Quick answer: Global English graduate Lea Hook swapped a stressful electrical engineering career for teaching English online from Koh Chang, a Thai island near the Cambodian border. He teaches 4–5 hours a day at times he chooses, rents a spacious bungalow for £150 a month, spends around £6 a day – and reports wi-fi faster than the UK’s.
"Four years ago I was stressed out running big electrical jobs, dreading going to work each day, but now I am excited about what the next day might bring."
That’s because Global English TESOL graduate Lea Hook now wakes up on the exotic Thai ‘Elephant Island’, where he teaches English online. If you’ve been following Lea’s story from electrical engineer to online teacher, plus his adventures in a Thai school, then you'll be keen to know more about his new island life in the following Q and A.
What is it like teaching English from a Thai island?
After a stint back in the UK, tell us where you’ve moved to, Lea.
After a great seven months teaching in a school Nan Province, North of Thailand I went back to enjoy the UK summer and catch up with family and friends. However, as soon as the evenings started to draw in and the dreaded X-Factor returned back on TV, I realised I missed Thailand very much and decided to go back to live there for the autumn and the winter months. I wanted to try an island, somewhere by the coast, so I to moved to Koh Chang (Elephant Island.) I’d visited on a short break before and immediately fell in love with the place.
Sounds great. Can you describe Elephant Island?
Koh Chang is a small, beautiful island, east of Thailand near the Cambodia border. Nature here is fantastic - the waterfalls, sounds of frogs and crickets and an elephant passes by everyday. However, the thing I like most here are the amazing sunsets. I live in a very spacious bungalow here and it only costs £150 a month, with air-con, kitchen, lovely garden and hot water.
You are teaching English online but you had to organise a place to stay and good wi-fi in advance from the UK. How easy was that?
It was all very straightforward really, although finding the accommodation took some time since it gets snapped up quickly. The best thing to do is arrive, find a hotel for a few nights, hire a scooter then drive round and find a place. Wi-fi was a concern, but actually it is faster than the UK!
Is your online English teaching pay enough to live on comfortably?
Here in Thailand you don’t have to work many hours and the money you earn goes far. You might only spend £6 a day; it is so cheap to eat and generally live a really comfortable life. At the moment I am working 4-5 hours per day at my own leisure and I get to choose my times. I usually do two early lessons in the morning and two late lessons in the evening. This gives me time to do my own activities in the daytime.
How do you spend your leisure time?
I try to keep my daytimes free so I can do lots of things. I walk along the beach first thing, have breakfast, do two classes, then I can choose to do anything I want. I use my motorcycle to find waterfalls, side streets, small villages etc. and plan to do more fishing and boat trips. Recently I joined a wonderful hotel spa gym which has many amenities. On a Saturday evening I will go and have a few beers and watch the English Premiership Football or some rugby.
How long do you propose to stay there? What next?
I am here for 6-7 months. In November I have the option of going back to Nan Province to the fantastic school I worked at last semester. I haven’t made a decision yet. If you are thinking about a career change, I would strongly recommend taking a TESOL course. There is so much you can do after you have that qualification. It is a wonderful career to be in and it won’t happen if you don’t do anything about it.
Good luck, if I can do it, most people can.
Thanks, Lea. We're not jealous at all. Honest!
How much does island life in Thailand cost?
Lea’s own figures make the case better than any brochure – here they are at a glance:
| Item | Lea’s experience on Koh Chang |
|---|---|
| Rent | £150 a month for a spacious bungalow with air-con, kitchen, garden and hot water |
| Day-to-day spending | Around £6 a day – eating out and daily life are very cheap |
| Working hours | 4–5 hours of online teaching a day, at times he chooses |
| Internet | Reliable wi-fi – faster, he says, than back in the UK |
| Getting set up | A few nights in a hotel, hire a scooter, then house-hunt in person – good places go quickly |
Costs change over time, so if you are budgeting seriously, cross-check current prices for your chosen island on a site like Numbeo’s cost of living index.
Could you teach English online from Thailand too?
Lea’s route – qualify first, then choose your view – is open to anyone with a laptop and a decent connection. A few practical pointers if you want to follow him:
- Get a recognised qualification first. Lea took the 250-hour TESOL Professional course; the 120-hour TESOL Premier course is the popular starting point, and the 20-hour Teaching English Online add-on covers the online-specific skills.
- Check the official guidance. Entry rules, visas and stay lengths change – read the UK government’s foreign travel advice for Thailand before booking anything.
- Research the country properly. Our teaching English in Thailand guide collects visa notes, job-market advice and comments from other graduates on the ground.
- Compare your options. If steady classroom work appeals more than online freelancing, browse current openings on our TEFL jobs board or see how Thailand stacks up in our top 5 best-paying TESOL destinations.
Island life or classroom life: which suits you?
Lea has done both – a semester in a Nan Province school and online teaching from the beach – and each has its own rewards. Classroom jobs give you a school community, a local salary and deeper immersion; online teaching buys freedom over your hours and your address. For the school-side reality check, read our companion piece Thailand – still the land of smiles?, which covers qualifications, where the jobs are and what Thai classrooms are really like.
Frequently asked questions
What qualifications do I need to teach English online from Thailand?
Online employers generally ask for an accredited TEFL/TESOL certificate – 120 hours is the usual benchmark, and a Teaching English Online specialisation strengthens your profile. Lea took the 250-hour TESOL Professional course before making his move, which also qualified him for classroom work in Thai schools.
Can you earn enough teaching English online to live in Thailand?
Lea’s experience says yes – comfortably. He teaches 4–5 hours a day, pays £150 a month for a bungalow on Koh Chang and spends around £6 a day. Because living costs are so low outside the big cities, a modest online income can fund a genuinely comfortable island lifestyle.
Do I need a degree to teach English in Thailand?
For classroom jobs, the Thai Ministry of Education officially requires a degree plus a TEFL/TESOL certificate. Online teaching is different: requirements are set by each platform or employer, and many accept non-graduates with a strong TESOL qualification. Always check visa rules on gov.uk before you travel.
Is the internet good enough on Thai islands for online teaching?
On Koh Chang, Lea found the wi-fi faster than what he had in the UK – but he sensibly researched it before committing. Do the same: test the connection at any accommodation before signing, and have a backup plan such as a local data SIM for peak teaching hours.
Interested in teaching English online? Then you might also like:
* an article on how to teach English online
* tips for giving successful online video lessons
* why online English teaching is so popular
* the 250-hour TESOL Master course that Lea took
* the 20-hour Teaching English Online course you can add on to any GE course
or join the TESOL conversation with Global English TESOL on Facebook