Teach English in Thailand
Spend four weeks training in Thailand. Walk out as an in-country, accredited English teacher with a guaranteed paid placement. 3,000+ teachers have done it since 2007 — yours is the deciding part, we handle everything else.
Change your life — and others' — through teaching abroad.
Bring meaning and fulfilment by developing your leadership, teaching, and organisation skills. Let others be grateful for your contribution, while you grow in ways you never expected.
"Thailand is where I started. I came in 2007 chasing a girl. Seventeen years later we're married with five kids, and TEFL Heaven has helped over 3,000 teachers do what I did.
Here's what I tell every Thailand teacher: this is the gentlest first step into Asia you can take. The country wants you here. The kids will learn your name within a week. By month three you'll wonder why you ever doubted leaving home.
If you're the right person for this program, you'll know within five minutes of talking to my team. If you're not, we'll tell you."
What's included in the Thailand program
Everything you need to land safely in a paid teaching role — handled by our in-country team.
120-hour accredited TESOL course
Four weeks of in-class training in Thailand. Real classroom practice, not e-learning. Internationally recognised certificate.
2 days of live teaching practice
You'll teach Thai students during the course — observed by trainers who give immediate, individual feedback. The biggest reason graduates feel ready on day one.
Guaranteed paid placement + visa support
Walk into a paid teaching role at a Thai school after the course. Full Non-B work visa guidance, plus help opening a Thai bank account.
Lifetime placement guarantee
Once you're a TEFL Heaven graduate, you can come back to us for a placement anywhere in our network — for life. Thailand isn't your only option.
Week by week, what your TESOL course looks like
Mapped out so you know exactly what you're walking into.
Culture & orientation
Temple visits, Muay Thai class, Thai cooking, market tours, beach welcome dinner. You meet your cohort and start to see the country through a teacher's eyes.
Methodology & lesson planning
Modern TEFL methodology, classroom management, lesson structure. Grammar from the learner's point of view. Your first micro-lessons.
Live teaching starts
Specialist modules in young learners and online teaching. Your first live sessions with real Thai students — and feedback in the same hour.
Final practice + placement prep
Final observed teaching. CV, video and interview prep. Graduation party with your cohort. Job contacts shared with you directly.
Everything we include in your Thailand program
We handle the friction so you can focus on becoming a good teacher.
Thousands of people sent abroad
Here are some of their stories — straight from teachers who lived it.
Sound like your kind of place?
Tell us you're interested and we'll send the full program PDF.
Why Thailand
Thailand has welcomed foreign teachers for decades. Schools know how to host a new arrival, kids are warm and curious, and the cost of living lets a first-year teacher actually save money while travelling. It's the most forgiving first year in TEFL.
What teaching in Thailand is really like
Thailand has the biggest, most established teaching market in Asia — and the most welcoming. Public schools, private bilingual schools, and language centres all hire native English speakers year-round, with the two big intakes in May and November.
You'll typically teach kids ages 4 to 18, either as an English specialist or as a homeroom teacher delivering multiple subjects in English. School weeks are Monday to Friday, weekends off, and your day is around 17–25 contact hours — the rest is grading, prep, and meetings.
The classroom is loud, warm, and full of energy. It's not Czechia's quiet adult evenings. Bring patience and humour and Thai students will give you back ten years of stories.
Cities we place teachers in
Placements happen across Thailand. Top spots include Bangkok, Trang, Sukhothai, Ubon Ratchathani and Chonburi — but you can be anywhere from a city to a smaller town.
The most placements, the most teachers, and the best after-work food in Asia. Where most TEFL Heaven Thailand journeys start.
Cheap, calm, mountain-fresh, with a huge expat scene. Many teachers extend their first year here.
Trang, Phuket, Krabi, Sukhothai. Smaller cohorts, lower rents, and a tighter relationship with your school community.
This could be you in a few months.
We'll walk you through every step — visa, flights, accommodation, and landing your first teaching job.
What it really costs to live in Thailand
Honest numbers on what teachers spend and what they save. Program fees aren't shown on the page — enquire and we'll send full pricing.
Studio outside the centre. City-centre studios in Bangkok run higher.
Street food and local restaurants are the backbone of every teacher's week.
BTS/MRT in Bangkok, motorbike rental elsewhere. One of the cheapest commutes in Asia.
Comfortable savings on a single contract — and many teachers add private tutoring on the side.
We tell you this upfront — the ones who plan for it love their first year.
You arrive on a tourist visa or visa exemption, and after you start at your school you switch to a Non-B work visa via a 3–4 day visa run (about $300–$500). Your first paycheck typically lands 4–6 weeks after you start teaching.
We recommend arriving with around $1,200 USD for the Placement Program (more if you're doing the in-class TESOL). That covers you through the bridge period before paychecks roll in.
Schools also need a clean criminal background check and a basic medical for your work permit. Plan that paperwork before you fly. The teachers who prepare for the bridge period thrive — the ones who don't, struggle.
What life is really like as a teacher in Thailand
Life slows down in the best possible way. You finish school by 4pm, swap your tie for shorts, and the country opens up. Beaches, mountains, islands, food markets, weekend trips across Southeast Asia — Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia are all a short flight away.
Most teachers find their rhythm by month two. You'll be surprised how quickly a strange place becomes home — and how reluctant you'll be to leave when the year's over.
Thailand is the country I tell teachers to start with. The schools are kind, the students are warm, and the rest of Asia is sitting right next to you for the weekends. Nothing about your first year will be perfect — but everything about it will be worth it.
"It's 6:45 on a Tuesday. You're on the BTS heading to school, iced coffee in hand, the prep notes from yesterday still in your phone. Your homeroom kids will swarm you the second you cross the school gate — they always do. By 4pm you're back on Sukhumvit grabbing pad krapow with the other TEFL Heaven graduates from your cohort. By December you've been here seven months and the idea of going home feels strange."
A Tuesday in month sevenTEFL Heaven vs doing it alone
An honest look at your three options for getting into a Thai classroom.
- ✕No accredited TEFL certificate
- ✕No live teaching practice
- ✕Find your own school, navigate Non-B alone
- ✕No employer contacts
- ✕Arrival in Bangkok = on your own
- ✕Support when things go wrong: none
- ~120-hour online cert
- ✕No live teaching practice
- ✕No visa support
- ✕No job guarantee
- ~Forum access / generic advice
- ✕No in-country team
- ✓120-hour accredited TESOL certificate
- ✓Real classroom teaching practice
- ✓Full Non-B visa guidance
- ✓Guaranteed paid placement + lifetime job network
- ✓Airport pickup + cohort community from day one
- ✓17 years of in-country experience behind you
What you get that a standalone Bangkok school can't give you
The Thailand course is run by our in-country partners — the longest-running training operation we've found in 17 years of placing teachers. But you get us behind it: a family-run global network built since 2007, with placements across Czechia, Japan, Spain, Vietnam, Mexico and more.
That means if Thailand is your first teaching year but not your last, we've already placed your next move. And if things go sideways — visa hiccups, contract issues, anything — you've got a team you know, not a reception desk.
Teachers who pick Thailand tend to be…
✓ This fits
People who want a warm, forgiving, culturally rich first year. Comfortable with humid summers and chaotic kindergarten energy. Open to public schools or international schools. Want to save $200–400 a month on a single contract while travelling Southeast Asia on weekends. Not in a rush.
✗ Pick a different program
You want maximum savings (Korea pays better). You want serious adult learners and quiet classrooms (Czechia or Japan). You want to be in Europe (Barcelona, Madrid or Czechia). You can't handle hot weather and busy classrooms.
2026 start dates
Thailand has a year-round intake calendar. The two big windows are May and November (start of new semesters). Apply ~3 months ahead so we have time for your background check, medical, and visa prep.
Apr 27 is the best intake to start with the May semester · book early
Unsure which intake to pick? Tell us when you want to land in Thailand and we'll work backwards through the visa and prep timeline.
FAQ
Do I need a degree to teach in Thailand?
Yes — Thailand requires a Bachelor's degree (any subject) for the work permit. Native English proficiency is also required as a placement-relevant teaching skill. Other situations get reviewed individually — enquire and we'll tell you honestly within a day.
What does the TESOL course actually cover?
The 4-week, 120-hour course is internationally accredited. Week 1 is culture and orientation. Weeks 2–4 are 120 hours of methodology, lesson planning, classroom management, grammar for teachers, young learners and online teaching — plus 2 full days of real classroom teaching practice with Thai students and immediate feedback from trainers.
How much will I really earn — and can I save?
Teachers typically earn ฿30,000–฿40,000/month ($800–$1,200 USD) on a 5- or 12-month contract. Most save $200–$400/month, plus 16+ paid public holidays. Tax is 0–10% (the first ฿150,000 of yearly income is tax-free).
How much money should I bring for the first month?
We recommend about $1,200 USD for the Placement Program, or about $1,750 if you're doing the In-class TESOL + Placement combo. That covers you through the visa run and bridge period before your first paycheck.
Where will I live during the course and after placement?
During the TESOL course you have shared (~฿5,000/mo) or private (~฿10,000/mo) options in our course housing. After placement, rent is typically $150–$300/month, with first month + 1–2 months' deposit. We help you find your long-term place.
How does the visa work?
You arrive on a tourist visa or visa exemption (60 days, extendable once for 30 days for ฿1,900). After you start at your school, you switch to a Non-B work visa via a 3–4 day visa run — usually to Laos or Cambodia, costing about $300–$500.
Can I teach in Bangkok specifically?
Yes — Bangkok has the most placements. We can also place you in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Trang, Sukhothai, Ubon Ratchathani and beyond. Tell us your preference at signup and we'll factor it into the placement process.
Are tattoos okay?
Small visible tattoos are usually fine — tell us at signup. No visible tattoos of Buddha, ever (this matters in Thailand). We assess case by case.
What's the youngest / oldest you accept?
Most placements are 21–55. Some schools will consider 56–59 case by case. We'll be honest with you about what's realistic.
What's not included in the program?
Flights, medical insurance (must cover the whole contract), visa fees paid to Thai authorities, daily living costs, long-term housing (we help you find it), and bank account setup fees. We'll send you a full itemised breakdown when you enquire.
The Thailand Full Program PDF
When you enquire, we'll send you the full Thailand program PDF — start dates, what's included, arrival logistics, visa checklist, monthly salary + cost breakdown, and a sample week in the classroom. All the detail we can't put on a public page, sent straight to your inbox.
Send me the Thailand details →Our team handles Thailand enquiries
Replies within 24 hours — usually same day. We've placed more teachers in Thailand than anywhere else, and we'll give you the straight answer on whether Thailand fits you.
Let's get you teaching in Thailand.
We'll walk you through the next steps — start date, visa prep, flights, and everything else. Takes about 10 minutes.
No pressure, no commitment — we'll just answer your questions.
— Mike Maitland, Bangkok