Barry
Working in: Hua Hin
Monthly Earnings: 50,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. Just under 50,000 (employer covers all deductions) working as part of the training department in a health resort in Hua Hin. I teach mostly English classes, but also get involved with other resort training.
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. Between 20-25,000.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I have a studio style apartment, with maid service (100 metres from the beach) which comes with the job.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 1,000 for Bangkok vans and a few motorbike taxis - I work next door to my apartment! |
|---|---|
| b) Utility bills | 1,500 for mobile - air-con, hot water, laundry, cable, net and electric covered by company |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 8,000 - eating good food is my weak point after a week of staff canteen food! |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 12,000 - I stay in BKK most weekends when I visit my girlfriend and like a few cold ones from time to time. |
| e) Books, computers | Nothing |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. I live a very good life, doing what I want, when I want - but know I could be a bit more "frugal"!
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. In general most things are a bargain, but after 5 years in Thailand I have noticed prices are not at all as competitive as they were when I first got here. You can't beat the prices of DVDs, getting around and local food.
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. I would say around 40,000 to live in a reasonable place and enough to enjoy Thailand. Scraping by with notihng left at the end of the month is not the way to do it here!
Phil's analysis and comment
I like the sound of Barry's lifestyle. He earns a decent salary and he saves a good part of it. And I can't think of a nicer place in Thailand to earn a living as a teacher than Hua Hin. Being a beach resort, there are plenty of temptations though. It doesn't surprise me one bit that Barry spends 20,000 baht a month on food and nightlife. Hua Hin certainly isn't Pattaya but there is plenty to spend your cash on. Just to clear things up, 'Bangkok vans' refers to the shuttle buses that ply the route from Hua Hin to Bangkok and back again. It's probably the fastest and most economical way to get from one to the other.
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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
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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.
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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.
