Teaching English in Thailand vs Vietnam: Which Is Better for First-Time Teachers?

Thailand vs Vietnam: the short answer

For a first overseas teaching job, compare the specific route you can legally take and the contract you can secure. In Thailand, some school-programme listings show monthly pay, paid public holidays and visa support; one current SINE programme accepts applicants without prior teaching experience, but has nationality, degree and age conditions. Vietnam offers hourly-paid centre and school roles, including current listings with published hourly rates. Those rates do not tell you how much work is guaranteed.

If you have a bachelor’s degree, meet the target employer’s language requirements and can document your qualifications, both countries may be worth researching. If you lack a degree or have a non-native English background, neither country can be recommended from a general comparison: eligibility depends on the job, institution, nationality and work-permit route. Vietnam’s new foreign-worker Decree 393/2026 is scheduled to take effect on 5 December 2026, so check the rules again before applying after that date.

Quick comparison: Thailand vs Vietnam

This table summarizes the listings and official guidance reviewed on 27 October 2026. It is a comparison of examples, not a statistical ranking of either country.

On a phone, each row becomes a labelled card. No country is a universal winner.

Can you legally teach English in either country?

Thailand: teacher permission is separate from immigration and work permission

Thailand’s Teachers’ Council explains that a foreign teacher without a full professional licence may receive a temporary, case-specific teaching permit when the educational institution requests it. The published criteria include age 20 or older and one of several qualification routes: an education degree or equivalent; a bachelor’s degree in a field needed by the school; or a lower qualification together with a foreign teaching licence. Permission is issued for up to two years at a time, subject to the stated limits and conditions. This is not an automatic personal entitlement: the institution must apply and the role must fit the route.

A school job may also involve a Non-Immigrant B visa and a Ministry of Labour work permit. Thailand’s government guidance for foreign teachers at private institutions lists a Non-Immigrant visa, school support and a work permit among the stay-extension documents, as well as a professional licence or Teachers’ Council permission/waiver documents for formal schools. A TEFL certificate is not listed as a universal substitute for those permissions. Check the exact school type and process with the employer before working.

Vietnam: check the foreign-worker category and education rules

As checked on 27 October 2026, Decree 219/2025 is in force. It governs work permits and exemption certificates and places filing responsibility on the employer. The decree’s general “expert” category includes a university degree or equivalent plus at least two years of relevant experience; it also gives a narrower one-year route for specified priority sectors. For experts working in education, the decree points to qualification rules under education law; it specifically says foreign-language and IT centres must follow the rules for those centres. That means it would be inaccurate to tell every first-time English teacher that a BA plus a TEFL certificate automatically qualifies—or to say every teacher must use the generic expert route.

Decree 393/2026 was issued on 20 October and is scheduled to take effect on 5 December 2026. The Government’s summary describes categories of workers exempt from work permits, including certain education and international-programme cases. It does not create a blanket exemption for ordinary English-centre teaching. If your planned start is on or after 5 December, have the employer confirm in writing which decree, category and local filing authority applies to your role.

A job ad’s degree, TEFL, experience, passport or “native speaker” conditions are employer criteria unless a separate law or permit rule makes them necessary. Confirm the sponsor, document authentication, fees and authorized start date in writing. See our Thailand visa and work-permit guide for the Thailand process.

What do real first-job listings offer?

These listings were visible on 27 October 2026; postings can close or change. They are examples, not averages or endorsements. Missing hours and experience details are identified rather than assumed.

Thailand examples

Checked 27 October 2026. The listings are from Ajarn and may close; check the employer’s original application page and current terms.

Vietnam examples

The Vietnam table includes employer career pages and job-board postings. A rate per teaching hour is not a monthly salary. Confirm the original listing is still open, paid hours, cancellations and documentation before applying.

Teaching salaries: monthly pay vs hourly pay

Thai monthly offers can be easier to budget, but check whether school breaks are paid and whether the school day includes unpaid on-site time. Vietnamese hourly rates only become monthly income when the contract guarantees enough paid hours. Ask about cancelled classes, preparation, meetings, school breaks, tax and insurance. VUS says monthly earnings depend on availability and location, so its hourly rate is not a fixed monthly guarantee.

For a fair comparison, request a written annual-pay estimate: gross salary or hourly rate, guaranteed paid hours, paid months, bonus conditions, deductions, tax, insurance, and visa costs. The Ajarn job board and employer career pages are useful starting points, but the signed contract controls.

Cost of living: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

No official budget directly compares a single foreign teacher across these four cities. Thailand’s National Statistical Office reports household—not individual expat—expenditure: its 2023 figures were ฿32,736/month in Bangkok and ฿22,658 in Chiang Mai. In Hanoi, Numbeo’s user-submitted estimate on 26 October 2026 put one-bedroom rent at about ₫11.3m/month in the centre and ₫7.5m outside it. These measures are not directly comparable. Room-sharing, commute, utilities, transport and food choices change the result.

For your own comparison, price a room or apartment near the actual school in each city, then add utilities, phone, transport, food, insurance and a monthly buffer. Use current local listings and recheck them before accepting a job; don’t choose a country from a single “cost of living” ranking.

Can you actually save money?

Possibly in either country, but a reliable savings figure requires an actual offer and a realistic city budget. Compare:

• Expected take-home pay after tax and required contributions;
• Guaranteed paid hours or paid months, including school breaks;
• Rent, utilities, food, transport and insurance in the school’s neighbourhood;
• Relocation costs, visa/document fees, debt payments and emergency savings.

For Vietnam, an advertised hourly rate can look strong while producing uncertain monthly income if hours fluctuate. For Thailand, a monthly figure can look predictable while hiding unpaid breaks, long on-site hours or unreimbursed visa costs. Do not assume that either country guarantees savings. Our Thailand-specific guides cover first-job salary examples, one Bangkok budget and saving on a Thailand teaching salary.

What is the first teaching job like?

The Thailand sample includes school placements and a literacy centre, with stated loads from 15–20 teaching hours a week to a maximum of 24. School days can run beyond class time; planning, class size and weekend duties vary. The Vietnam examples include evening/weekend centre teaching and public-school work. Ask for a sample timetable and confirm preparation, meetings, travel between sites, class size and materials. Support described in one employer’s ad is not a country-wide norm.

Traffic, air quality and housing are neighbourhood-specific in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. If a city is a deciding factor, check the school address and commute at actual teaching times and research seasonal conditions instead of relying on a country-level stereotype.

Which country is easier for first-time teachers?

There is no country-wide ease ranking. Thailand has listings accepting no teaching experience, but some impose passport criteria. Vietnam listings vary; the DTP example asks for 1–2 years’ experience. Hiring criteria do not determine legal eligibility. Before travelling or paying for training, ask named employers about overseas applications, start dates, demos, authenticated documents and the specific permit route. Do not begin paid work until the required authorizations are in place.

Thailand or Vietnam: which fits your situation?

Should you get a TEFL certificate first?

TEFL can build lesson-planning skills and satisfy an employer’s criteria, but it is not work authorization. Thailand sample ads range from no TEFL requirement to a 120-hour certificate plus experience with children; Vietnam employers also vary. Compare realistic target jobs before paying for training.

If Thailand is your likely destination, start with whether TEFL is needed for your target job and how to compare training. Use the Thailand course comparison to review format and practice. The comparison article itself contains no course referral links; any provider referral is kept on the relevant review page and disclosed there.

How to evaluate a job offer

1. Confirm the school, legal employer and physical work location.
2. Get the exact role, student age, weekly schedule, teaching load and on-site hours in writing.
3. For hourly roles, ask for minimum paid hours, cancellation rules, preparation pay and a realistic first-month timetable.
4. Confirm salary is gross or net; check paid holidays, school breaks, insurance, social contributions, bonuses and deductions.
5. Ask which party handles the visa, work permit and, in Thailand, teacher permission. Get the document list and fee responsibility.
6. Check the contract term, probation, early termination, notice period and whether any promised reimbursement depends on completing the contract.
7. Speak with a current teacher if possible, and never pay an employer or recruiter an application or placement fee without independently checking the arrangement.

Thailand applicants can use our contract checklist, first-job eligibility guide and move-budget guide for the Thailand-specific next steps.

Frequently asked questions

Does Vietnam pay more than Thailand?

Some Vietnam listings advertise high hourly rates, while Thailand examples often show monthly salaries. That does not prove higher monthly or annual earnings. Compare guaranteed paid hours, paid months, tax, benefits and cost of living for the actual job.

Do I need a TEFL certificate in both countries?

Not every employer requires one. The listings reviewed show different employer preferences. TEFL does not replace work authorization or any teacher permission required for the job.

Can a non-native English speaker teach in Thailand or Vietnam?

Some listings explicitly allow or consider non-native speakers; others impose native-level, passport or English-test requirements. Check the specific employer and permit route.

Can I teach without a bachelor’s degree?

Do not rely on broad online claims. Thailand has limited, school-requested temporary teacher-permission routes with specific criteria; Vietnam’s work-permit and education rules depend on the role. Get confirmation for the named job before paying or moving.

Final verdict

Thailand may be a better match if you find a suitable monthly school contract with clear paid months, support and a legal teacher-authorization route. Vietnam may be a better match if you qualify for a specific employer’s work-permit route and prefer the role, city and hourly schedule on offer—with enough predictable paid hours. Either choice can be poor if the contract leaves hours, authorization or unpaid breaks unclear.

For a first-time teacher, the best destination is the one where you can document eligibility, obtain proper authorization before work, understand the contract and afford the first months. Compare real offers before buying a course or booking travel; there is no universal country winner.

Sources and update notes

Checked 27 October 2026. Legal requirements can change; confirm the correct category and current procedure with the named employer and relevant authorities before accepting work. Job ads are time-sensitive and are snapshots, not market statistics.

• Thailand Teachers’ Council/OPEC: temporary teaching permit criteria for foreign teachers.
• Thailand Government: private-school teacher stay-extension guidance; Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Non-Immigrant B (Teaching) requirements.
• Vietnam Government: Decree 219/2025/ND-CP; Government summary of work-permit processing.
• Vietnam Government: Decree 393/2026/ND-CP; Government summary of exemption categories and effective date.
• Vietnam Government: Circular 21/2018/TT-BGDĐT for foreign-language and computer training centres.
• VUS expatriate teacher requirements and pay information; ILA current part-time teacher listing.
• Employer job listings linked in the tables above, checked 27 October 2026. Each listing may close, and advertised terms can change.

SiamTEFL is an independent Thailand-focused guide. This comparison is informational and contains no course referral link. It does not guarantee employment, legal eligibility, income or savings.