30,000 baht enough?

[Damarios]

I looked around on the internet and by the looks it looks like the average salary for English teachers are about 30 000 baht a month. Is that enough to live on for two people for the time being untill a second income is coming? And what oppertunities are there for a man of 53 work wise in Thailand except for teaching?

[majid]

Not in Bkk it isnt.

[dirtydog]

Think you will find that the 30k baht stated is for when you are working, a lot of schools do not pay you during holidays, nearly 3 months holidays per year brings you down to an average of around 22k baht per month

[robuzo]

Originally Posted by majid

Not in Bkk it isnt.

2nd that.

[majid]

Take a job in the hinterlands that provides housing and paid time off. Often schools will sugar the deal as many teachers wont stick with a rural setting. Your post lacks any mention of credentials. They help in getting decent work.

[Marmite the Dog]

A Thai Uni will usually pay about 27k plus around 8k for housing.

Out in the sticks, that's plenty, but not in Bangkok unless you're a hermit.

[Smeg]

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

A Thai Uni will usually pay about 27k plus around 8k for housing.

Out in the sticks, that's plenty, but not in Bangkok unless you're a hermit.

Most Thais in Bangkok live on less than that, so if you can live like a local, its no problem. Personally I'd want 100k to live anywhere in Thailand. Any less than that would require living like a local and only buying local stuff which can't be exported and sold for much more.

I don't see why Bangkok is much more expensive than up country. Lots more to spend on, sure, but it isn't compulsory.

[thaidiscovery]

I know people who live in Bangkok on less then that. But they don't go out and stay at home most of the time.
You can survive on that, but I would not recommend it.

[Damarios]

Well I will do a TEFL course before coming over and will be living in Koh Samui untill we are more settled and sure where to go from there, we got SA friends over there.

[majid]

A degree is needed to work in a uni. Nondegree stuff is available with kids and language mills but you will earn your 30K.

[somtamslap]

I've known folk who could save 25-27k on a 35k salary, but they was Africans innit and they don't come here for fun..
It's all about what sort of a lifestyle you want to live. Beer eats up a salary in a big way, never under estimate the amount of currency your handing over to the barman or shopkeeper.
Samui is very dear, probably even more so than Bangkok, get out in the sticks and get your hands dirty, never know, you might like it.

[majid]

Agreed ^

[Damarios]

I do not mind hard work, at the moment I work in a 5 star hotel as Ass. Exec. Housekeeper. Now I have heard hotel work is difficult to get into there unless you are a chef, and that management positions in hotels they rather give to the local people?

[Fabian]

There are a few foreigners in managment positions in hotels all over Thailand.

[blackgang]

30K sounds like plenty to me as teaching does not pay much and is not much work, shit you do fine on that unless you are a drunk and a whoremonger and eat Thai food.
I do not spend much more than that, most months less and I eat a lot of imported meat and fish and other farang food.
I live in a nice 3 Bedroom 2 bath house in a nice Moo Ban and close in as anyone that has visited me can verify. And here I pay 4K, In Chiang Mai for the same class house in a nice quiet Moo Ban I paid 6K furnished.
and living in town you do not need to cook as eating Thai from a vendor will run between 20 and 40 baht per meal.

[majid]

Bored students, shitty hours, slimey admins and horrible pay is the norm for the nondegreed. No way you will work cheaper harder or better than a burmese who is supporting his/her whole clan on the income (referring to hotel work). The big wigs rotate into Thailand and head out after a couple of years. Not to diminish your enthusiasm, but the work here is often unenjoyable and meagerly compensated. Dont burn your bridges back home and take this for what it is. It can be a lot of fun even factoring the fairly constant bullshit of working in los.

[majid]

Originally Posted by blackgang

shit you do fine on that unless you are a drunk and a whoremonger and eat Thai food.

seek other opinions, op. 30k is poo. of course you can survive but the joy gets lost in the shuffle pretty quick. hit the net hard. you have many hours of reading ahead of you.

[somtamslap]

Originally Posted by Damarios

at the moment I work in a 5 star hotel as Ass. Exec. Housekeeper. Now I have heard hotel work is difficult to get into there unless you are a chef,

I would say not. Have a good look into it, especially if you wanna stay on Samui..lots of people with lots of baht down there..you'd be making alot more than 30k if you presented yourself well to one of the bigger resorts. I'd start sending your C.V to places ( especially in Chaweng) right now. Don't delay, they're always looking for folk who can do a better job than the locals, which gives you a fucking good chance I'd say..

[Mr Brown]

For Bangkok 100,000 a month is the bare miminum with a family of one child in my opinion and you can't save that much from experience

100,000 and single with a going out habit is the bare minimum I reckon.

30,000 baht forget it; seems to be a situation where the cons outweigh the pros - why struggle on that in Thailand. though it seems many will with an exgeratted and outspoken view of their homelands

[somtamslap]

^Maybe he's stuggling on in his homeland and wants a change?