Hi,
My wife and I are looking to move with our 2-year-old son next year. I have 5 years ESL teaching experience at a university here in Canada and we are both TEFL certified with bachelor degrees (history for me and business for her with a master in counseling psychology)
We have tons of questions!
1. Is there any possibility of her working as a counselor? (English or French kids at private schools?)
2. Can a family survive with only one person teaching on a 30 000 - 40 000 a month salary in say Huai - Hin or Phuket? (We aren't looking to live a lavish lifestyle, but want to have a safe place to live for our family and plan on eating almost exclusively Thai food, and to save money we plan on homeschooling in the future if necessary)
3. Do most places require your transcripts or just your diploma?
4. What is the stance on tattoos? I have one and it's not visible, but am wondering if it should be covered when going to the pool etc.
5. How do you change your profile pic? 
Thanks so much for any advice!
Cheers,
Steve
Can a family survive? One working one at home.
1. From what I've seen, the degree's major doesn't matter that much. She's got a master's degree and that will impress them.
2. I think 30,000 - 40,000 baht a month is cutting it close. Maybe possible if your significant other is a Thai. 
3. I'm not working as a TESOL yet, so I can't say how most places operate. If you can get a copy of transcripts to bring along, that might be smart.
4. I've never heard that anyone has problems with tattoos (in Thailand) unless you are at a temple.
5. Hover over your profile pic (at the upper right). A pull-down appears. Select Edit. Then hover over your pic and a little camera icon appears. Can you take it from there?
Thanks for all the info Ruffian Dick! I've seen your comments on others posts and they are all well informed and with good intentions.
My significant other isn't Thai, she's the one with the masters degree though
I have a degree in history, TEFL, experience teaching etc, but ideally, I'd love to work with an NGO especially those helping homeless, drug users, and HIV infected, but just like in Canada these jobs are not well paid.
May I ask what you are doing for work?
I won't be in Thailand for another month or two. (I'm a technical writer, as you might have guessed from reply #5!)
I'll have some rental income but I hope to pick up some sort of TESOL job.
I hope we can keep in touch. We don't plan on moving for at least a year but would like to make some contacts before going over. Really hoping we can find a salary high enough where one of us can work and the other can focus on raising our son.
I think you can live decently on that but some luxuries might be put aside. It would be useful if you can boost your income further, say to 80k - 100k, to live comfortably. No problem with tats. I think some schools will you require you to wear clothes that conceal them. Best of luck.
Lots of opportunities for you and your wife, given your credentials. 50,000 may allow you to live decently. Never had any issue with my arm tattoos but I try my best to wear appropriate clothes whenever I work.
Survive is the wrong word. Thrive is better.
I see a farang thai family of 5 thriving locally to me and the husband is a teacher and only income earner. The 3 children are bilingual and all under 6.
They have a normal family life, normal home and appear extremely happy.
Your question no 5 about profile pic...I'd like to know how to install your avatar (pic) as all is not apparent? Usually a simple process.
Also when filling out my application to this site. It would not accept that I came from Perth or Sydney Australia which I do or from New York where I don't come from but it did accept my application when I indicated I'm going to live in Bangkok whilst at the same time I'll be departing Bangkok which is all totally untrue??? 5555
Further to your above post 30,000 to 40,000 Bht you suggest for 2 adults and a small child to live on would be a bit leans I live as a single mature male in a large condotel complex (34 s/m) in Cha-am about 25 km from Hue Hin...To get a reasonable town house to live in not far from the beach will cost about Bht 8,000/10,000 per month, quite nice+ 2.000 3,000 Bht for elect. and water, OK, but get a Thai Girl if possible to help you look, one with a bit of go she will get the correct price.
You will need some kind of transport, second hand cars are expensive when compared to the West but very cheap to have maintained, so lots of old cars that are still good, new cars are sold in Thailand cost as much if not more then in the West, something to do with tax. Lots of cars are made in Thailand and exported to Australia and other places where they are cheaper.
The most common transport in your case if you live on your intended budget is 3 on a small motor scooter (I have a Honda click, 125cc auto) you with your tot between your knees and your lady "double dink" (Aussie term for passenger on a bike). Very common in all of S/E Asia and Thailand, not good but yes common and cheap. Hire a Scooter for about Bht 3000 p/m or you can buy good one second hand for about 20/25,000 bht pay no more.
Clothing , entertainment, and food yes could be managed very well if you eat mostly Thai food. Thai food is really very simple and is mostly made up of only a few basic combinations with sauces to taste, rice, veg small amounts of meat, fish poultry. The sauces can be mild, hot!, bloody hot! and F*** hot! and blow you head off hot F***, just like the weather in Australia. If you want to eat this hot stuff you will soon come like it, Thais have really destroyed their taste buds from early childhood and can eat things that can almost kill a westerner with this blow your head off stuff... Of course you don't have to eat all this hot stuff and stick mainly to Western food from Tesco, 7/11 and supermarkets but then you will be paying a lot more (that's me)...me yes but not always, don't let a Thai girl give you Thai food to test, they all double up laughing when they see how it affects farangs. When eating true Thai food and your a novice make sure you have a water bag, a bucket of water handy or a fire hose near by...you will need it.
All jokes aside, I think you your wife and tot could live OK in Hue Hin Cha-am or Patteya on a budget as you suggest. I am a mature aged male on a retirement visa but I make regular trips back to Aus for various reasons, not allowed to work (that's OK, I get the best of both worlds). I do have a better income then you but I'm still an Aussie Pensioner. The question for you depends on your age, if you need to work and how you would go about that "That is the question and the only question". If you can live on limited means and get a visa as required with all the requirements (THERE ARE LOTS) you will do OK in Thailand
PS... study up all the visa requirements online to see where you fit in, can be daunting. I or others on this site would enjoy seeing you succeed and giving to you the benefit of our experiences...best of luck?
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