The TEFL job market has been dead in Thailand since 2008. Of course,you’ll reach this conclusion when you compare job opportunities for English teachers with other countries. If you are thinking about coming to Thailand to teach English, think twice. It’s very hard to find teaching jobs,here and salaries are really low in comparison with some other countries like Korea,Taiwan,Japan,...Good luck
I am teaching at a government school of 2600 students in a rural area in Isaan. On the first day of this school year the Director told me of budgetary problems which he foresaw as a result of a change of policy (presumably the MOE). This policy dictates that the school is not to ask parents for money for any reason - books, extra-curricular activities, or for paying contract teachers etc…(my salary has come from this source). This resulted in me receiving only half of my salary for the month of November, and the annual school English Camp excursion (March) is unlikely to proceed.
This policy, I believe, will result in a large fall in the number of native speaking teachers employed in the Kingdom by government schools. Given that demand for tuition by native speakers is still there, I think many of us will be freelancing in the near future. If the government schools cannot provide the facility, the void will be filled with private lessons.
I have been told that the job market for qualified TEFL teachers has been declining in the past few months, but I haven’t had a problem yet. I moved to Thailand in October 2009 and I got a job through a placement agency. Turns out they contracted me to be paid 26000/mo but my school only gives me 18000/mo, so I began searching for new work after only a couple of weeks in Thailand. I sent out only one application, for a teaching position at Rajabhat University, and got one interview and got the job which pays 35000/mo. There was one other applicant for the job; a middle aged (40) British man with over five years of teaching experience in Thailand. I was surprised they hired me over him. Like others have said before me, I think I was hired based on my “look” rather than my credentials. I have a BA in English, I have a “clean” American accent, I just turned 24 years old, and many Thai people call me handsome, although I am not sure why. Other factors that helped include my willingness to stay in Thailand (I would like to be here for a few years, maybe even longer), and the fact that I was already living in the area. Jobs are out there, but you really have to play into the Thai discrimination game. It may be an unfair system, but I can’t complain.
By Calan K, Chachoengsao on 2010-01-21