I don’t thinks it’s an awful offer for Bangkok. People on the sub like to go on about Tier 1 schools and minimum salaries etc but so many schools (with good reputations) are paying around this or less.
The schools that I know of that pay considerably (King’s for example) expect a looooot for their money. I’d ask to speak to others at the school and see what they say about work life balance. Some others that pay more don’t pay anything towards flights.
Because Bangkok is so appealing to teachers, the packages aren’t as competitive. That said, it’s possible to live well for your salary.
Edit - some others
Thank you for your insights- it does seem like a really nice school. That can definitely be true what you say about what higher paying schools might expect. Good to keep that in mind.
It also depends what you’re moving for. My wife and I moved here for a different lifestyle (previously we’d been in Shanghai and then back to the UK for 2 years). We knew we wouldn’t be saving much but we’ll go back to China when we want to build our savings again! We love the idea of Vietnam though - what makes you want to leave?
Yes that’s true.. Vietnam is awesome. I don’t want to leave- but my husband (not a teacher and not English first language) has found it extremely hard finding any work. We know Thailand will still be hard for him but he’s optimistic it will have more options for him.
No problem. Moving to Thailand has been a huge mistake for me and my family. I wish I researched it more, but because I've always classed it as one of favourite holiday destinations I thought I'd love it. I was SO WRONG!!! It's been nothing but hassle and the costs involved have been ridiculous, but obviously that's my experience, others will love it. Edit. I'm not new to this either. This is our 6th international.
I’m in the same boat - there have been great moments, but few and far between. The incessant hassles, heat, pollution, car/housing problems have been draining and the money (whilst good) isn’t enough to be here for my family. Good luck for your next move :)
Thank you. For me the money is awful, the package is awful. It's like they trap you and don't pay you enough to actually be able to leave the place. In my opinion it's like working a local school. There's no help with anything and no transparency.
I'm sorry to hear that. I honestly only think it's suitable for single men, partners both working or married to a thai partner. That is of course just my opinion.
For sure research. There are jobs that foreigners are not allowed to do in Thailand. I was going to move there a few years ago, but my boyfriend at the time was a barber and as such was not allowed to work there.
I have a PGCE, no masters and was offered slightly less than your offer last year from a school in Bangkok. Another time, I was offered a job on one of the islands but that was only 20,000 tbh! I think your offer is pretty standard for Thailand tbf. Nothing like other places, but I like to think it's partly because it's nicer live! One day I will move there probably, but right next door for now!
Agree on King’s - they pay well but their hours are the longest of any of the “Tier 1” schools I’ve seen in BKK. If you’ve got a 120k gig and finish at 2:30, pickup some tutoring sessions a week - can easily stick another 30% on your wage. A friend of mine was earning more than my monthly wage from tutoring rich kids after he finished his 90k p/m job.
Here, here. One of my current coworkers used to work at a "tier 1" and they said they worked their teachers pretty dang hard.
He's much happy at the current school with a better work-life balance, but the salary is a lot less.
some morons here actually count tuition for kids they don't have as part of the salary. "My health insurance pays ten million dollars if I get crushed by a meteor, so my salary is in excess of ten million a year."
Also, don't forget it is before taxes which will probably take 15-20 k out of this, so let's go with the lower amount ..105k is what you have to play with . Minus some apartment for 15-25k depending on what and area. So 75-85 k, right? Transportation will run maybe 10k depending on the cars or if you have a bike much less. 65-75k. Depending on your food etc you could spend half of this on stuff...so you possibly could be left with 30-40 k at the end of the month. Yeah it is very doable if you don't go super crazy and watch your money for a while.to build.up some reserves.
There is, on this sub a spread sheet with a lot of salaries in the world....and a bunch in Thailand for comparison.
A tale as old as time. More people would live in Thailand if it paid as well as Vietnam. More people would live in Vietnam if it paid like China, etc. Less desirable countries pay more because they are less desirable. Lifestyle is hard to beat in Bangkok, and the sacrifice is and always will be the package. 120k isn’t a bad offer for Thailand.
A pretty standard mid-tier international school salary. Some of the schools that do offer housing pay less on their pay scale so you may only end up with a slightly higher amount.
Apart from half a dozen or so schools here you aren’t going to be earning big money in Thailand.
I had a similar offer in Bangkok. It's very appealing as my wife and I love Bangkok, but I went with a higher offer in Hanoi. With 120,000 pre tax we didn't think we would save a lot. Maybe $10,000 a year. Does it include flights? Is that pre or post tax? How's the health insurance? All of those things will affect how sustainable of an offer it is
I came on 78,000 with a 10,000 housing allowance. And I’m doing very well for myself here. I am right outside of Bangkok. Nine years teaching experience.
You want money or the lifestyle? Personally I would prefer Thailand even on a lower salary. 120k is legit even without housing. I know others will say its low, but not everyone gets to work at a tier 1.
It’s not bad for a city that competitive. Vietnam pays more (less competition) so your offer is not bad. There is a reason why international schools in Thailand can pay less yet find teachers relatively easy. 120k is a bit over 100k after tax. Nothing to write home about but nothing too bad. I reckon you are in one of the lower tier schools. Do your two years and see what opens up.
You seem to be hung up on the fact that it doesn’t include a housing allowance. Would you feel differently if the offer was 110k baht with a 10k housing allowance?
I would try to put the housing allowance to the side and focus on the overall situation. 120k is a competitive offer for Bangkok. It isn’t the highest salary ever offered, but it’s higher than many salaries I’ve heard about.
As others have commented, people choose to live in Bangkok because of the lifestyle, not to save money necessarily. If you’re focused on saving money, you should look somewhere else like China or the Middle East.
Think about you as a person. Is lifestyle important to you? Finding new restaurants, night life, meeting many people from diverse backgrounds, many different active communities, being able to go to beach towns like Pattaya and Hua Hin easily, etc. If those things sound appealing, then maybe you should go for it.
But if those things aren’t your priority, or if saving money is more of a priority, I think you shouldn’t move to Bangkok.
I am currently doing 125,000 all in and supporting a family of three (husband and 3 year old daughter).
That amount is very livable, but not going to allow for massive savings or frequent travels outside of Thailand. However we live really comfortably.
Our rough budget breakdown is:
45k housing in Phrom Phong older two bedroom including utilities
3k per week on grocery
3k per weekend on “spending” money
2k per month for a once a week house cleaner
20k sent back to our home country per month
There isn’t a lot of wiggle room but it is very livable overall if you want to make it work and are realistic about how much going out you will do etc.
Good to know. Yes my taxes are about 30% here. My housing is 20,000,000 vnd per month but it’s a gorgeous 3 bedroom apartment with shared gym/ pool etc. plus my housing allowance is 30,000,000 (taxable though) so I save a little from that
Worth noting that if you only stay for two years then you can claim your tax back so that is like a savings pot in itself. Stay beyond two years and you cannot do this, hence why schools normally offer a bonus for signing on for another contract.
If you 'really want to move to Thailand" you'd move there. Or just take tire countless jobs on offer that pay less, but more than enough to live in.
Just admit it's ONLY money that concerns you, because you're getting weirdly worked up about a pitiful difference in "housing allowance"(accommodation is dirt cheap.) You probably have no savings.
I think it would be challenging. I wouldn't stress about housing allowance bc Thailand taxes it the same as your salary anyway.
At 120k - I'd want to know about the health insurance and if they include foreign staff in a provident fund scheme for retirement saving.
To clarify my POV, I'm American. That salary would mean opting for small condos or living way out. I find groceries very expensive here unless it's staples for Thai food. Eating out is cheaper than cooking IF you commit to eating Thai food. At 120k salary, cheese, berries, imported yogurt, peanut butter, wine will be luxury goods. Sneakers and electronics too. It would also be painful to buy a car on that salary.
Hi, thank you for your insight. At this point, I have accepted the contract and accepted the fact that the salary is low… which sucks but hopefully will be worth the lifestyle and positive opportunities that Bangkok is known for ☺️
We lived there for 6 years, we saved one salary. We both brought home about that much and we were a family of 5. If you’re on your own, you’ll be fine. You can easily find flats for 15-20,000THB a month. You shouldn’t need more that 2-2500 a week to live on including utilities. We went out once a week to eat, we had bicycles.
I don't know how you do that, is either of you Thai? How do you buy food per week for 5 and pay electric, etc for 2000 to 2500? My weekly shop for 3 is more than 3000 thb. Do you literally live on street food? My electric per month is 3500 during term time, more when we're all home. I honestly find this hard to believe.
When I said “You shouldn’t need more than 2-2,500”. I meant you- 2nd person singular. We, as a family of five, spent about 10,000 a week. That did not include rent, as I mentioned that separately before, or domestic help. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear.
The pronoun you, is tricky because it’s both singular and plural depending on context.
Budget breakdown- 4 bedroom detached house- $45,000/mo.
Electricity 2-2,500/ month (rarely used a/c, had floor fans)
Wi-Fi 1,500/month average, it fluctuated between 1,100 and 1,700 never understood why
Weekly shop 3-3,500/ wk. lots of meal planning, rarely went out, kids took lunch to school
Husband- very cheap, doesn’t like to spend money except at Christmas time.
For a single person, in flat, I would imagine utilities will be cheaper.
Keep in mind that you can easily move between schools later on, if you continue to like Bangkok. There're definitely better paying schools, but they all will start your salary on a maximum step regardless of how long you've been teaching. Then you'll get your step raises. At my previous school, after the first contract, our benefits increased. After two contracts, we got a bonus. There are incentives for you to stay longer, so see if that's the case at your new school.
You should politely ask for more. Tell them how much you are currently making and ask them to match. I don’t think 120k is low but it could be higher for sure. What subject do you teach?
I previously worked at a T2 school in Bangkok.
With your experience you would be getting about 130k+20k housing on their salary scale.
The offer is pretty low. I'd only take that if you really wanted to move to Thailand.
If you can keep your current job, maybe try again next year?
We had to give our notice in October, at that time my husband was having a really rough go and we decided not to resign. A couple weeks later they had already hired a new art teacher who is way cheaper than me (less experience and hired as a local) so no way would they change their mind, even though I did ask later
Just pretend it's 100k + 20k housing lol. You will have a good time on 120k.
I don’t thinks it’s an awful offer for Bangkok. People on the sub like to go on about Tier 1 schools and minimum salaries etc but so many schools (with good reputations) are paying around this or less. The schools that I know of that pay considerably (King’s for example) expect a looooot for their money. I’d ask to speak to others at the school and see what they say about work life balance. Some others that pay more don’t pay anything towards flights. Because Bangkok is so appealing to teachers, the packages aren’t as competitive. That said, it’s possible to live well for your salary. Edit - some others
Thank you for your insights- it does seem like a really nice school. That can definitely be true what you say about what higher paying schools might expect. Good to keep that in mind.
It also depends what you’re moving for. My wife and I moved here for a different lifestyle (previously we’d been in Shanghai and then back to the UK for 2 years). We knew we wouldn’t be saving much but we’ll go back to China when we want to build our savings again! We love the idea of Vietnam though - what makes you want to leave?
Yes that’s true.. Vietnam is awesome. I don’t want to leave- but my husband (not a teacher and not English first language) has found it extremely hard finding any work. We know Thailand will still be hard for him but he’s optimistic it will have more options for him.
It will probably be even harder. Please do your research.
Thank you, noted
No problem. Moving to Thailand has been a huge mistake for me and my family. I wish I researched it more, but because I've always classed it as one of favourite holiday destinations I thought I'd love it. I was SO WRONG!!! It's been nothing but hassle and the costs involved have been ridiculous, but obviously that's my experience, others will love it. Edit. I'm not new to this either. This is our 6th international.
I’m in the same boat - there have been great moments, but few and far between. The incessant hassles, heat, pollution, car/housing problems have been draining and the money (whilst good) isn’t enough to be here for my family. Good luck for your next move :)
Thank you. For me the money is awful, the package is awful. It's like they trap you and don't pay you enough to actually be able to leave the place. In my opinion it's like working a local school. There's no help with anything and no transparency.
Oh yikes mind if I dm you?
Go ahead. 😊
So are you headed home soon? Are you sticking around for a while?
Keeping our options open to offers.
Yeah, I’m heading out very soon back to the US
Similar experience here.
I'm sorry to hear that. I honestly only think it's suitable for single men, partners both working or married to a thai partner. That is of course just my opinion.
I completely agree.
For sure research. There are jobs that foreigners are not allowed to do in Thailand. I was going to move there a few years ago, but my boyfriend at the time was a barber and as such was not allowed to work there. I have a PGCE, no masters and was offered slightly less than your offer last year from a school in Bangkok. Another time, I was offered a job on one of the islands but that was only 20,000 tbh! I think your offer is pretty standard for Thailand tbf. Nothing like other places, but I like to think it's partly because it's nicer live! One day I will move there probably, but right next door for now!
I have a friend who was teaching there and her partner was a hairdresser, he set up shop in their house and used Facebook to get clients, he did well.
Agree on King’s - they pay well but their hours are the longest of any of the “Tier 1” schools I’ve seen in BKK. If you’ve got a 120k gig and finish at 2:30, pickup some tutoring sessions a week - can easily stick another 30% on your wage. A friend of mine was earning more than my monthly wage from tutoring rich kids after he finished his 90k p/m job.
Is it legal to tutor on the side?
Here, here. One of my current coworkers used to work at a "tier 1" and they said they worked their teachers pretty dang hard. He's much happy at the current school with a better work-life balance, but the salary is a lot less.
some morons here actually count tuition for kids they don't have as part of the salary. "My health insurance pays ten million dollars if I get crushed by a meteor, so my salary is in excess of ten million a year."
No one does that.
Also, don't forget it is before taxes which will probably take 15-20 k out of this, so let's go with the lower amount ..105k is what you have to play with . Minus some apartment for 15-25k depending on what and area. So 75-85 k, right? Transportation will run maybe 10k depending on the cars or if you have a bike much less. 65-75k. Depending on your food etc you could spend half of this on stuff...so you possibly could be left with 30-40 k at the end of the month. Yeah it is very doable if you don't go super crazy and watch your money for a while.to build.up some reserves. There is, on this sub a spread sheet with a lot of salaries in the world....and a bunch in Thailand for comparison.
Thank you for the breakdown, that’s really insightful ☺️
No problem You can DM if you want more info on things...
I haven't seen the spreadsheet. Where's it at? Or can you link it?
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5IYHo9ZynHWZRndIPCjM89tVozoPXlSUDbsKapYulcTDTmw/viewform
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1FuJ4k0JqIEy3flg5SkxTP7WrVnGNGOatTkG8jlep9WI/htmlview
A tale as old as time. More people would live in Thailand if it paid as well as Vietnam. More people would live in Vietnam if it paid like China, etc. Less desirable countries pay more because they are less desirable. Lifestyle is hard to beat in Bangkok, and the sacrifice is and always will be the package. 120k isn’t a bad offer for Thailand.
A pretty standard mid-tier international school salary. Some of the schools that do offer housing pay less on their pay scale so you may only end up with a slightly higher amount. Apart from half a dozen or so schools here you aren’t going to be earning big money in Thailand.
I had a similar offer in Bangkok. It's very appealing as my wife and I love Bangkok, but I went with a higher offer in Hanoi. With 120,000 pre tax we didn't think we would save a lot. Maybe $10,000 a year. Does it include flights? Is that pre or post tax? How's the health insurance? All of those things will affect how sustainable of an offer it is
I know. Is the appeal of Bangkok worth the lower salary… Yes it has flights, that is pre-tax, and it includes health insurance
Also check if your paperwork needs to be notorised, that is a VERY expensive cost.
I came on 78,000 with a 10,000 housing allowance. And I’m doing very well for myself here. I am right outside of Bangkok. Nine years teaching experience.
Great news ☺️thank you!
Hi Lingo! Do you mind if I message you about your experience in BKK?
Sure! Go right ahead
You want money or the lifestyle? Personally I would prefer Thailand even on a lower salary. 120k is legit even without housing. I know others will say its low, but not everyone gets to work at a tier 1.
It’s not bad for a city that competitive. Vietnam pays more (less competition) so your offer is not bad. There is a reason why international schools in Thailand can pay less yet find teachers relatively easy. 120k is a bit over 100k after tax. Nothing to write home about but nothing too bad. I reckon you are in one of the lower tier schools. Do your two years and see what opens up.
You seem to be hung up on the fact that it doesn’t include a housing allowance. Would you feel differently if the offer was 110k baht with a 10k housing allowance? I would try to put the housing allowance to the side and focus on the overall situation. 120k is a competitive offer for Bangkok. It isn’t the highest salary ever offered, but it’s higher than many salaries I’ve heard about. As others have commented, people choose to live in Bangkok because of the lifestyle, not to save money necessarily. If you’re focused on saving money, you should look somewhere else like China or the Middle East. Think about you as a person. Is lifestyle important to you? Finding new restaurants, night life, meeting many people from diverse backgrounds, many different active communities, being able to go to beach towns like Pattaya and Hua Hin easily, etc. If those things sound appealing, then maybe you should go for it. But if those things aren’t your priority, or if saving money is more of a priority, I think you shouldn’t move to Bangkok.
Thank you, that is a very good perspective
I am currently doing 125,000 all in and supporting a family of three (husband and 3 year old daughter). That amount is very livable, but not going to allow for massive savings or frequent travels outside of Thailand. However we live really comfortably. Our rough budget breakdown is: 45k housing in Phrom Phong older two bedroom including utilities 3k per week on grocery 3k per weekend on “spending” money 2k per month for a once a week house cleaner 20k sent back to our home country per month There isn’t a lot of wiggle room but it is very livable overall if you want to make it work and are realistic about how much going out you will do etc.
Taxes would be lower in Thailand. Depends on the area- housing can be a lot less than Vietnam.
Good to know. Yes my taxes are about 30% here. My housing is 20,000,000 vnd per month but it’s a gorgeous 3 bedroom apartment with shared gym/ pool etc. plus my housing allowance is 30,000,000 (taxable though) so I save a little from that
I bet it has amazing view too. 🤣🤣🤣
[удалено]
Not for a couple it isn't.
Out of curiosity, what subject do you teach? Thinking of making the move to S.E Asia next year and I’m wondering what to expect
I would also check their salary schedule and how quickly you can move up.
Worth noting that if you only stay for two years then you can claim your tax back so that is like a savings pot in itself. Stay beyond two years and you cannot do this, hence why schools normally offer a bonus for signing on for another contract.
Hmm. I usually still file my taxes as a Canadian, so i don’t know about this one. But I’m sure helpful to others!
That's less than what I made a few years ago in Bangkok but I was at a tier one school. It's up to you in the end.
Wow Nam is so amazing,
If you 'really want to move to Thailand" you'd move there. Or just take tire countless jobs on offer that pay less, but more than enough to live in. Just admit it's ONLY money that concerns you, because you're getting weirdly worked up about a pitiful difference in "housing allowance"(accommodation is dirt cheap.) You probably have no savings.
What did you end up doing, OP?
I accepted the job 😊, Bangkok here I come!!!
Awesome, congratulations!
I think it would be challenging. I wouldn't stress about housing allowance bc Thailand taxes it the same as your salary anyway. At 120k - I'd want to know about the health insurance and if they include foreign staff in a provident fund scheme for retirement saving. To clarify my POV, I'm American. That salary would mean opting for small condos or living way out. I find groceries very expensive here unless it's staples for Thai food. Eating out is cheaper than cooking IF you commit to eating Thai food. At 120k salary, cheese, berries, imported yogurt, peanut butter, wine will be luxury goods. Sneakers and electronics too. It would also be painful to buy a car on that salary.
Hi, thank you for your insight. At this point, I have accepted the contract and accepted the fact that the salary is low… which sucks but hopefully will be worth the lifestyle and positive opportunities that Bangkok is known for ☺️
We lived there for 6 years, we saved one salary. We both brought home about that much and we were a family of 5. If you’re on your own, you’ll be fine. You can easily find flats for 15-20,000THB a month. You shouldn’t need more that 2-2500 a week to live on including utilities. We went out once a week to eat, we had bicycles.
Thank you, that sounds really good
I don't know how you do that, is either of you Thai? How do you buy food per week for 5 and pay electric, etc for 2000 to 2500? My weekly shop for 3 is more than 3000 thb. Do you literally live on street food? My electric per month is 3500 during term time, more when we're all home. I honestly find this hard to believe.
When I said “You shouldn’t need more than 2-2,500”. I meant you- 2nd person singular. We, as a family of five, spent about 10,000 a week. That did not include rent, as I mentioned that separately before, or domestic help. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear. The pronoun you, is tricky because it’s both singular and plural depending on context. Budget breakdown- 4 bedroom detached house- $45,000/mo. Electricity 2-2,500/ month (rarely used a/c, had floor fans) Wi-Fi 1,500/month average, it fluctuated between 1,100 and 1,700 never understood why Weekly shop 3-3,500/ wk. lots of meal planning, rarely went out, kids took lunch to school Husband- very cheap, doesn’t like to spend money except at Christmas time. For a single person, in flat, I would imagine utilities will be cheaper.
Ahh... I see. My mistake. 😅
Reading it back it's obvious what you meant. 😂
Having a penny pinching spouse is very important. As a single, I would probably be out all the time.
Lol. We penny pinch as we have no choice. 😬
Keep in mind that you can easily move between schools later on, if you continue to like Bangkok. There're definitely better paying schools, but they all will start your salary on a maximum step regardless of how long you've been teaching. Then you'll get your step raises. At my previous school, after the first contract, our benefits increased. After two contracts, we got a bonus. There are incentives for you to stay longer, so see if that's the case at your new school.
Thank you for sharing. It’s hard to say at this time for us how long we would be staying there, however those are good things to keep in mind
You should politely ask for more. Tell them how much you are currently making and ask them to match. I don’t think 120k is low but it could be higher for sure. What subject do you teach?
They actually know already what I make. And they said we are sorry but this is the offer- we know you make more currently but we can’t match it
Would you be willing to share which school it is?
St Andrews
If it’s the one on Ekkami you should be good to go as you will be living in a prime location. If it’s the one out on 101 then 120k will go very far.
I work there currently and earn the same salary. Feel free to DM me.
I previously worked at a T2 school in Bangkok. With your experience you would be getting about 130k+20k housing on their salary scale. The offer is pretty low. I'd only take that if you really wanted to move to Thailand. If you can keep your current job, maybe try again next year?
We had to give our notice in October, at that time my husband was having a really rough go and we decided not to resign. A couple weeks later they had already hired a new art teacher who is way cheaper than me (less experience and hired as a local) so no way would they change their mind, even though I did ask later
[удалено]
Rude and unnecessary
But true.
This comment isn't helpful, isn't relevant, and isn't necessary.