Teach English in Thailand
No centralized government scheme despite the “Teach in Thailand” name you’ll see used loosely — here’s how placement actually works, from public-school agencies to international schools.
How placement actually works, without a single government portal
Thailand doesn't run one centralized application portal the way Korea or Taiwan do. The legal requirement to teach is a certified four-year degree (needed for the teaching-licence waiver most foreign teachers use), and while a TEFL certificate isn't universally mandated by law, it's heavily expected by employers in practice. Placement into public schools runs through private recruiters like teachthailand.org and teachersforthailand.com, or through third-party exchange programmes like CIEE's Teach Thailand (a US nonprofit, not a Thai government body, paying 30,000–43,000฿/month plus housing). Thailand's recognized "native speaker" passport list is the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand (South Africa is included by some agencies but not universally).
- A certified four-year (bachelor's) degree, for the teaching-licence waiver
- Passport from a recognized "native speaker" country (agency-dependent list)
- A TEFL/TESOL certificate — not always a legal requirement, but expected by most employers
What you can expect to earn
Public/government schools (agency-placed) sit at the lower end of the pay scale; private language centres pay somewhat more; international and bilingual schools pay considerably more for qualified, experienced staff. Outside Bangkok, cost of living is low enough that entry-level public-school teachers save modestly at best, while international-school teachers can save well.
| Employer type | Local currency | Approx. GBP |
|---|---|---|
| Public/government school | 25,000–40,000฿/mo | £570–£910 |
| Private language centre | 30,000–50,000฿/mo | £680–£1,140 |
| International/bilingual school | 35,000–190,000฿/mo | £800–£4,300 |
Where to find real openings
Which TEFL Global course fits?
Since Thai employers overwhelmingly expect a TEFL certificate even where it isn't strictly mandated by law, our Level 3, 120-Hour TEFL/TESOL Course (£169.50) is the safe, widely-recognized baseline most public-school and language-centre roles look for.
Researched July 2026 from official program pages and named recruiters where cited above. Government programs, visa rules and salary bands change — always confirm current details on the official site before applying.
FAQs about teaching in Thailand
Not a centralized one for individual overseas applicants. Placement runs through private recruiters, and separately through third-party programmes like CIEE’s Teach Thailand, which is a US exchange nonprofit rather than a Thai government scheme.
Not strictly by law, but it’s heavily expected by employers in practice, alongside the certified four-year degree needed for the teaching-licence waiver most foreign teachers rely on.
ajarn.com is the largest and longest-established, running since 1999 with direct-hire listings and a resume database.