Teaching English in Thailand is all of the rage these days, and for good reason. It’s becoming increasingly popular as a method to “escape” the grind of a corporate job, travel, and experience new cultures, dating scenes, and more (i.e. crazy stuff).
Of course, teaching English in Thailand is seen as something that is “easy” especially for those who are native English speakers. You don’t really need much, if anything, to get started.
But is it a good life you’re getting if you start teaching English in Thailand? This is what we’re talking about today!
Before I continue: Let me be clear – this is a site primarily about dating all around Asia. Most western girls aren’t going to Asia to date the local men.
So this post is primarily targeted towards men who are interested in making the move abroad, and takes into account how much teaching English in Thailand makes and how it can affect their lifestyle.
Teaching English can be rewarding
Listen, teaching English can be rewarding, and can pay decently sometime. I’ve also known quite a few people who got started abroad by doing so, and then transitioned to making money with some sort of online business.
And all of them say THAT is the way to go.
Of course, this is a long-term play. You may not have a website that is making money, or any freelance work coming in. In this case, teaching English is a great start.
- You make enough money to live reasonably well.
- You don’t work enough hours that it drains you so much from building another source of income.
- It’s somewhat flexible hours.
- Sometimes, if lucky – you can get a housing allowance.
But before you go and take that job teaching English in Thailand, you gotta really ask yourself what the long-term plan is. If you’re a college student on a gap year – fantastic. DO IT.
However, if you’re 35 years old, you gotta ask: do you want to teach English for the rest of your life, potentially?
If the answer is no, make another plan to make money in Thailand within a year or so of making the move. It doesn’t need to be immediate. But don’t assume you will want to spend the rest of your days working in a classroom for $1,000 or so a month.
Just wanted to clear that up. Got it? Now let’s move on to some more interesting information.
Do You Make Enough Money Teaching English in Thailand?
Let’s face it, if you go abroad to date Thai girls, or really, any girls in other countries – you need to have the money to foot the bills for some dates and some nightlife experiences.
So how much will your reasonably make if you’re just starting off as an English teacher?
As an English teacher in Thailand, you can earn between $800 and $1,200. This depends on the certifications you hold, the school you’re teaching at, the city you’re in, and a whole host of other variables.
You can rest assured that you WILL make enough to live, but “millionaire” is definitely stretching it. With most places in the world, you can live as expensively or as cheaply as you want, but you won’t afford to live a luxurious life on a teacher’s salary.
Not in Thailand, not anywhere in the world.
If you choose to teach English in Thailand, you can rest assured you can have the occasional meal out, live in a decent area, and have enough to go on dates and enjoy life. You’ll probably earn more than most locals, so you will be fine.
BUT, you will not be popping bottles at the top Bangkok nightlife spots.
How Much Does It Cost to Live Here?
Again, as much or as little as you want.
In Chiang Mai, you can have a very nice studio for $250 or so. You’d be unlikely to find something like that in Bangkok.
If you go a little further south to Vietnam, you won’t be staying in a villa in Bali, but you could get a decent apartment in Jakarta or Batam on an English teacher salary.
If you choose to eat a lot of nice sushi out, you’ll be spending $10 a meal. Or, you can buy street food for $1.
It all comes down to the choices YOU choose to make. Most younger people manage to make things work on around $1,000 per month (including some meals at the school), but I think it’s best to assume you’ll need at least $1,200 to live more comfortably.
It’s difficult to estimate costs, but I don’t think you’d be able to make things work on $500 a month, like some were claiming some years ago…
Conclusion
Teaching English in Thailand can be a great way to get your foot into living abroad, dating abroad, and becoming a digital nomad.
Of course, it has it’s pitfalls… but once you get your hands dirty and get used to living there, I think you’ll be willing to let them slide.
It’s a great stepping off point into living life on your own terms, and I’d recommend it to almost anyone who wants to experience all that Thai culture has to offer.
PS: If you want to supplement your English teaching salary, it’s incredibly simple to build a blog like this one.
A few links to some products that you use can really add some dollars to your bottom line. So think long term and start a side hustle to make things easier!
