Teach English In Thailand

English teaching positions are available throughout Thailand in all regions and in a wide variety of towns and cities.  A large proportion of English teachers work in Central, Northern, Eastern, and Northeastern Thailand, which are more heavily populated compared to Southern Thailand.  It is possible to teach English in southern coastal areas, such as Phuket and Krabi, but positions in these touristy areas are more limited.   

Every region of Thailand offers something you unique and with an open mind you can have an incredible experience in any location.  Regardless of where you work, you can also easily travel throughout Thailand on weekends to explore the national parks of Northern Thailand, the islands and beaches of Southern Thailand and everything in between.

On the CIEE Teach in Thailand Program application, you can list your top three regional preferences and any other preferences you have regarding program location. We strive to match you to a school that meets your placement preferences, but keep in mind the the Thai schools make the  final hiring decision. 

You do not need to speak any Thai to teach English in Thailand.  In fact, Thai schools will want you to only use English when interacting with students to help create an English immersion environment on campus. 

Although it is not required, there are benefits of learning at least some basic Thai phrases if you’re teaching English in Thailand. First, speaking a little Thai will go far toward making daily life tasks, such as ordering food, asking for directions, or taking public transportation easier.  Second, by learning Thai you will demonstrate that you value and respect Thai culture and you’ll be more respected as a result.  Finally, learning Thai will help you meet people and build relationships.  Colleagues and neighbors will enjoy helping you learn Thai and setting up a language exchange is a great way to build friendships. 

If you want to learn some basic Thai phrases before moving to Thailand, checkout ThaiPod101 on YouTube.  CIEE’s Teach in Thailand orientation in Bangkok includes Thai language lessons to help new teachers get started. 

Read More: Learning Thai While Teaching Abroad in Thailand: A Little Bit Goes a Long Way  

One of the benefits of teaching in Thailand is that you will be immersed in Thai culture on a daily basis and have the opportunity to develop intercultural communication and adaptation skills.  But how exactly will you fit in? How will you be viewed by locals?  The short answer is that each teacher’s experience will be unique.  Each teacher comes from a unique cultural background and consequently will be perceived differently from others.  Similarly, Thai people are diverse coming from a variety of regional, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. 

However, there are some common Thai cultural values shared by many Thai people that will shape your experience.  For example, Thai people tend to value the common good of groups, such as families, above the interests of individuals and will seek to maintain group harmony. Similarly, Thai people tend to use a more indirect style of communication and avoid direct confrontation that would lead to someone being embarrassed publicly or “losing face”.  Keeping this in mind, a foreign English teacher who strives to maintain group harmony and seeks to avoid expressing disagreements directly will likely be respected by colleagues and more successful at fitting into Thai culture. 

CIEE has gathered a set of diversity resources for teaching abroad to help support candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds. This includes firsthand perspectives, as well as discussion of Thai attitudes related to specific issues of identity, such as sexual orientation and race/ethnicity. 

Read More: How to Fit Into Thai Culture as a Foreign English Teacher 

Working hours will vary slightly from school to school in Thailand, but a typical assignment will have you in the classroom for 20-25 classroom hours per week, Monday-Friday. This amount of time does not include class planning, faculty meetings, school events, grading, or extracurricular activities. Including those activities, you can expect a full-time, 35-40 hour work week. 

Read More: A Day in the Life of an English Teacher in Thailand