaries are much higher. They make the big bucks there for 6-12 months and then come back and live in Thailand for another 6-12 months before repeating the process.

Obviously with all this interest in traveling back and forth between Bangkok and cities such as Dubai people are looking for inexpensive ways to fly.

Fortunately there are quite a few carriers that provide cheap flights to Dubai from Bangkok. Jet Airways, Kingfisher Air and Gulf Air are three that I can think of right off the top of my head. I can’t vouch for the first two, but I have flown with Gulf Air several times and each time the cabin crew was very polite, the food was good and overall the flight experience was wonderful.

If you’re interested in undertaking this type of experience I think you’ll find that it gives you the best of both worlds. Dubai international schools are mostly of a very high quality and discipline of the students is quite good making the teachers’ job much easier.

Regarding salaries, you’ll definitely want to look at the private sector rather than Dubai government schools. Pay rates at government schools in Dubai can be a bit on the low side although the highest paying will give you about 48k baht per month. Private schools on the other hand will pay from 85k baht a month and upwards to 170k baht per month. These salaries also include flights to and from Thailand as well as accommodations.

The catch for the private schools is that most require valid teachers’ licenses from the country of the curriculum. So, American schools require a valid U.S. issued teachers license and U.K. based curriculum schools will require PCGE and QTS. Some of the lower tier schools won’t have these requirements, but the pay scale there is so low that you’ll be saying “Why bother” because you can make a similar salary teaching in Thailand.

Teaching in Dubai can be a very good way to keep your self employed at a great salary and still afford yourself plenty of time to spend in Thailand. It’s also a great way to pad your bank account or retirement fund if that’s what you need. Plus it’s a heck of an adventure.

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So you’ve been to Thailand and fell in love with the culture, the people and the easy lifestyle. You absolutely have to get back and you think you even want to live there. Sounds good to me, I have the same aspirations. The problem is, unless you have a trust fund or some very generous relatives (I have neither) you’ll need a way to make money while you’re in Thailand. Are there ways for a foreigner to make money while living in Thailand? You bet there are! Don’t expect to get rich, but you will have the pleasure of living in the land of smiles and all of the cultural benefits of living in a foreign land. Here are some ways you can go about putting some cash in the bank while you live and enjoy Thailand.

1. Teach English – This is probably the most popular method for native English speakers to make money while living in Thailand (or any other foreign country for that matter). You don’t really need anything to get started except a good command of English and to get your butt to Thailand. While it’s possible to find teaching jobs online it’s not very likely unless you are a licensed teacher already and you are applying to the top tier international schools in Bangkok. For the rest of us it’s best to just get to Thai and start knocking about looking for work. English teachers generally make around 35,000 baht a month and upward, depending on how hard you want to work. One very good resource for prospective English teachers in Bangkok and Thailand is Ajarn.com. They have been around since 1999 and have the best information about teaching in Thailand that I’ve seen. Plus they have links to many of the English schools and a fantastic job board. I could go more in depth about teaching English in Thailand as a job, but they have it all covered already. If you have a university degree you may want to try for a job at one of Thailand’s International Schools. The competition is fierce, but the pay scale is typically much better than the language schools.
2. Translator – Not many people know it, but it is quite possible to find work as a translator for Thai businesses in Bangkok. English is the international language of business and if you don’t mind presenting products then this could be right up your alley. Pay can range anywhere from 2000-6000 baht a day which isn’t too bad if you can find steady work. To get this kind of job does require some networking, but it’s not hard.The best way to get started is by getting yourself out there and networking. Dress sharp, image is very important to Thai’s. White shirt, dark pants and blazer and a tie are necessary for this work. Check the Bangkok Post for business conventions which are typically held at the Queen Sirikrit Convention Center which is on Ratchadaphisek Rd. near the Thailand Stock Market off Rama IV Rd. Once there simply mingle and talk with some of the businesses there. You’ll find that many of them will be happy to hire you on to help promote their products in English.
3. Actor/Model – Another little known job for falangs (foreigners) in Thailand is as actors or models. The pay isn’t great, but if you build a name for yourself you can get fairly consistent work. And I understand it’s a great way to meet the ladies. Again, you can find leads in the Bangkok Post or try putting together a small portfolio of photographs and mailing it to the modeling/acting agencies listed in the yellow pages. If you’re really serious you may want to get an agent as they can be invaluable in securing work and negotiating. Pay can range from 2000 baht a day and up. Not great, but the work is easy and wouldn’t it be glamorous to say you’re a model/actor?
4. Dive Instructor – If you’ve got PADI dive certification and can get or already have dive instructor certification this could be perfect for you. It’s not really up my alley so I’m not sure how easy it would be to get this job, but the Andaman sea has some of the best diving in the world and there are a whole host of dive shops and live aboards that work from the islands of Thailand. I would guess the pay isn’t great, but this isn’t really something you do for the pay, you do it for the passion and the experience.
5. Accountant, engineer, salesman, lawyer or any professional position. You won’t get a job at a Thai company for most professional positions, but if you’ve got experience you may be able to land a position with a multi-national company that has offices in Bangkok. Since you’ll be getting paid in your home countries currency and will very likely have all the benefits of an ex-pat package (retirement, housing, travel, tuition for children, medical insurance, etc) these are the sweetest jobs around. I don’t qualify, but if you do and you want to get yourself to Thailand start looking. Price Waterhouse has a lot of ex-pats in Asia as do large multi-nationals like Siemens, IBM, HP, and any petrol related business. If you really want to be here then that should be enough motivation to conduct a comprehensive search.

Well, there you go. 5 jobs or professions you can start pretty much as soon as you land in Bangkok. Give yourself enough money to last a few weeks to two months to get oriented and just go. Once you get there and start networking you’ll find many open doors and the adventure of a lifetime. It’s really not that hard all you need is the desire to be there. You’ll gain cultural experience and job related experiences that can’t be had anywhere else by working in Thailand and if you eventually choose to go back to your native country you’ll be that much more valuable to employers there thanks to your experience.

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It’s certainly been a tough few years for anyone in the tourism industry in Thailand. First we had the PAD takeover of Suvarnubhumi airport in December of 2008 which had a severe impact of that years’ high season for tourism and even impacted this years’ high season if anecdotal evidence is to be believed.

And now, even before Thailand tourism has recovered from the PAD demonstrations, we’ve had the red shirt takeover of many parts of Bangkok, just recently ended when red shirt leaders surrendered to the authorities. Yet the aftermath of that surrender, with several dozen buildings, including the huge Central World mall, the Thailand stock exchange and various print and television media outlets being set afire, has probably caused more harm than the entire 8 week standoff.

Thailand’s Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij has recently said that the red shirt protest have had a “disastrous” effect of Thai tourism. He goes on to say that tourism makes up 6% of Thailand’s GDP, but employs roughly 15-20% of the Thai workforce. He anticipates that the troubles in Bangkok will result in an impact on GDP of 0.3-0.5% and says that “we expect the formal Q1 (first quarter) figure to be in two digits” for 2010.

Well certainly first quarter numbers will be good Khun Chatikavanij, with all due respect the protests didn’t begin until near the end of the first quarter. What I am much more interested in seeing is the results for the other 3 quarters of 2010. Let’s face it; the destruction of a shopping center that accounts for 7 billion baht in sales annually and employs over 1000 people is no small thing. Coupled with the fact that most tourists, even tourists to Thailand, book their trips anywhere from 3-12 months in advance and I think we will see more than a 0.3-0.5% reduction in GDP.

People may have short memories, but Thailand tourism was still recovering from the 2008 airport takeover and this will put tourism in the Kingdom back another step. Since I don’t believe that all is as peaceful and settles as we would be led to believe it’s possible that more turmoil could be forthcoming, further dampening the flow of tourists into Thailand.

Many people note that troubles in Bangkok do not necessarily impact tourism in the islands and I heartily disagree with that sentiment. The protest and rioting in Bangkok will affect all areas of Thailand as they are all tied together in the tourists mind. As an example look at the impact of the swine flu on Mexican tourism. Even though there were no reported cases of swine flu on the Yucatan Penninsula and all confirmed cases were in Mexico City, some 1800km (1100 miles) from the Yucatan, there was a significant drop in tourism all along the Yucatan from Cancun to Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. People simply knew that swine flu was in Mexico and that was enough for them to cancel travel to ANY part of Mexico.

Overall tourism in Mexico fell an estimated 11.4% in 2009. Additionally, unemployment rose to the highest levels since 2000 when records were first kept. Mexico derives 8% of its GDP from tourism, pretty much on par with Thailand’s reported 6% figure.

Mexico’s example certainly doesn’t bode well for the Thailand tourism sector in 2010 and with 15-20% of the workforce employed in tourism who knows what kind of unemployment will be seen. Additionally, I wonder if that figure includes support services such as restaurants, bars and shopping venues? I seriously doubt that it does. What is the total impact when all of the ancillary services and business are considered?

Luckily the Thai’s are very resourceful and will rebound from this set back I’m sure. Family structures are still in place and helping each other, whether financially or through other means, is still a commonplace practice in Thailand. Worst case scenario for many is that they will move back home to their parents or grandparents farms. It may not be glamorous, but at least they won’t starve. And eventually the tourists will return to enjoy some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the world as well as some of the most beautiful people in the world.

I know some of my readers live in tourist destinations such as Krabi, Ko Phangan, Chiang Mai and Phuket and I’d love to hear your take on what tourism was like this past high season and what it looks like now. Please leave comments below to help us get a better picture of what’s happening on the ground.

Photo credits: flickr.com users friskodude and jo.sau.

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If you’re a Thai citizen then you don’t need to worry about medical insurance in Thailand since it’s provided by the Thai government. However, if you’re an expat in Thailand or thinking of moving to Thailand then medical insurance may be something you’ve thought of, but are unsure where or how to get it.

I know this post may not apply to everyone. Let’s face it, medical costs in Thailand are pretty darn cheap. I’ve been to the emergency room at BNH hospital for less than $75 (including 3 prescriptions). I’ve had a cavity filled at Yanhee Hospital for something like $35. Basic needs are not that big a deal and if you’re young you could easily forgo medical insurance in Thailand without risking too much.

Those working in Thailand on expat packages with international companies won’t need to worry about medical coverage since it will be included as part of their compensation. Even the lowly English teacher in Thailand will often get some basic form of insurance coverage from their employer.

So who is this aimed at? Mostly people like Golf and myself I suppose. Thai-Farang couples, especially those with children, will more than likely want to find some level of decent medical insurance if they are prudent and want to sleep well at night. Let’s face it, after adequate housing and a good Thailand International school for your kids, taking care of their health is probably next on your mind.

I’ve found 4 companies offering health insurance in Thailand (there may be more) for what I consider a reasonable price. Coverage is quite similar between the 4 with some mostly small differences. Below you’ll find an outline of each companies coverage as well as links to the company website and coverage brochure in case you want to take a closer look.

BUPA
The BUPA coverage is the least expensive option of the 4 and provides adequate protection at a reasonable price. You’ll find the standard 1/2/5 million baht coverage limits, coverage for surgical fees and room and board in case of hospitalization, US$1 million in evacuation and repatriation coverage as well as optional maternity and outpatient coverage. Not bad coverage at all and BUPA has been quite popular amongst Thailand expats.
BUPA Coverage Brochure
BUPA Premium Table
BUPA Thailand Website

LMG Pacific Healthcare
The LMG plan is a bit more expensive than the BUPA plan, but has much broader and comprehensive coverage limits. They define two types of plans the “Maxi-Care” plan which has a 5 million baht lifetime benefit and the “Ultra-Care” plan which has a 20 million baht lifetime limit. The LMG plan is also a family plan meaning it covers the entire family of the policy holder, making it ideal for those with children. It covers all the basics and also provides up to 2 million baht of coverage when you’re outside Thailand. Optional benefits also include dental and vision and there are options for discounts as well. 20% discount when you waive the outpatient coverage and various discounts for accepting a deductible on the coverage. In my opinion the LMG plans provides the most bang for your buck if you’re covering a family of 3 or more and is quite likely what Golf and I will be using when we move to Thailand.
LMG Coverage Brochure & Costs
LMG Website

AXA Smartcare Optimum
The AXA Smartcare Option also looked good to me. It provides very comprehensive coverage including a broad range of inpatient and surgery fees as well as covering international travel. Limits for in country coverage are 1.5/2.5/5 million baht lifetime and there is optional outpatient coverage available if you wish. There is a 5% discount when insuring 2-3 people and a 10% discount for 4 or more insured. Aside from the fact that the AXA coverage is a bit more expensive than the LMG coverage I was also concerned with their eligibility requirements which read: “Thai citizens, Permanent resident of Thai, Employment Pass holders or Work Permit holders”. As I very likely won’t fall into any of those categories I can forsee some definite problems with the AXA people if a claim ever comes to pass. So, even though I will most likely not be using AXA as my insurer I still believe the coverage would be valuable to others with different circumstances than my own.
AXA Coverage Brochure & Costs
AXA Thailand Website

APRIL Mobilite Asia Expat
The APRIL Mobilite plan was the most expensive of the 4 plans I looked at, which didn’t immediately disqualify it for me, but there were other concerns I had with the plan. First off, the website explaining the coverage is all in French and that is also the site you are supposed to use when submitting claims. Fine if you read French, but I don’t. The customer service number is also French based and I just figure why take chances with the language barrier when I can get similar coverage from other companies for less cost. I included the brochure here to provide a complete review, but unless you are French or come from a French speaking country I can’t recommend the APRIL Mobilite plan.
APRIL Mobilite Coverage Brochure & Costs
APRIL Mobilite (site in French)

I hope you found the information about medical insurance in Thailand to be helpful. It took me a bit of digging to pull all this information together and I hope that by posting it all here in one place I can save others the trouble of finding it from various places.

Since I’m not in Thailand yet I could dig up more information or there could be changes in plans so I will keep this page updated as much as possible. Currently this is the first version and is correct as of May 18, 2010 to the best of my knowledge.

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I’ve been spending the past 4 days fighting battles. First with the 10 inches of snow that got dumped on us here Saturday and then my own personal battle with a cold. Loads of vitamins, juice and other liquids are helping, but I still feel drained and washed out. Hopefully I will get past this by Christmas day and will be able to enjoy the holiday to its fullest.

Even though things have been tough for me the past few days, for some people things can be tough every day. This has been made clearer to me over the last 24 hours by several Thailand bloggers who have been discussing giving back to Thailand and the wonderful Thai people through charitable donations.
The trend was started by Catherine over at WomenLearnThai.com when she posted about the SET Foundation and how they are helping Thai children to continue their educations. The torch was then picked up by Talen over at ThailandLandofSmiles.com who has committed to donating his December Adsense earnings (roughly 5000 baht) to the SET Foundation as well as issuing a challenge to his readers to help out as well in any way they can – money, time or simply spreading the word. Mike over at My-Thai-Friend answered the challenge by posting links to both Talen and Catherine’s posts and helping to spread the word.

My answer to the challenge is multi-faceted. Obviously I am posting to help spread the word about the SET Foundation and I hope that you will be able to help out as well in some small way. Even the smallest donations can mean the difference between a Thai child getting an education or not, something we take for granted here in the West. You can see some examples of how SET can use the money here.

The second part of my answer is to commit to donating 1000 baht a month to SET throughout 2010. I know it’s a small amount, but will add up over the 12 months. In addition, I will be rolling out a challenge to you, all my readers, in 2010 that will enable us to band together to give far more than that. More will be posted about that, most likely on or around New Year’s Day.

So, I am taking a three pronged approach to giving something back to Thailand, not only during this holiday season, but every month in the upcoming year. Please join me and Catherine and Talen and Mike in helping the SET foundation in whatever way you can. If you can afford it a small donation of even $10 or $15 will go a long way. Instructions for donating can be found here. If you have a website or blog please spread the word and let your readers know about SET and what they are doing to help the youth of Thailand.

Most of all have a joyful Christmas and holiday season no matter where you may be!

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As promised I have started adding budget information in an effort to provide financial transparency to you, my readers. My reasons for doing this are twofold, first of all I think it may help others take control of their finances and put together a workable budget that helps them pay down their debt and save more (possibly in anticipation of a move to Thailand), and secondly it will make me more accountable knowing that my financial life is laid bare for all to see.

I can say that I do have some hesitation and trepidation in doing this. I have not always been such an open person. I hope that in the end I at least help some of you reading this and of course I hope it helps Golf and I to realize our goals and dreams. If you like following along with my financial transparency you may also want to check out ManvsDebt, a blog written by Adam Baker and my inspiration for doing this experiment. There may be others out there doing the same thing, but as of now I am not aware of them. Perhaps if Adam stops by here he can let us know of any other financially transparent bloggers out there.

You can find our current budget at the new page I created called Finances. We will begin adhering to this budget in January 2010 and I will be adding other items to the page such as projected savings before leaving for Thailand, projected (and eventually actual) budget for living in Thailand and savings, both cash and retirement. I will also show the actual income and expenses vs. the budget beginning in February. This page will capture all of our financial related information at a glance. You’ll find the budget is simply a formatted table as I haven’t been able to locate a better way to present the information. I’ve looked at both Mint.com and PocketSmith.com as online alternatives to a simple spreadsheet and honestly I prefer the simple method for now. Plus there are no publicly available widgets for either site that would allow me to show the information in real time.

So, go check out the budget and please feel free to leave comments both good and bad. I know I have not been the most financially responsible person in the past and I have been working hard to overcome this weakness in my lifestyle. That being said, I do feel that I’ve come a long way in the past 3 years. One thing is certain and that is that financial responsibility will be necessary if we ever plan on moving permanently to Thailand. If you haven’t already subscribed to Thailand Musings you may want to do so now so you get informed whenever I make updates to the budget.

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Who agrees with this? It seems like the combination of high import taxes on western goods, increased inflation over the past few years and a historically strong Thai Baht has made Thailand less the budget destination it has been in the past and more in line with other popular vacation destinations.

It’s certainly no surprise to any of you that your dollars (or pounds and euro’s) no longer buy what they used to in Thailand. In fact, over the past 5 years the USD/THB has gone from as high as 41.99 baht to the dollar on July 11, 2005 to today’s current exchange of 33.19 baht to the dollar. In fact, the baht was even as low as 29.28 baht to the dollar in July of 2007. And the picture for the Pound Sterling, Australian Dollar and the Euro are very similar.

Obviously if you are living and working in Thailand and you draw your salary in Baht this isn’t that big of a deal to you. However if you are bringing dollars in from overseas you’ve seen your income decrease by roughly 21% which is huge! Who would want their 50,000 salary decreased to 39,500 in a 5 year period? Your income is supposed to increase over time isn’t it?!?

Because Golf and I are living in the U.S., I hadn’t really paid much attention to this continued strength in the Baht, but with our move coming up in a short 2 years the subject is becoming much more relevant to me. Specifically how do you budget when you have to take into account a fluctuating currency.

Since both of us are still young I am going to proceed with the assumption that both of us will be working in some way in Thailand and drawing a salary in Thai baht. That will help, but I am still thinking we will need to draw on U.S. dollar reserves in some cases, most importantly when we first move to Thailand. Even if I only choose to bring US$1000 a month into Thailand the difference between 41,990 baht converted and 29,280 baht converted are huge. And since we plan on bringing much more than that as part of the move something needs to be done (or at least planned for).

Since I have no way to influence the strength or weakness of both the baht or the dollar I have decided to be very conservative in my estimate of the future conversion rate of dollars to baht. I suppose I could hedge by buying forward contracts of the baht to lock in a rate, but at this time I am not that sophisticated as an investor to do something like this.

All of my plans will be based on a USD/THB rate of 25.00. I know this seems extraordinarily low and I believe it is too, but I would much rather be budgeting based on this rate and see the USD/THB go to 45.00 than the other way around. I would be more than happy to bank 15,000 baht a month if the baht were to weaken like this. On the flip side I would hate to have to figure out where to dig up an extra 10,000 or 15,000 baht a month if I was projecting a weak baht and it kept strengthening.

It seems as if the BoT is in line with my thinking as well. They are currently projecting that the baht will continue to strengthen against the dollar throughout 2010 and we could potentially see a rate as low as 31 baht to the dollar sometime in 2010. Not really outrageous when you consider the huge range from 2005-2009 coupled with the U.S. policy of a weaker dollar. On a positive note the BoT has decided to hold their interest rate firm to keep the baht from strengthening more and they are committed to keeping the baht stable at a level above 30 baht to the dollar, which they believe is important to maintain exports. One final positive note is that the Thai economy is being reported to have come out of a recessionary period and if imports start to increase (which I believe they will as PM Abhisit’s projected 1.3 trillion baht stimulus package comes online) Thailand will have a very strong reason to finally let the baht weaken back to levels above 35 baht to the dollar.

Of course I’m no economist so I could be completely off base, but the bottom line is I feel safe using a projected rate of 25 baht to the dollar to make my plans. I’m sure some of you have a much greater knowledge of economics and currency exchange than I do, please chime in and let us know what you think the future holds for the Thai baht exchange rate.

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Question from Garry in Australia:
Hello, Just Started to investigate the possibility of going to Thailand and experiencing the culture. I spent a month in Laos in December 2007 and loved it but it is a different experience. I wish to Holiday in Thailand and have started to try to find a friend on the dating sites. I have a background in Engineering, as a tradesman and also I was an instructor of Hand skills for Apprentices and Adult Trainees. My question is besides teaching English do they instruct students in other skills and if so how could I find a network to advise me?
Thanks

Answer: It’s a very good question. Many of us have skills other than the fact that we are native English speakers and let’s face it, not everyone has the desire to teach English as a second language anyway. So, what do you do if you’re not the type who wants to teach English as a second language to a group of bored kids? Do you really have any other options to teaching English or is that it?

You are actually asking this question at a very good time because Thai schools are requiring instruction in English for more and more subject areas. Computers, math and sciences are becoming more common areas for native English speakers to find jobs in Thailand as teachers. Still, that doesn’t mean they are common.

One good place to find jobs teaching subjects other than English is the jobs board at Ajarn.com. The job is primarily English teaching jobs, but jobs in math, computers, science, editing, writing and even acting are sometimes found there.

You can also find some jobs other than English teaching jobs at the ThaiVisa.com teaching forum.

Of course these jobs aren’t plentiful and the competition is pretty heavy. Also, don’t expect to get paid much. The going rate for starting jobs in these areas is no better than English teaching jobs averaging around 35,000 baht a month.

If you’re really set on going to live in Thailand you can easily teach English at least until you are able to find another job. English teachers are currently in huge demand, especially in Bangkok and finding a job teaching English is pretty easy. If you’re not sure how to go about finding the right job take a look at my guide to getting a job teaching English in Bangkok in 10 days.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but the truly best way to get a job in Thailand is to simply show up there and start looking. There are many more jobs available that you’ll never see on a website. The only way to find them is to get to Bangkok and start pounding the pavement and networking. You never know what you might find. I’ve heard of people being offered all kinds of jobs from bar and restaurant management to acting to sales jobs. The catch is you have to be there to hear about most jobs outside of the typical English teaching jobs.

Don’t get discouraged because finding a job in Bangkok really can be easy. All you need is the courage to get there and a little bit of persistence and you should be fine. Hopefully this post will give you some ideas and a starting place in your quest to live in Thailand. I have no doubt that you have both if you’ve already spent a month in Laos so all you need now is the airline ticket. Good luck to you with everything and let us know how things turn out. Maybe you can even do a guest post here at Thailand Musings once you get to Thailand, that would be cool for all of us.

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