Christopher
Working in: Bangkok
Monthly Earnings: 70,000 - 75,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 70-75,000 per month (two jobs)
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. 15,000 or more.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. 12,000 + 4,000 utilities & DSL. I rent a two bedroom townhouse about 1 km from a subway station.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 2-3,000 for work, plus more on the weekends. |
|---|---|
| b) Utility bills | 1,500 (I rarely use AC) |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 10 - 15,000 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 2-3,000 |
| e) Books, computers | 2-3,000 |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. I'm comfortable
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Dining out.
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. It really depends on your lifestyle. If you are single and eat Thai food, as little as 25,000 would be OK. If you are married, I'd say 40K would be your minimum. If you have kids, your costs will skyrocket!
Phil's analysis and comment
70-75,000 baht a month means a very comfortable standard of living in Bangkok but Chris did contact me to tell me that he was married with one stepson. I'm glad he said that because I would be surprised if a single guy earning 70,000+ was only putting 15,000 a month in the bottom drawer. Chris' other job by the way, is a proofreading and editing position that pays 25K a month on top of the 50K he gets from teaching. Sounds like there might be a lot of hours to work there but when you're married with children, those are the sacrifices you make I guess.
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Ajarn Guests
Going Home
I possess ten years of classroom EFL teaching experience, plus a solid education, and this was the type of work available to me. There were many moments, such as when I was cleaning a toilet bowl, or when a housekeeper ordered me to do something, that frustration welled up inside me.
Teacher nightmares part two
More stories from teachers in Thailand who have found themselves in difficult situations often through no fault of their own. Can you offer them some good advice?
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
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.
