Budgets - Thailand

ACCOMMODATION, DEPOSIT, & EARLY
ARRIVAL (FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, &
ATTRACTIONS)

The Bangkok hotel cost is 700 Thai Baht per person per night (based on a shared room). If you request to stay in a room alone, the cost will be 1,200 THB per night. Note that there is a 500 THB key deposit that will be returned to you upon checkout.

Check-in at the Hotel is at 2 PM. If you wish to check in early (8 AM-1 PM) there is an additional charge of 500 THB. Checking in before 8 AM will be considered an additional night’s stay.

The in-country team will book your room and invoice you individually during your orientation week.

Monthly accommodations in Thailand require a 2,500 - 5,000 Thai Baht deposit to cover any damages and the cost of electricity. You will be told the specific cost before your arrival. All participants will need to pay the deposit upon checking in to the accommodation on the Monday of the orientation week. When you check out, your deposit will be returned to you minus any damages and minus the amount of water and electricity usage (electricity is charged at 9 Baht per unit- moderate usage would cost you about 1,000 - 1,500 Baht per person (based on a shared room).

The deposit must be paid by all participants upon accommodation arrival

EARLY ARRIVAL & DEPOSIT:
$180 - $260

START UP ITEMS
(TEACHER CLOTHING, TEACHER PRACTICUM, & BANK ACCOUNT SET UP)

Teacher-appropriate clothing can be bought in Hua Hin if you find that you did not pack enough clothing. The prices for these items vary greatly depending on where you purchase them from. Clothing from night markets tends to be cheaper while clothing purchased at the mall is typically more expensive.

On the first Monday of the program, the in-country team will take everyone to the local mall where you can purchase anything you will need for your accommodation. The mall is easy to access, and you can return at any time during the course. Most accommodations in Thailand are self-serviced apartments. This means that they do not provide towels or other amenities you may find in a typical hotel. Participants will need to provide the following essentials for their room: A towel, toilet paper, and drinking water.

Participants are responsible for supplying their own stationery, and school supplies. As you will learn in the course, having colorful, creative, engaging materials enhances the experience for your students. During the English Practicum, you will need to make flashcards, props, and possibly some worksheets. Most teachers spend about 500 – 1000 THB (15 - 30 USD) on their supplies for flashcards, worksheets, activities, and games. You will be able to use these materials once you start teaching at your school.

During the first week of the program, the in-country team will assist you in obtaining a Thai bank account, which is required for salary payments. The total cost to set up the account is 1000 THB. Of that, 500 THB is a deposit that you can withdraw as soon as you get your debit card. 500 THB covers administration and the cost of the debit card.

$15 - $80

DAILY EXPENSES (FOOD, LAUNDRY, &
TRANSPORTATION AROUND HUA HIN)

$220 - $340

DAILY EXPENSES (FOOD,LAUNDRY, TRANSPORTATION IN SPAIN)

One of the best ways to budget your cash while living in Spain is eating the local Spanish food. A local breakfast in Spain is about 4-7 Euros, Lunch is about 8-10 Euros and dinner is about the same. Note this is for conservative budget. You will not need to use public transportation often as many local conveniences are within walking distance. Local bus journeys are typically less than 3 USD. Taxi rides are usually below $10 unless covering a significant distance. We recommend a minimum budget of 17.5 Euros per day or 35 days or 5 weeks of the course.

$620

OPTIONAL EXPENSES (NIGHTLIFE,
WEEKEND TRIPS, & SHOPPING)

$10 - $85

ACCOMMODATION, DEPOSIT, & EARLY
ARRIVAL (FOOD, TRANSPORT, ATTRACTIONS)

The Bangkok hotel cost is 700 Thai Baht per person per night (based on a shared room). If you request to stay in a room alone, the cost will be 1,200 THB per night. Note that there is a 500 THB key deposit that will be returned to you upon checkout.

Check-in at the Hotel is at 2 PM. If you wish to check in early (8 AM-1 PM) there is an additional charge of 500 THB. Checking in before 8 AM will be considered an additional night’s stay.

The in-country team will book your room and invoice you individually during your orientation week.

Monthly accommodations in Thailand require a 2,500 - 5,000 Thai Baht deposit to cover any damages and the cost of electricity. You will be told the specific cost prior to your arrival. All participants will need to pay the deposit upon checking in to the accommodation on the Monday of the orientation week. When you check out, your deposit will be returned to you minus any damages and minus the amount of water and electricity usage (electricity is charged at 9 Baht per unit- moderate usage would cost you about 1,000 - 1,500 Baht per person (based on a shared room).

The deposit must be paid by all participants upon accommodation arrival.

EARLY ARRIVAL & DEPOSIT:
$110 - $190

START UP ITEMS (TEACHER CLOTHING, TEACHER PRACTICUM, BANK ACCOUNT SET UP)

Teacher-appropriate clothing can be bought in Hua Hin if you find that you did not pack enough clothing. The prices for these items vary greatly depending on where you purchase them from. Clothing from night markets tends to be cheaper while clothing purchased at the mall is typically more expensive.

On the first Monday of the program, the in-country team will take everyone to the local mall where you can purchase anything you will need for your accommodation. The mall is easy to access, and you can return at any time during the course. Most accommodations in Thailand are self-serviced apartments. This means that they do not provide towels or other amenities you may find in a typical hotel. Participants will need to provide the following essentials for their room: A towel, toilet paper, and drinking water.

Participants are responsible for supplying their own stationery, and school supplies. As you will learn in the course, having colourful, creative, engaging materials enhances the experience for your students. During the English Practicum, you will need to make flashcards, props, and possibly some worksheets. Most teachers spend about 500 – 1000 THB (15 - 30 USD) on their supplies for flashcards, worksheets, activities, and games. You will be able to use these materials once you start teaching at your school.

During the first week of the program, XploreAsia will assist you in obtaining a Thai bank account, which is required for salary payments. The total cost to set up the account is 1000 THB. Of that, 500 THB is a deposit that you can withdraw as soon as you get your debit card. 500 THB covers administration and the cost of the debit card.

$100 - $280

DAILY EXPENSES (FOOD, LAUNDRY, &
TRANSPORTATION AROUND HUA HIN)

Participants are able to spend much less than that amount stated here depending on their placement and spending habits. The amount given here is a safe approximation for most placements in Thailand.

A local meal in Thailand is about 50 - 100 Thai Baht per dish. There are many restaurants that sell western style food, but it is substantially more expensive. Western meals like hamburgers, pizza, etc. range from 200 - 400 Thai Baht and up for a single meal.

There are coin laundry machines (50 Baht per load) and full- service laundry shops (10 Baht per item of clothing) in Thailand.

Public transportation on routes in Hua Hin cost 20 Baht per trip. If you are looking to go somewhere specific, or are in a hurry, you can rent a taxi, tuk tuk, or motor taxi. They are very easy to find and will charge you based on the distance you are going to costing around 200 - 500 baht depending on the distance.

$50 - $100

OPTIONAL EXPENSES (NIGHTLIFE, WEEKEND TRIPS, & SHOPPING)

Although going out for drinks may seem much cheaper in Thailand, the cost can mount up quickly. Be mindful of this when heading out. If you are interested in going on weekend day trips with fellow participants to the local waterfall, temples and beaches, there are some national park entrance fees and transportation costs. We will tell you more about these options during your first week and we can help arrange the trips.

$10 - $40

TRAVEL TO PLACEMENT LOCATION

At the end of the course, the placement team will advise you on the best way to get to your placement. They will assist you in purchasing the correct van, bus, train, or plane ticket. The bus system in Thailand is the most common (and cheapest) form of transport. Most people will take a bus to their placement and the bus tickets will cost about 500 - 1200 Thai Baht depending on distance. If you do need to book a plane ticket, the cost is around 1000 - 2,000 Thai Baht.

$16 - $30

ACCOMMODATION

Your rent will not be included, and you will need to pay for electricity and water usage every month. Depending on your electricity usage you can expect to spend approximately 1,000 – 1,500 on electricity for moderate use. Water will be minimal, generally less than a few hundred Baht per month. You should expect to pay at least your first month’s rent and a deposit amount equaling one month’s rent, and sometimes even your last month’s rent up front. This amount is based on 2-month deposit, but you may only be required to pay 1-month deposit.

$390 - $900

* includes 2 months deposit

DAILY EXPENSES (FOOD, LAUNDRY, &
TRANSPORTATION)

You can spend much less than the amount stated here depending on your placement and spending habits. The amount given here is a safe approximation for most placements in Thailand.

$230 - $350

VISA TRIP

It is likely that you will need to do a visa trip to a neighboring country to obtain a new visa for the work permit process. It will only be necessary to complete a trip once your school has completed your paperwork. You will travel to a neighboring country like Cambodia, Laos, or Malaysia. Trips can be lower on the budget scale if you stay in inexpensive accommodations like hostels.

$400 - $550

TOTAL

$6,402

Pre Departure Total

$1,011 - $2,770

In-Class TEFL/TESOL, Placement & Support Program Total

First month of course + first month at placement

$1,543 - $2,825

Placement Only & Support Program Total

Orientation week + first month at placement

$1,306 - $2,470