I first went to Thailand in 1997 and immediately fell in love with the country. Thailand at that time to me was mysterious and exotic, full of potentials and pitfalls.
Fast forward to 2010 and here I am after 13 years and many trips to the LOS sharing, with the help of my 
Teach English in Thailand in 10 Days (Part 2)
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.
Popularity: 25% [?]
Check out these similar posts:
- Teach English in Thailand in 10 Days (Part 1)
- What Work Can We Do Other Than Teach English in Thailand?
- How Well Can Thai’s Speak English?
- Singapore Curriculum International Schools in Thailand
- 3 Days in Bangkok – Wats and Temples
- Steve Interviewed for the First Time
- Thailand Jobs | Working in Thailand for Foreigners
That’s actually a pretty good 2 part series. Of course, now is October, the best time for finding a job in Thailand. I might also add that you should check out TEFLWatch to see any negative reports on the school as well.
Thanks for the compliment Louis and you’re right, now and possibly May are definitely the best times for finding a job in Thailand although I think now is probably better. Better weather and no need to deal with the dreaded summer camps. Thanks for the TEFLWatch tip, I’ll be adding that to the guide now.
thx for the help. usefull
Greetings from Hof, Germany:
I am an American citizen, retired from the United States Air Force,
have obtained my Master’s Degree in Education/Social Studies-
History and Geography, and currrently reside in Germany. I am
seeking a full-time, Social Studies teaching position in Bangkok
or the surrounding areas, as soon as possible.
Please reply to this message at your earliest convenience.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dennis P. Habern, Msgt, USAF, Retired
Hi Dennis,
Great timing you have. I am currently putting together a list of all the International schools in Thailand. The list will have somewhere around 80-90 schools on it. The list will be posted either later tonight or tomorrow so either subscribe to get updates from Thailand Musings (if you haven’t already) or check back tomorrow or Saturday. This list should be a great place to begin your search. While some of the International schools do require a teaching certificate from your home country, many of them will be willing to accept you based on your Master’s Degree. If you have any teaching experience that will be a definite bonus.
Here’s the list – List of Thailand International Schools
Steve TEFL WATCH is no more, yes there is a site there but the original is long gone. Some say closed down by certain employers.
Hi steve,
I’ve read through most of your content over the weekend and been most impressed. You have good information with something of interest for everyone. I’ve added you to my blogroll and look forward to reading your future posts.
Regards, Tom………
Steve an excellent walk me through it two part series which will interest many readers. The bit which scared me was having to wear a shirt and tie for interviews. That’s got to be hot attire in Thailand and hot as in sweat not fashion.
Excellent post and I hope it attracts to Thailand some good teachers who are there for all the right reasons.
Talking of hot, it’s gone midnight here in the UK and it’s as humid as hell. A few drops of rain are needed.
Hi Martyn,
Thanks for the compliment. I actually wrote it some time back, but feel it is still valid today. Actually the way the job market sounds for teachers it may be even more relevant.
Yeah the shirt and tie thing would put me off in a big way. Just too hot in Thailand for that sort of nonsense, especially since I can’t even remember the last time I wore a tie here in the States. I’m just trying to set things up so I won’t have to go down that road once we arrive in the LOS.
Sorry to hear about the humidity there. We were experiencing much the same over the past 3-4 days. Honestly it was just as hot as Thailand in April. Thankfully we got that needed rain yesterday and things have cooled a bit.