Using an Agency to Teach in Thailand

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Lesson: The agency you start with usually won’t be the agency that employs you and pays you.

The biggest lesson I learned was how much teachers get passed onto different agencies without us actually knowing. It’s weird. I researched the best company to give my money to help me get set up in Thailand. After days of shopping around, I picked one, went through their screening process, emailed back and forth with them for a few weeks until my application was completed and accepted. Then there was nothing. I tried emailing to ask questions, but no one responded. After weeks of no response, someone emailed back vaguely answering my questions. They told me I will learn more when I hear from a “partner company”. They had mentioned this second company before. However, I was under the impression that I wouldn’t be in contact with them until I was actually in Thailand.  

Second Company

It turned out that their “partner company” did most of the work with everything I thought I was paying the original company to do. (Helping me with paperwork, getting a job, getting over to Thailand during Covid, and assistance while I was in Thailand.) Luckily for me, their partner company was my second choice when I originally created a list of who I wanted to help me with this process. The only reason they were the second was that they cost a little more than the first company. Also, the price didn’t provide health insurance as my first choice did. I wasn’t too upset because at the end of the day I seemed to get their services for a discount.

Third Company?!

After being placed, arriving in Thailand, and getting halfway through my week of orientation I realized that this second company was now passing me off to a third company.  The issue was that I had also run into the third company while doing my research. I had labeled them as a company that I didn’t want to work for.  This turned out to be the company that was paying me and whose rules I had to follow during my time working in Thailand. Most of the things the other two agencies told me about getting paid, reimbursed for certain visa requirements, day-to-day requirements at work, etc., didn’t totally matter because it was the third and final agency that was paying me. I was not happy, but I couldn’t do too much about it. I found out less than a week before I started teaching.

Solution

If you are applying for jobs in Thailand you don’t need to go through a company; you can apply directly to schools. This will save you a lot of time, miscommunication, and surprises (including financial surprises.) Now if you are like me, I was nervous applying directly to schools being it was my first time working abroad so an agency felt like a more secure way to go, especially during the time of Covid. I get that, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t go through an agency, but you should be asking these questions when choosing which agency you want to work with:

1. How many partner companies do you have that I will be working with?
2. On average, how many times do teachers in your care get passed along to different agencies?
3. When you get a placement, ask if that placement has you working directly with the school, with the staffing agency you are currently talking to, or a completely different agency. If it is a different agency, do your research before accepting that job offer!

Lesson: Getting your job placement happens at the last minute

Many things in Thai culture happen last minute.  That is just a fact that anyone working in Thailand needs to realize.  It’s going to be frustrating at times and it is going to inconvenience you at times, especially when rules are constantly changing due to Covid.  However, I didn’t realize how last-minute the process of getting a placement really was.  I was one of the lucky ones and was placed before I even arrived in Thailand; many people do not get placed until they arrive. 

I had originally prepared all of my documents (resume, letters of recommendation, introduction video, etc) months in advance thinking that would put me ahead of the game with getting a placement. Honestly, it didn’t matter. Schools won’t start looking for applicants until they are ready and that is usually far closer to the start of the next semester than many new applicants realize.

Solution

Ask questions when first talking with your agency and try to get a solid timeline of when you will most likely have a placement. Talk to the agency and let them know what you are comfortable and uncomfortable with.  Know that this is the process and it is something you will need to be open to if you want to work in Thailand.

Lesson: The workload at different schools varies drastically.

Before going into details, I want to clarify something. My workload here in Thailand is a lot less than when I was teaching in America. It has been a breath of fresh air to have my weeknights and weekends free from doing overtime that I don’t get paid for. If you are a certified teacher in America thinking about making the switch to teach in Thailand, know that your workload will most likely be drastically less.

With that said, there are many factors in teaching that can impact the amount of work you do every week. Here are a few examples:

Different Scenarios

I teach 2 different sections of English speaking and listening classes. I teach 24 different classes of those two sections and only get to see each class once a week. This means that I only have to prepare two lessons a week, which is great! However, I have a total of 945 students, which is a crazy amount! I save a lot of time with lesson planning, but I spend a lot of time trying to track and record grades for all of my students. On my lightest day, I only teach 3 classes, but on my most intensive days, I teach 6 classes.

I have a friend who also teaches 2 different sections of science classes in English. However, she sees her students every day and teaches 3 different classes a day. In total, she teaches 15 classes a week. She has less than 100 students to keep track of, but she has to prepare two different lessons for 5 days each week. That means she is preparing 10 lessons a week.

I know a teacher who co-teaches all of their classes and has their lesson plans and materials already created. They just teach their lessons and grade the work. I know another teacher who isn’t allowed to give their students grades.

What Do You Like About Teaching?

As you can see, the workload and type of work vary drastically between placements. If you have teaching experience, then you probably have a sense of the work that makes you love teaching.

For example, I love creating lessons (given that I have the time during the workday to create a decent lesson), and my classroom management style thrives on getting to know my students. So having 945 students and doing all of that grading instead of lesson planning, isn’t my ideal work setup. However, I also love being in the classroom with the students! I only know a few other teachers who are actually in the classroom teaching as much as I am. Honestly, I am totally ok with it! It is a drop from teaching 35 classes a week when I was in America. But I get a break in between my classes to do the other work, eat a meal, or even use the restroom. (Yes, this is sarcasm directed at the American school system.)

Solution

First, think about and anticipate what you will enjoy about teaching. I know many people teach in Thailand to travel. However, if you have a placement that works to your strengths and what you enjoy doing, it will make your time here much more enjoyable.

When you get a placement, ask as many questions about the workload as possible. However, it is important to know that your agency probably won’t have all of the answers to your questions. There is a good chance that the school will have not finalized a schedule for your placement yet. If you are getting placed closer to the start of the semester, then there is a greater chance of getting answers to your questions. While you might not get straight answers, it never hurts to ask before you accept the placement. Just know that you might have to accept an offer without having all of your questions answered. Here is a list of questions I wish I would have asked my agency before accepting my placement:

• How many classes will I be teaching?
• How many sections of each of those classes will I be teaching?
• Will I see the same students multiple times a week or will I only see my students once a week?
• How many students will I be teaching in total at this placement?
• How many lessons am I expected to create every week?

Lesson: The amount you pay to move and teach in Thailand is very similar to the amount you make in the first semester working at a government school.

You don’t use an agency to come to Thailand and work in a government school if you want to make a lot of money.  The cost of flights, paperwork before you leave, paying an agency, visa and immigration paperwork once you get to Thailand, and all the hidden costs that seem to pop up along the way add up quickly. That first semester you are working is more like just getting paid back for all of those costs and having some money left over to live in Thailand.

Solution

There are lucrative job opportunities in Thailand at private and international schools that will pay more than 3 times the amount I am making at a government school.  I know many teachers who start off working in a government school to get their foot in the door. Over time, they switch to higher-paying jobs.  I also know teachers who skip the agency and apply directly to government schools. That cuts out the middle man and gets you a higher salary. However, know that many of the higher-paying jobs require some sort of teaching experience or degree.

If you don’t have the experience or degree and want to make money in a government school, then I suggest planning on working for at least a year in Thailand. That second semester will really help you come out of the job with a surplus in your bank account. If you like teaching in Thailand, you now have a year of experience and that can help you get a better-paying job.

Lesson: Having a Thai phone number is very important

I came over to Thailand using the phone carrier Google-Fi. I still highly recommend Google Fi if you are doing a lot of traveling around the world. However, you will need a Thai number when working in Thailand.  You will need it to open a bank account, to apply for your work visa and other government paperwork, to enter in attendance and grades for school, (the app my school uses required me to sign in with my Thai phone number) and you will most likely need it to have Wifi in your apartment.  Many Thais don’t have routers in their apartments and instead use their phone’s mobile hotspot.

Solution

Don’t be stubborn like me and wait almost 2 months before getting a Thai Sim card. Also, if you bring a phone from another country, make sure you get it unlocked before you leave for Thailand. Be aware that many U.S. phone companies won’t unlock your phone until you paid it off in full. Once you are in Thailand, getting unlimited data on your phone plan is cheap and easy. I got a sim card from 7-eleven through True. I only paid 300 baht (~9 USD) a month for unlimited data. You can also get a new phone in Thailand. However, some phone prices are more expensive than in your home country because they are shipped to Thailand. Do your research before you leave, if you want to buy a phone in Thailand.

Conclusion

Teaching and working in Thailand is a highly rewarding experience! I recommend it to anyone interested in living and working abroad. However, it is important to do your research to choose a company or school that will help find a job that matches your wants, needs, and lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions or ask a multitude of questions. If you want to teach in Thailand and have questions about this article, feel free to write them in the comment below! If you have ever worked in Thailand, feel free to write comments about other tips you wish you had known as well.

Interested in more details about what it is like to live, work, and travel in Thailand? Check out my other blog posts about Thailand: