Private Tuition in Thailand - Information for TEFL Teachers

Out of the various teaching jobs ranging from full time involvement at government sponsored schools to part time employment at private language institutions, private tutoring often pays the most and comes with the benefit of liberty and comfort in working.

It involves going to the student's home in the evening to help them develop certain skills or strengthen certain weaknesses. Students study individually and often in groups. An efficient and organized teacher has the potential to meet the student's expectation, resulting in teaching them for a good period of time and reaping juicy financial benefit out of it.

Private tuitions are not only lucrative earning alternatives but they can also serve to supplement your regular income comfortably. What you charge is entirely up to you but remember that the average monthly income in Thailand is only 7,000 baht so unless you are teaching at high societies, chances are low to charge a fortune. The average charged could be around 500 baht an hour, approximately. Many Thais are willing to pay anything from 500 baht to 1000 baht an hour for a native-speaking teacher to give them lessons and guidance in conversational English, grammar, academic and business writing, and TOEFL preparation, etc, etc. (simple conversation practice is still the choice of the vast majority however). Negotiation skills will also come in handy for those times when you want to charge a thousand baht an hour and your customer had budgeted for a couple of hundred at most.

There is also the flip side of Private tuition which makes the picture not so rosy. Thai students are notorious for last-moment cancellation resulting in unwanted gaps in earning. Therefore it is a bit risky to rely on the same for a starting income and not a permanent mode of survival. A convenient location and a workable knowledge of communicative Thai language should help in setting up the business. Along with this, one needs to be smart, professional, and friendly with some business acumen. Best way to rope in private students is through schools or private institutions where one is already employed. Students here often approach for after-hour or weekend classes against a decent remuneration. Therefore, it is important to schedule the student's lessons to fit in with respective timetables.

In order to successfully run the private business, the checkpoints can be –

• Teaching in small groups rather than handling individual students
• Instructing students to pay for lesson one month in advance
• A convenient location with comfortable setting
• A strict schedule to adhere to from the very beginning.

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