City guide
Teach English in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Lower cost of living, strong digital nomad presence, slower pace.
Chiang Mai has a smaller but stable market alongside a substantial remote-worker community, and many teachers here combine in-person classes with online hours precisely because the local pay alone is modest. Government schools and private schools do most of the hiring, with a handful of international schools at the top. The city is small enough to cross by motorbike in twenty minutes, which is most of its appeal after a year in Bangkok traffic.
Moving to Thailand? Visa and cost guide →
Neighborhoods
Nimmanhaemin for cafes, remote workers and the highest rent. The Old City for a central base and short hops to the language schools. Santitham for local prices a ten minute ride from Nimman. Hang Dong and the outskirts for house-sized space at apartment prices, if you ride.
Cost of living
Roughly 6,000 to 15,000 THB a month for a one-bedroom, well under Bangkok. Burning season, roughly February to April, brings some of the worst air quality in the region and is the single thing to research before signing a year here.
Best for
Teachers prioritising lifestyle, low costs and a non-megacity pace, especially anyone pairing classroom hours with online teaching.
Thailand at a glance
Salary: Government schools: 30k to 45k THB per month. Bilingual schools: 45k to 70k THB. International schools: 80k to 150k THB. Language centers pay hourly, 400 to 700 THB per hour.
Visa: Three separate things are involved: a Non-Immigrant B visa, a work permit from Thailand's Ministry of Labour (applied for by your employer), and, for school teaching, permission or a licence from the Teachers' Council of Thailand. A bachelor's degree is the usual baseline for school roles. A TEFL certificate is something many schools and agencies ask for, but the Teachers' Council's published criteria for a foreign teacher's temporary teaching permission do not mention one. Embassies describe applying for the Non-Immigrant B visa from abroad; whether you can convert from another visa inside Thailand depends on your situation and current rules, so confirm with your school.
Full Thailand guide →Open positions in Chiang Mai
2 active listings mentioning Chiang Mai.
Part-time NES Teacher
I-Genius Language Institute Chiang Mai · Chiang Mai, Thailand · Part-time
Part-time Private English Tutor
Maitreya Dharma School · Chiang Mai, Thailand · Part-time
NES English Conversation Teachers
Sine Education Service Co., Ltd · Thailand · Full-time
Teach English in Thailand – Get Paid, Housing & Arrival Support
Gloading · Various · Full-time
English Teacher
Sirimongkolsuksa Bangbuathong School · Nonthaburi, Thailand · Full-time
Full-time Female FilipinoTeacher
Anubanlatyao School · Nakhon Sawan, Thailand · Full-time
Filipina English Teachers
Kid Able Language School · Suphan Buri, Thailand · Full-time
NES / Non-NES English Teacher
MediaKids Academy Thailand · Nong Khai, Thailand · Full-time
NES Secondary English Teacher
MediaKids Academy Thailand · Udon Thani, Thailand · Full-time
NES Kindergarten and Primary Teachers
Kasintorn Saint Peter School · Nonthaburi, Thailand · Full-time
Other cities in Thailand
What you need to teach in Chiang Mai
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