How to get TEFL Certified in Thailand!

What’s thailand like? How much does it cost? What’s the Thai culture like? What materials will I need? Where will I stay? If you are asking all these question, don’t worry. We will cover IT ALL!!

Today, I will be walking you though what it’s like to get TEFl certified in Thailand. I went through international TEFL academy and couldn’t recommend them enough! They helped me step by step and provided me with all the knowledge I needed to become an English teacher abroad!

Where is the program located?

The school is located in Chiang Mai. It’s a city located in northern Thailand nestled in the mountains and jungle. The old part of the city is enclosed in small moats with lots of restaurants and bars. It’s small enough to walk around but has a population of around 127,000 people. It’s famous for its ancient temples and mountainous landscape.

What is there to do in Chiang Mai?

There are an abundance of cafes, restaurants, and bars! Nothing like the taste of an iced matcha latte on a hot day! If the club scene isn’t your thing, then take a walk around one of the night markets like the night bazaar or the Sunday night market, also known as the Sunday walking street because they will close the entire street for vendors set up their stalls. Here you’ll find delicious street foods such as meat skewers, pad thai, dumplings, curry, and even waffles. If you get tired from walking, you can get a foot massage right in the middle of the street! It’s a nice luxury that won’t break the bank.

Besides night markets, there are three major shopping malls in Chiang Mai that have well known brand names like H&M and Uniqlo. You can also find movie theaters inside the malls with English speaking movies playing. My favorite thing to do is visit the parks around Chiang Mai and soak in the natural beauty. To sum it up, you’ll never have a dull moment in Chiang Mai!

What does the 4 week course include?

During your four week course, you will be introduced into the topics of grammar, classroom management, teaching styles and much more! Its a jam packed couple of weeks but it’s so rewarding knowing you’ll come out knowing the steps to become a successful teacher.

You’ll spend the first two weeks in the classroom learning and presenting and the second two weeks will be lesson planning and doing your teaching practices. A typical day will look like this: you will start class at 9am learning about grammar or other lessons, then at 12pm you will have an hour lunch break to enjoy some delicious Thai food around the area, then from 1-3pm you might have Thai lessons depending on the day and the last hour will be reviewing the content before lunch. At 4pm you are all finished and you get to enjoy the day to explore the city!

I had no idea that thai lessons were included with the program but I really enjoyed learning more about the thai culture. It is very helpful if you plan on teaching in thailand because you will learn how Thai grammar is structured to help you become a better teacher. The school also includes a cultural awareness day and you get to go on a field trip to an ancient temple!

What do I bring?

As you know, Thailand is very hot so make sure to bring some light and airy clothing. However, you have to respect the Thai culture and the school requests that you do not wear thank tops or too reveling shorts. That means no thank tops ladies and gents! The classes are air-conditioned and are kept at a nice cool temperature so don’t worry about getting hot in class.

Other things to bring would be, a pen or pencil, your laptop, interview type clothing, a backpack (only if you don’t want to use the provided bag), and sunscreen.

What does the program cost?

As mentioned above, the four week intense training includes lessons on grammar, classroom management, lesson planning, classroom teaching skills, and Thai lessons. Additionally, they provide you with white board markers, folders, grammar text book, and a laptop bag. Did I mention that International TEFl academy also offers LIFETIME job search guidance to help you find a teaching job right away! They are an accredited company that is recognized all around the world.

With a deposit of $540 and a payment upon arrival of $855 it costs a total of $1395. This might seem expensive at first to some of you but I believe there is no more profitable investment than investing in yourself. keep in mind that this is a lifetime certificate that NEVER expires and gives you the opportunity to teach all around the world.

Where will I live during the program?

Unfortunately, housing is not included in the program cost but lucky for you, Thailand is considerably cheap. My boyfriend and I rented an apartment for as cheap as $300 a month! It had the biggest pool in Chiang Mai and even had a gym on site. We were in heaven! We found our accommodation on airbnb but the school also offers suggestions if you don’t know where to start.

You can find places for much cheaper if you don’t want a kitchen. We just like to cook so we spent a couple extra dollars for this place.

Other accommodations include hotels and resorts. Depending on how close or far you want to be the school, you can find unlimited options in this city.

When do I sign up?

SEE TEFL (ITA’s partner school) offers programs all year long so don’t worry about signing up at the perfect time. With that being said, I would recommend avoiding going during March due to its burning season. It can be very smokey and unpleasant. We didn’t know this before arriving but looking back, we probably wouldnt have done it then. The ideal time to visit Chiang Mai is between October and April when it’s a cooler temperature.

What else would you like to know?

Moving to a new country can be frightening or exited depending on how you look at it. If you have any questions about anything I didn’t cover or wanting to learn more about my experience, comment below or reach out to me on instagram @twin.traveler. I would love to answer any concerns or questions you have about the program or Thailand itself!

*Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.