Darren
Working in: Bangkok
Monthly Earnings:
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 40,000 - 50,000 Baht
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. About 5,000
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. 8,000 Baht for a 1 bedroom apartment (living room and seperate bedroom) on the river.
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 2000 |
|---|---|
| b) Utility bills | 1500 |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 6000 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 0 |
| e) Books, computers | 1000 |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. We do pretty well, we are not living in luxury but we are not struggling either.
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Definitely the food, we can eat out everyday for under 200 Baht.
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. If you are single, 25,000. Married I would not want to live on less than 35,000
Phil's analysis and comment
I think Darren would probably fall into the category of 'typical western teacher' in terms of lifestyle (apart from the fact he doesn't spend money on nightlife and the demon drink) He earns 40-50K a month, which is enough to get him a decent apartment and he seems to be doing OK. Saving 5,000 baht a month is better than nothing, but stuffing 60,000 baht a year under the mattress is never going to give you a golden retirement. One trip home every year and that little nest egg is wiped out in an instant. I don't know of Darren's plans but perhaps teaching in Thailand is something he only wants to do for a few years and that's perfectly OK.
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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.
Most recently answered question:
Are there any teaching agencies in Bangkok that I can just walk into?
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.
