Teaching English on Phuket

Specific information about
the Phuket English Teaching Market

Following is a piece I wrote for Ajarn.com about teaching English and life in general on Phuket. 

I wrote the piece a couple years ago - but have updated it to put it here and to better reflect the ever changing teaching market. 

At the bottom of this page you will find links to information about all the schools, colleges, and the two universities on Phuket - the best places to look for position teaching English.  Know that the "decent" teaching positions here will tend to require BOTH a degree AND a TEFL Certification.

I wrote this piece under the name of "Zark" - my favorite on-line name.

 

Phuket:
Q	The Lonely Planet guidebook says......?
A	Who cares what they say!  It is a beautiful island with great beaches, an active nightlife, and tropical countryside.  Estimates are that the population is around 250,000++ people on the island.   Phuket Town is the biggest city, where most Thais live, and the island has a long history of tin mining and agriculture.  At one time Phuket was known as "Junk Ceylon" the first major re-provisioning stop after Ceylon (Sri Lanka) before heading through the Malaccan Straits.   There is a large Chinese population as well as many ethnic-Malay Muslims.   A large number of Thais on the island come from other provinces for the employment opportunities. There are many very nice beach communities along the northern coast – that don’t have grittiness of Patong, Karon, and Kata.   Northern hemisphere summer is the rainy season here and also low season - the seas are more active, making swimming and snorkeling not quite as rewarding during these times.  During the winter, high season, the sea is tranquil and great for scuba, swimming, snorkeling and any kind of sea-based fun you might want to have.  Prices for everything vary accordingly.
Q	In general, what are the pickings like for an EFL teacher?
A	There are quite a few good EFL teaching jobs on the island. But . . . as Phuket is such a desirable location, unqualified people (no degree, no TEFL Cert) will have a difficult time finding anything worthwhile. Competition for the good jobs will be from qualified people (degree+TEFL Cert).     Prince of Songla University has a campus on Phuket, there is a Rajabhat University and several other two-year colleges.  The government schools pay the same wages as everywhere else.  Wages at other school can vary significantly.. The better hotel jobs typically pay around B30-40,000+ a month with a work permit included and some may expect a 45 hour five-and-a-half-day work week.    Two International schools on the island, British Curriculum School and QSI pay quite well, but tend to hire from overseas and expect the same credentials AND experience that would be expected for teaching in the public schools back home.  BSC is a true international school and can get you close to B80-90,000, but is quite selective.  Kajon Kiet Suksa School (probably one of the largest TEFL employers on the island) pays B30,000+.  Some of the EFL language schools farm their teachers out to the local public schools and will have you teaching at different locations - be sure you are compensated for time and travel if this is so. Private tutoring jobs exist and are easier to arrange through the many different language schools. Look for work during the tourist low season.  During high season everyone is working overtime and there is little energy left for English study.  The best strategy might be to work in Bangkok while keeping an eye out for good jobs (Ajarn.com, Bangkok Post, etc.) and fly down for an interview.
Q	How far from Bangkok or civilization?
A	Phuket IS civilization! It's 900km to Bangkok. About 12 hours journey by bus.  By plane it is 75 minutes. It's 3.5 hours to Krabi. It's about five hours from Koh Samui. It’s about 1.5 hours to Khao Lak.
Q	Is there any entertainment or do you invite friends round for Scrabble?
A	This depends on what you enjoy doing.  Bars, nightclubs, and restaurants abound, in beach towns as well as in Phuket Town, and in some of the smaller villages.  Beautiful coastal bike rides, and rubber or coconut plantations are everywhere.  Get away from the tourist areas and you’ll also find a more placid rural lifestyle.
Q	How much to rent a house or basic apartment?
A	Prices range from 3,500 baht to B8,000 for a single room plus bathroom with fan-A/C in Phuket Town and B8,500 to B10,500++ with A/C near a beach.  Houses are often unfurnished (but not always) and can be found for around B8-12k in Phuket Town, and B12-18k furnished and with a/c near a beach. Prices vary and often fluctuate greatly depending on high or low tourist season.  Again, it is best to look during the low season and negotiate.  Prices vary and will change.
Q	Shopping malls, department stores?
A	A nice big TESCO can serve all your needs, as well as a giant-size Big C.  Central Department Store has a large up-scale shopping center just down the street from TESCO and Big C. Patong has a large shopping mall with a large Carrefour hypermarket/department store and much more.  Almost anything you want to buy eat can be found on Phuket.
Q	Internet cafes? (snail-speed Hotmail default page or fatties playing Ragnarok?)
A	Almost everywhere – tourist oriented, with tourist prices.  Off the beaten path, cheaper but can be noisy with kids playing games.  Phuket’s Internet connection varies from great to poor to not working at all, but is usually good.  When everyone is online (noon to 8pm) – it can be slow.  Dial-up service from home is about B400 for 30 hours. Telephone service can be hard to get. If you rent a house or apartment and want a phone and ADSL, be sure the phone is already installed.  The ADSL is easier to get than the phone.
Q	Will you be stared at? and what's the likelihood of a good beating?
A	You’ll not be stared at, but you will often be assumed to be a tourist and ready for the next tout’s inflated prices.  Those who hate dual pricing systems (one for Thai’s and one for "farangs") should not even think about coming to Phuket.  Once you’ve been around a while – and really look like you are staying - prices will come down for you, though you’ll often have to ask.  I had to remind my laundry from time to time, "I'm NOT a tourist".
Q	Taxis, buses....or horse and cart?
A	You’ll need to buy or rent a motorbike or car – or live near your employment and hope they don’t farm you out. Transportation systems on the island are poor. Only a few songthaews ply the roads and they only operate from 9-6.  Tuk-tuks are notorious for overcharging tourists.  No problem if you don’t mind a B300 ride home at night, but that can cut heavily into your income.   Most Thais on the island own motorbikes to deal with the problem.  Most motorcycle taxis can be negotiated down to a reasonable price – but you will usually start at tourist prices.  Motorbikes can be rented for B2500 to B5000 a month depending on short- or long-term rental and if you rent from a major tourist area or from Phuket Town or in a smaller village.  Phuket, as with many other areas of Thailand, has a truly horrific traffic fatality and injury rate. Don't learn how to ride a motorcycle here - drive a motorbike here ONLY if you already have some experience. All that said, Phuket is trying to improve the transportation system on the island.  Metered taxis are slowly increasing though they have some trouble with the tuk-tuk gangs (uh, organizations).  Also, some buses have been introduced, but tend to serve only the Phuket Town area.  Some hotels, if you work for one, provide bus service to and from Phuket Town.
Q	Main advantages of living there?
A	Beautiful beaches, laid-back living, wonderful Thai people, excellent services geared to the expatriate, every kind of restaurant possible, excellent medical care, grand weather, easy to find farang food and a wonderful variety of goods in the supermarkets.
Q	And what are the downsides?
A	There are none!  I love it here.
Q	Any local attractions?
A	Patong, Karon, and Kata and their “colorful” night life of night clubs and bars – and wonderful beaches, but there are also many less well-known beaches and fun spots – some you can have almost to yourself in the low season.  Phi-Phi island is an easy ferry ride away.  So many things to do that you won’t know where your money went!  Great restaurants almost everywhere on the island.

Q	Where's the best place to meet other farangs or are they best avoided?
A	Opinions vary here – it depends on what you like and who you like to hang with.  Many bars specialize in Aussies, Brits, Kiwis and so on.  The other farangs on Phuket tend to be older people trying to make a life for themselves.  Of course, you can meet literally hundreds of thousands of tourists if you wish.