DrSlippy

No matter what you study, you will need to take the test if you graduate after 2019. If you only care about the license, choose the fastest and easiest. I know people who have done all of them, there is also an English language M.Ed program at ABAC. There is also a B.Ed course at RMUTR if you didn't have an undergraduate degree. https://tesoldegreethailand.com/ If you want to avoid the test, I suggest finding a program that licenses you in your home country.

Where did you hear about them restarting the culture course? Interested to hear a source on that one. The new teacher licensure exam is literally a mish mash of the old 4 TKT tests, literally the same questions and the same bad translation that meant it was abandoned years ago. I posted some else's experience in another thread. It doesn't matter which education qualifications you study, after 2019 everyone needs to take the licensure test. The only wayt around the impossible test is to find a program that would license you in your home country.

From what I have heard, they changed the rules suddenly and without any prior notice in January 2021. Before this date everyone who completed an education qualification automatically received the license upon filling out the application form. However suddenly people who applied in January were informed that they need to take a test, which is completely unpublicised, there is no scope or materials for and noone even knows where/when it is available to take. So I have friends who literally finished a course before Jan and got their license, and other friends who finished the exact same course in Jan and are unable to get their license. Eventually I found someone with concrete information about the test. It seems like the old terribly translated TCT license test is back, which they got rid of as being stupid a few years ago.

Having an American state license is definitely a useful document in Thailand. You will be able to teach at some international schools, which will allow you to achieve a higher salary than if you teach in the Thai system. It will also save you a lot of messing about (stupid license tests) when you apply for the Thai Teacher's license, which greatly helps to get a work permit etc.

One question I would like to know, have you made it clear to the school that you will be leaving if the current offer is not changed? I would have no problem with you announcing that you are leaving, and as you hold no contract I am sure it would be near impossible for them to force you to stay (more trouble than it is realistically worth). However I'm not sure they are aware what they are gambling if you choose to leave. International schools are not like Thai schools, teachers for specialist subjects like Physics need a specific experience profile and are hard to recruit, particularly now when you need to pay ASQ to bring someone in and term time has already started. There is also significant backlash from parents who are paying 6 figure tuition fees and would expect specialist math and science teachers. I'm sure if you made it clear to the school management that you would leave at this stage, without even needing to give them a notice period, they would realise exactly how difficult you are to replace. If they don't at least attempt to compromise, then I would suggest you make it happen. Seeing as you have made it clear are financially secure, it seems like it would be preferable to being short changed by these people.

It's unfortunately a case of yes, but actually no. You could complete the NQT induction outside the UK is if you worked at a registered British School Overseas (BSO). But in reality the number of accredited British School Overseas in Thailand is very small. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/british-schools-overseas-inspection-reports/british-schools-overseas-accredited-schools-inspection-reports The 'big' British international schools like Bangkok Patana, Shrewsbury, Harrow etc don't even bother with BSO, and they aren't interested in hiring NQTs. The few international schools that do have BSO don't usually even have the NQT mentor or procedures in place. I'm pretty sure the likes of St Stephens or Traill won't haven't taken a single teacher through their induction period. I do know St Andrews Samakee has helped NQTs in the past but they are a small school and their turnover is very minimal, so they don't hire very often. What subject do you teach? Unless you teach in some very niche specialist subject and they really needed you, the chances of you getting a BSO willing to hire you and induct you....the odds are against it.