This page covers Speaking only. Pricing and booking steps are on the online IELTS tutor page for Thailand; open times are on the booking page, which does not have a Thai version yet. Sessions are taught in English, not Thai.
How a one-to-one Speaking session with Mike works
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA and is based in Hanoi. He teaches every session himself, live on Google Meet and in English; his own IELTS result is 7.5 overall and 8.5 in Speaking (About Mike). Every session is online and one-to-one, with no group classes and nothing in person in Thailand.
A regular session lasts 60 minutes. A Speaking session can include:
- Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format and to time;
- feedback during the session rather than days later;
- a recording on request, so you can listen back;
- written progress notes in your account afterwards.
The IELTS Speaking coaching page describes a session in full (its prices are for Vietnam). This is practice, not an IELTS test, and no band is promised: progress depends on where you start and the work you do between sessions.
The IELTS Speaking test format: three parts, 11 to 14 minutes
According to ielts.org's Speaking format page, the test is a recorded interview with an examiner, described there as face to face, and certificated examiners assess you throughout. It takes 11 to 14 minutes. That page does not mention video call, but ielts.org's Guide for Test Takers says you take Speaking face-to-face or via video call, and in Thailand the interview can be face to face or by video call, depending on the test centre (see below). Speaking is the same for Academic and General Training, according to ielts.org's sample test questions page; Reading and Writing differ (see Academic vs General Training).
| Part | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1, introduction and interview | The examiner introduces themselves, checks your identity and asks general questions on familiar topics such as home, work, studies and interests. | 4 to 5 minutes |
| Part 2, long turn | A task card and one minute to prepare, with pencil and paper. You then talk for about 2 minutes (the sample task card in ielts.org's Speaking sample tasks PDF says one to two minutes); the examiner stops you and may ask one or two questions on the topic. | 3 to 4 minutes, including preparation |
| Part 3, discussion | A discussion of issues related to the Part 2 topic, in a more general and abstract way. | 4 to 5 minutes |
What the four IELTS Speaking criteria mean in plain words
ielts.org's scoring page says Speaking is scored on four areas of equal weighting, and the average gives your Speaking score. In plain words:
| Area | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Fluency and coherence | Keeping going, and keeping your ideas in an order the listener can follow. |
| Lexical resource | The range of vocabulary you use, how precisely you use it, and saying something another way when a word will not come. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Which structures you use, how flexibly you use them, and how often errors appear. |
| Pronunciation | How easily a listener can follow you: sounds, stress, rhythm and intonation. |
The public Speaking band descriptors (PDF) describe each band for each area. On fluency, for example, band 7 describes long turns produced readily without noticeable effort, with some hesitation or repetition that does not affect coherence, while band 8 describes only very occasional repetition or self-correction. This is a summary, so read the PDF for the exact wording. IELTS Speaking from Band 6 to Band 7 compares the bands.
How the Speaking test is arranged in Thailand
IDP and the British Council each say on their own Thailand site that they run IELTS in Thailand (see IDP Thailand's test dates page and British Council Thailand's dates, fees and locations page). You book with one of them, not with Band Booster, and they set the fee and the dates, so this page quotes neither. Their pages were read in October 2026; your booking confirmation is what applies.
Is IELTS in Thailand on computer? Yes, from 22 March 2026
Both providers say that from 22 March 2026 all IELTS tests in Thailand are delivered on computer, according to IDP Thailand's test dates page and the British Council's paper or computer page. On the computer test, Listening, Reading and Writing are answered on screen, while Speaking stays an interview with an examiner, according to the British Council's page and IDP Thailand's IELTS on computer page. IDP's page also lists an IELTS (Writing on Paper) option, in which Writing is handwritten, and ielts.org's test delivery update describes Writing on Paper as an option in selected markets, so check which format you are booking. Some provider pages still carry paper-era wording. The British Council's Academic page does (see below). IDP Thailand's computer page still shows an IELTS on Paper column in a comparison table, and its test dates page still refers to the 2025 schedule. Rely on your booking confirmation rather than on that older wording.
Is Speaking face to face or by video call in Thailand?
Short answer: it can be either, depending on the test centre, so ask your provider which applies to your booking.
- IDP Thailand. Its Speaking format page says Speaking is delivered face to face, with the examiner in the room, or by video call, with the examiner on screen and you in a private room at the centre. Content, timing, scoring and structure are identical, and you cannot choose the format: it depends on the centre. As a general guide only, IDP says central Bangkok centres are often face to face and centres in other provinces typically use video call, but this can vary, so confirm with IDP Thailand.
- British Council Thailand. Its Academic page says some of its Thailand test centres deliver Speaking by video call at the centre, the same as in-person Speaking in content, scoring and timing; that page also still contains some paper-test wording, so confirm with the British Council. Its paper or computer page, by contrast, describes Speaking as face to face with a trained examiner.
IDP Thailand's Speaking preparation page adds that Speaking is always with a real human examiner, not an AI, in either format.
When does the Speaking test take place?
The pages word this differently; rely on your booking confirmation.
- IDP Thailand. Its computer page says Speaking is on the same day, before or after the other three parts, but an FAQ answer on the same page says that in some centres it can be up to 7 days before or after the test date, or a day after, depending on the centre and candidate numbers. Its test day page asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes before your Speaking time.
- British Council Thailand. Its dates, fees and locations page says that for IELTS on computer you can choose your Speaking slot, and that it will notify you by email or phone if the slot has to change for reasons outside its control. Its test day page describes a window of up to a week before or after the other sections, with advance notice if Speaking falls on a different day; that differs from the dates page, so rely on your confirmation.
Is IELTS Online available in Thailand? Ask your provider
ielts.org's ways to take IELTS page describes IELTS Online as offered in some countries, for Academic only, taken at home or in a suitable private location, with Speaking by video call with a trained examiner. The ielts.org pages read for this page do not mention Thailand. The British Council's Thailand which-test page says you can take IELTS Academic remotely with IELTS Online in Thailand, and its Thailand Academic page describes IELTS Online (taken at home or any private location, with Speaking by online video call with a trained examiner), but neither page says whether a session can currently be booked, and the IDP Thailand pages read do not present IELTS Online as a booking option, so ask your provider first.
Thailand time and Hanoi time: the same clock all year
The IANA time zone database lists Thailand under the zone Asia/Bangkok (zone list), which is fixed at UTC+7 with no daylight-saving rules (zone rules). In the same file, Vietnam's zone, Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh, has also been UTC+7 with no daylight-saving rules since 1975, and a comment there says it agrees with all of Vietnam since then, so Hanoi is on that clock. A slot at 19:00 in Hanoi is therefore 19:00 in Thailand, all year. The calendar on the booking page shows every slot in your own time zone. Which slots are open depends on Mike's calendar, and no particular hours are promised.
IELTS Speaking practice and mock tests online
- A mock Speaking interview with Mike. Parts 1, 2 and 3 in order and to time, with feedback during the session. It is practice, not an IELTS test: it gives no IELTS result and no band is promised.
- Speaking sample tasks. ielts.org publishes a PDF of Speaking sample tasks, one for each of Parts 1, 2 and 3, and the British Council's Speaking practice page offers its own download of sample tasks with the same name. They are practice material, not a marked test.
- Topic material from this site. The Part 2 cue cards and Part 1 and Part 3 topics are themes, not real test questions; the Speaking Part 2 timer lets you rehearse a long turn.
- IDP Thailand's virtual Speaking mock. IDP Thailand advertises a one-to-one virtual Speaking mock test of 15 to 20 minutes for people who book their IELTS test with IDP; its page says it gives no official band score and sets out its terms. It is IDP's offer, not a Band Booster feature.
One gap: ielts.org's IELTS Trial Test and the familiarisation tests from IDP Thailand and British Council Thailand leave Speaking out.
How to improve IELTS Speaking: general tips
These are general practice ideas, not guidance from ielts.org, IDP or the British Council, and they promise no band.
- Practise Part 2 against a clock (fluency and coherence). You get one minute to prepare and then talk for about 2 minutes (the sample task card says one to two minutes), and the fluency descriptors refer to long turns, so a timed turn shows how far you can keep going. The Speaking Part 2 timer can help.
- Practise all three parts. The descriptors say a candidate is rated on average performance across all parts of the test, so this page's own reading is that Part 2 alone is not enough.
- Add a reason and a detail to short answers (vocabulary and grammar). A one-word reply gives those areas little to assess.
- Listen to yourself (pronunciation and fluency). Record a practice answer and listen for pauses, repetition and unclear sounds.
- Work on one area at a time. The four areas are scored separately, so practise the one that costs you most; IELTS Speaking from Band 6 to Band 7 compares the bands.
Who this suits, and who it does not
It may suit you if you want to speak aloud to a live listener, get feedback while the answer is fresh and book sessions as you need them, with no subscription or package.
It may not suit you if:
- you need explanations in Thai, because every session is taught in English only;
- you want a fixed weekly class timetable, since sessions are one-to-one and depend on the open slots in Mike's calendar;
- you want a teacher in the room, because every session is online;
- you want a promised band or timeline, because none is promised;
- you want a real IELTS result from practice, or help registering: Band Booster does not run or register for the test, and is not part of IDP, the British Council or Cambridge.