The Ajarn Guide for Newbies
New to Thailand? If you've just arrived in Thailand or you're sitting at home thinking about coming to Thailand, then the newbie FAQ is a good place to start.
ต้องการร่วมงานกับครูต่างชาติไหม?
Ajarn.com ได้ถูกก่อตั้งขึ้นมานานกว่า 10 ปี (ตั้งแต่ปี ค.ศ 1999) และเป็นเว็บไซต์สำหรับครูสอนภาษาอังกฤษในประเทศไทยที่ใหญ่ที่สุด
คุณสามารถลงทะเบียนและลงประกาศโฆษณาตำแหน่งงาน คุณจะได้รับจดหมายสมัครงานจากครูสอนภาษาอังกฤษที่สนใจในประกาศงานของคุณในทันที
คุณสามารถเปิดอ่านประวัติของผู้สมัครงานจากฐานข้อมูลของระบบ และยังสามารถติดต่อผู้สมัครงานได้โดยตรง
ถ้าคุณต้องการความช่วยเหลือในการใช้งานของระบบเรา โปรดอ่านที่หัวข้อ
The Cost of Living
Find out how different people survive on their teacher salaries. Is it possible to burn through a fortune on entertainment alone? Will 40,000 baht a month get you a much better standard of living than 30,000 a month? Phil has the answers. You decide how much you need to survive either in the rurals or in big bad Bangers.
The Work Permit and Visa FAQ
Thailand has quite possibly the most complex visa system on the planet. Ask ten different people about a certain visa and you'll probably get eleven different answers. We'll do our best to give you the most accurate information possible with the help of the FAQ and our 'visa guru'
Health Insurance
Be prepared for the worst - with Thai health insurance options. So many teachers live and work in Thailand without any kind of health cover whatsoever. What are your insurance options if you suddenly find that youth is passing you by and you still see your long-term future here? And are schools that offer you 'free health insurance' really offering you something worthwhile? Read Phil's article on Thai health insurance.
Region Guides
Only the ajarn.com region guides are written by teachers... for teachers. If you are thinking of teaching out in the boonies, then find out about various towns and cities around Thailand by reading our unique guides. Is there a supermarket? And will it have Jaffa Cakes? The Lonely Planet books can't always be trusted you know.
Your Questions Answered
We have eight sections of your teaching-related questions including visa issues, legal issues, worriers, working in Bangkok and working and surviving in rural Thailand, If your question isn't answered here then why not send it to us.
Currency Converter
A handy guide showing major currencies against the Thai Baht, and a quick calculator to check custom amounts.
Articles
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Talkin’ bout my situation
Everyone's situation is a little different
A section of the ajarn website for those teachers looking to embark on a teaching career in Thailand and have so many questions and no real answers.
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Teachers’ licenses - laws and links
All the rules and regs regarding teacher licences
Many thanks to Ajarn Forum member, Stamp, for supplying the following links to information on the complex topic of teacher licenses - and how you can teach legally in Thailand.
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The ajarn.com guide to renting an apartment
Everything you need to know about renting an apartment in Thailand
If you're searching for an apartment in Bangkok - or anywhere else in Thailand for that matter - then read the ajarn.com guide to apartment-hunting and learn the tricks of the trade.
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Teachers tax treaty claims
Working your way through the teacher tax minefield
It is not unusual for certain schools to under declare a teacher's salary and consequently the tax documents provided to the teacher do not always agree with amounts paid to the Revenue Department. Sometimes the Revenue Department do not even know the teacher existed.
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How to land that job
Tips for getting a teaching job in Thailand.
Thinking of interviewing for teaching jobs? What's the best way to go about it? What are the questions to ask at an interview and what kind of answers should you be looking for?
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Making your resume count
How to get the best from your ajarn on-line resume
If schools want to contact you about a vacant position and their e-mail comes back at them like a boomerang, they won't make a note of it and contact you on another day. They'll move on to the next person and you'll be forgotten.
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Thailand on 30K a month
Is it feast or famine?
With many teaching positions on the ajarn jobs page paying 30,000 baht a month (some even less) forum member Hollow has decided to put things to the test and record his daily spend. Many employers tell us that 30,000 baht a month is enough to live a very comfortable lifestyle - even in Bangkok. I've heard Thai people describe that kind of dough as 'luxury' Then again perhaps that's a load of old tosh. So does 30K a month enable you to lord it up right until the last day of the month or are you going to be stumbling through the final week on a diet of pot noodles and tap water? OK Hollow. Pencil? Notebook? Let's begin.
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The ajarn.com guide to renting a house
When you've had quite enough of apartment living.
For those getting tired of apartment life and the world and its uncle knowing your business - then perhaps renting a house could be the answer. It's not going to be the easiest thing you've ever done - but nothing is impossible.
Featured Teachers
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Jonary
BA (1)
Filippino (male, 25 years old, native Cebuano speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Charlotte
BA (1)
British (female, 22 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Patrick
BA (1)
American (male, 42 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Deborah
Certificate (3)
American (female, 58 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Kay Anne
BEd (1)
Filippino (female, 27 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Abner
Certificate (10), BSc (1)
Filippino (male, 44 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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James
Certificate (1), BA (1)
American (male, 50 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Willem
BEd (1)
South African (male, 25 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jon
Certificate (1), BA (1)
American (male, 44 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Barry
MA (7), Diploma (1), BA (1)
American (male, 58 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
Ajarn Guests
Fear of change?
In Thailand the government has set 2012 as English Speaking Year with a goal of encouraging students to converse in English every Monday. Such policies are useful but the major leap of enacting legislation to make English an official language for Thailand is also needed
Software for student tests
The integration of internet and computers with education and English learning is something students find normal, and classrooms without some access to educational software may seem quaint. Some students may even feel they can get more ‘professional' teaching from the numerous online ELT sites if a school is behind in IT.
Whatever happened to the shopping mall teacher?
They are the shopping mall English teachers - gliding like pale, undernourished phantoms amid the hordes of weekend Thai shoppers. The main reason I empathize with the shopping mall teacher is because I was once one myself. I know how desperate and soul-destroying it can be.
About Ajarn.com
Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.
Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.
