Dan
Working in: Bangkok
Monthly Earnings: 34,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 34,000
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. 3,000 (but I rarely do)
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. I pay 5,500 baht for a two bedroom, two story house near the On-Nut BTS.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 300 |
|---|---|
| b) Utility bills | 400 |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 7,000 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 2,000 |
| e) Books, computers | 1,500 |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. Not bad, but buying a fridge or similar appliance finishes my monthly “petty cash”
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. DVD Rental- 5 films for seven nights all for only a 100 baht. Amazing Thailand!
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. For a farang? At least 20,000 baht
Phil's analysis and comment
In my opinion 30-35,000 baht a month is the absolute minimum you can survive on in Bangkok so Dan is a nice case study to start off with. He works in the capital and earns 34,000 a month.
He's certainly got things sorted out in the housing department, paying only 5,500 for a house in a great location. I'm guessing that because his utility bill is so low the house either doesn't have air-conditioning or he very rarely switches it on. For me a house without air-con blasting away (at least in one room) is no fun at all. That said, Dan doesn't skimp on his grub, and he's obviously something of a 'taxi man'. With the average cost of a taxi journey being about 80 baht, he must take plenty of cabs. I'm with him all the way on the bus thing. While 500 baht a week spent on nightlife hardly puts him in the Peter Stringfellow category, 3,000 baht a month going into the savings account is a bit worrying. I'm sure Dan would like to build up more of a savings 'cushion' if he could.
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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.
