donmuang37

I would add that the requirements for a work permit and Non-Immigrant B visa vary with the type of school and the location. I know guys who don't have a degree but got a work permit anyway because their government school is connected.

At some schools you'll need the BA or higher, and a CELTA, TEFL or TESOL unless your degree is in education.

Of course, experience is valuable; however, I have had good luck hiring folks who had a good attitude and energy, but not a degree.

By the way, it is customary practice to include a small photo in the upper right corner of your CV/resume. Be sure you are in a shirt and tie and that it wasn't taken in a bar like some I've seen!

Good luck

First, I'm assuming that you have not been to BKK before based on your "I understand..." comment.

Tons of cynics and smart alecs aside, there are lots of things to do in BKK, especially if you are a city person. Suggest you buy a Lonely Planet guide as I found them to be quite accurate in their descriptions and ratings. They are limited in photos, however. Select things that are interesting and then plan your days accordingly by grouping activities that are located relatively close to each other.

You should consider taking a Bangkok City Tour, either 1/2 or 1 day, the day after you arrive. That way you can see many things on a superficial level and decide which ones are worth visiting again. Also, you don't have to think too much while you are still jet lagged. :-)

I've been in 26 countries so far, and I find the taxis in BKK to be among the best considering availability (there are many), price (cheap but insist on the meter), and cleanliness (usually clean). In eleven years, I've only had problems with taxis a couple of times - better than most places. BTS, MRT and river boats are all fine, too. Always negotiate a price before getting into a tuk-tuk.

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned MBK on Sukhumvit and Chatuchak (Jatujak) Market for bargain hunting. Just keep your wallet secure. I've never had a problem, but they make announcements in Chatuchak about pick pockets.

Consider a boat day trip up the Chaopriya River to Ayuddhya if you enjoy ancient Khumer style ruins. Quite pleasant if the weather is cool and dry.

Good luck and enjoy your stay.

There is both good an bad info in the above replies. I have been teaching English for 8 years, and I am currently the Head Teacher at a language school. Here are a couple of comments regarding language schools, government schools or private international elementary/high schools.

First, you don't need to go thru an agency and I would avoid it if possible. Some are OK, but many are rip offs. (They keep too much and give the teacher too little.) Next, I suggest you get an English teaching certificate either before you come to Thailand or as soon as you get here. CELTA is the best one to have, but TEFL is also OK. The CELTA is 120 hours as are many TEFL courses. That is better than a 60 hour course. Even if you don't plan on teaching English it is a good qualification because sometimes only English positions are available.

Next, I would order transcripts for my degrees - probably 2 or 3 per degree. Also bring your original diplomas, including CELTA/TEFL. If you job requires a work permit (all do but some schools cheat), submit your transcripts if they will accept them because you don't want them to lose your original degree or spill coffee on it. Only happens rarely, but it can happen!

Now to be honest, I haven't had good luck with teachers who have too many degrees, and especially law degrees. They tend to be aggressive and think they know law - trust me they don't know law in Thailand, especially how it really works. So I would only list my law degree on my CV if it is relevant to the teaching position.

If you teach at a government school, you may only actually teach 20 hours per week, but you normally will be expected to arrive when the school opens and stay until if closes. So don't be misled by the 20 hours platform time. In many government schools there is no air conditioning, and you'll have 40 to 60 students in a classroom. (Not my idea of fun.) Furthermore, you may be expected to go to summer school camps, attend weekend functions, etc. Without any extra pay, of course. So carefully check out conditions, hours, etc.

International/private schools usually have air con and fewer students per class, but normally expect you to be there when the school is open and attend various activities. Pay may be a bit higher. The down side is that you have to deal with affluent/rich parents who will be demanding to the point of being unreasonable. Keep in mind that Thailand is a "no fail" society, so the students progress regardless of whether they learn anything or not.

Some schools promise you a 1 year visa and a work permit, but just string you along and never deliver. They just want you to make visa runs when your current visa expires.

Government and some private schools have breaks in April and October, so they hire at those times. Private language schools like ours hire whenever they need a teacher.

Chiang Mai's cost of living is lower than BKK; however, their salaries are usually much lower. I live and work in the northern suburbs of BKK and find in pleasant.

I don't know too much about university positions, but have been told some pay well and many don't. Also, keep in mind that it is normally not possible to teach at a government university if you are over 60 as that is their retirement age. I do know of some exceptions, however. Private universities do use instructors over 60 in some cases.

Finally, note that "college" in Thailand is like a trade school in the states. So we normally say "university" if referring to an institution that grant BA/BS degrees. Well off Thais don't send their kids to college!

I just renewed my supporting Thai wife visa in October at CW without any problems. First, you do need a letter from your bank stating your name, passport number, account number and account balance. Plus you need to bring in your bank book when you apply.

Although I have over 500K baht in SCB, I would have to go to their headquarters to get the letter. Since I was applying for a new passport anyway, I simply got the form letter from the US Embassy which confirms my income. I'm retired and my income is well over the required level.

I provided this and the other docs on their list. As someone said, don't supply more than they ask for - just exactly what is on the list. I was given a 28 day extension and told to return to pick up my visa on the given date. It was granted without any problems.

Not sure why you were denied; however, you shot yourself in the foot when you asked to see the supervisor - they will rarely, if ever, over rule one of their staff. To make matters worse, you telegraphed your intention to come back to see another officer which was akin to slapping him in the face. My suggestion would have been to simply, accept his verdict, smile depart and then come back for another try later.

Not sure what you need to do at this point, but it may be best to contact an immigration attorney or a "fixer". In either case, however, it will entail more expense. Best of luck to you.

I just renewed my "supporting Thai wife" visa without any difficulty. This year, I used the easiest, but not the cheapest, method. While picking up my new passport at American Citizen Services (ACS), I requested and filled out a form designed specifically to verify income for Thai Immigration.

The procedure is simple: Request the form at ACS Window 3 and they will also give you a slip indicating the fee. Fill out the form BUT do NOT sign it. Go to the Cashier with your passport, the form, the payment slip and your cash - 1,500 baht if I recall correctly. Give everything to the Cashier. She will give back your passport, the form, a receipt and any change due. Turn to your right and there is a window a few feet ahead. Place your passport, the form, and the receipt in the window and return to the waiting room. When they call your name, they will verify your identify, and ask if the form is all true. Once you answer affirmatively, they will slide the form out and ask you to sign it in front of the consular official. Slide it back and he/she will sign and notarize it, and then return it with your passport. You are now finished.

Please note that the ONLY way to get an appointment with ACS is via their online site. Make your appointment and print a copy to take with you. (No copy; no entrance.) Then read and comply with their list of banned items. The only thing you can leave with security is one mobile phone along with an ID card. They won't hold cigarette lighters, pocket knives, i-Pads, food/beverages and so on. One gent had to throw his cigarette lighter away, another was turned away with his i-Pad, and a third because he could not turn his mobile phone off. (Take out the battery - duh!) They are very serious about security!

Last year, I used my bank account which is cheaper, but more hassle. First ensure that your account was never less than 400,000 baht on deposit for a minimum of the past 2 months (some officials say 3 months). There should be some activity during that period - deposits/withdrawals. Then get a letter from your bank stating your name, account number, passport number and balance on that date. For one of my accounts, we have to go to the bank HQ in Bangkok for the letter. The other bank will issue it here at Future Park Rangsit. Both banks charge a nominal fee of 100 - 300 baht. Once you have the letter, ensure that you don't allow the account to drop below 400K until after your visa appliation. On the day that you apply, make a small (or large if you're loaded) deposit and then update your savings account book. (This proves you still have over 400K.)

I follow the rules exactly and never have a problem - good luck.

First let me say that I believe the reason Thailand ranks so low in English skills is consistent with their other low standards for education: the ruling elite don't want the masses educated because uneducated people are much easier to manipulate and are more willing to work for low wages.

With regard to teaching licenses, be aware that different categories of schools have different requirements. Some large, influential government schools can get work permits for teachers with no university degree. Where I work, teachers are required to have a bachelor's degree and a TEFL (TESOL, CELTA, etc.) in order to qualify for a legitimate work permit. A teacher's license is not required.

I agree that academic credentials, while generally desirable, don't guarantee good teaching skills. I've had Ph.D.s who couldn't last the day and I know folks with no degree who are excellent teachers. But in Thailand, there are plenty of teachers who have no work permit but can easily find work. And plenty of schools who ignor the rules. Thais usually hate rules.

The standard Thai approach - claim you fixed the problems, smile and then do nothing! But never, ever tell the truth.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Hi,

I'm a head teacher at an international language school and can advise you that you can teach English at some schools, but not at others. Many government schools accept teachers without degrees, but their salaries are rather low and working conditions can be poor.

If you can put 400,000 baht in a bank account, you can get a 'supporting Thai wife' Non-Immigrant "O" one year visa. (You'll have to check in every 90 days to confirm your address). But you'll need to maintain a minimum balance of 400,000 for the two months prior to getting your new one year visa the following year.

The harsh reality is that most gents your age find the teaching income insufficient to maintain a really comfortable family lifestyle, and certainly they are unlikely to save enough money to retire in reasonable comfort. (Unless your wife's family are rich.)

My advice is to stay in your own country, build up savings and earn a retirement. Then you can afford to really retire in Thailand. I arrived at age 65 with 3 retirements and funds to buy a nice house and vehicle cash. I don't have to work, but like to keep busy. Life is good for us. But many of the teachers working for me now and in the past are/were struggling. Many have given up and returned home - flat broke.

Hope that helps. Best of luck

The facts are that PTP won a landslide victory in the last election while the Democrats have never won a national election. They only manage to gain power by nefarious means, such as military coups. So it is understandable that the Dems don't want senators elected as they don't expect to win many seats. And furthermore, it's not clear that appointed senators would be more competent or more honest. Methinks they would just be beholden to other parties. So no political party is lily white. But the scene in the parliment seems to be a desperate measure by a desperate party. Ignoring parlimentary rules when you don't like how things are going seems to negate the idea of democracy - not that anyone would accuse Thailand of really being a democracy!

Wow, some wild economic theories out there! Seriously doubt that interest rates 'will soar' in the near future, but sooner or later they will begin to rise as they are at historic lows. There are expectations that the US Federal Reserve will begin to scale back the Quantitative Easing policy this fall. The US dollar is likely to begin to get stronger; however, the Federal debt and the balance of payments deficit will limit how much and how fast. Balance of payments should also begin to improve because of the massive shale oil and gas reserves now being developed in the US which means less money going out to buy oil. If the dollar becomes stronger, you will be able to buy more Thai baht per dollar. (The baht is not tied to the dollar.)

Investing in gold and silver may appear attractive now, but, historically, it is essentially like gambling because these assets don't pay interest so gains are dependent on appreciation - and prices are very high right now.

For long term investments, the best choice is now and has been to buy high quality equities (company stocks). Even though I am a former stockbroker, I buy high quality mutual funds because I don't have the time or inclination to do the research to pick individual stocks. The best way to invest is using a technique called Dollar Cost Averaging. Check it out with a reputable investment advisor. Good luck.

Well, I hope they have a huge supply of comic books since Thailand has the worlds leading group of comic book readers. Which must say something...

I don't see how the article claims this "debate" is enlightening - it's just "He said - She said" without any facts from either side. Research was done - fine, let's see the data, charts and graphs. Oh, sorry; that's not the Thai way. Just make grandiose statements at the top of your voice and wave your arms. But facts? Heavens no, no facts, please.

No, not really. If someone called me Khun Farang, I would just call them Khun Thai. Like anyone, it does bother me when someone is being rude and I just try to deal with it in a way appropriate in Thai culture. But that's very difficult if you are driving! I find that many drivers are rude by farang standards.

In the USA, Canada, the EU, Australia, and so on, laws are often written which are later found to be unconstitutional by a high court. In such a case, the law is then null and void. This is not unusual.

However, the court does not and cannot disband the ruling party, or bar politicians who voted for the law from voting or holding political office for 5 years. Why not? Because it is the job of legislatures to propose, debate and vote on laws, while it is the high court's job to determine if the laws are constitutional or not. Determining whether or not a law is constitutional is difficult and requires a very high level of legal expertise. Such expertise is beyond the knowledge base of most members of parliamet hence a high court rules.

Therefore, it seems most unusual that legislators should be banned simply for proposing legislation. Furthmore, it seems extremely curious that that two parties have been banned and perhaps a 3rd political party may be banned and power handed over to a party that hasn't won an election in 20 years. Very strange, indeed. It doesn't sound democratic to me.