Jason
Working in: Bangkok
Monthly Earnings: 50-70,000
Q. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
A. 50,000 to 70,000 Baht, depending upon the hours worked.
Q. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
A. Zilch in practice, but about 20k in theory.
Q. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
A. 19k/month. I have a two-bedroom condo on Sukhumwit soi 23
Q. What do you spend a month on the following things?
| a) Transportation | 1,500 |
|---|---|
| b) Utility bills | 5,000 (includes a part-time maid) |
| c) Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping | 10,000 |
| d) Nightlife and drinking | 8,000 |
| e) Books, computers | 500 |
Q. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
A. Comfortable, but could be better.
Q. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
A. Food, especially good quality proper food (not street rubbish
Q. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
A. If they are happy living in a shoebox, about 40,000.
Phil's analysis and comment
Jason is an interesting case study. He earns 50-70,000 baht a month, which is a decent income for a Bangkok teacher, but lives (or tries to live) the life of someone on double that amount. 19,000 baht a month for an apartment! a part-time maid to rinse out his smalls! 18,000 baht a month on food and entertainment! Leave me out. You have to live within your means as a teacher. If Jason has a nice nest egg behind him then who can blame him for lording it up til the wee small hours. If he doesn't have a bit of floorboard money stashed away, then I'd sure hate to be his bank manager. I think I'd hate to be his liver as well.
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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.
