JupiWoopy

3 hours ago, Atlantis said:

I never understand comments like this. What's the minimum wage in your country got to do with anything?
 

It's a baseline for what I'm willing to do. As stated previously, I refuse. I feel that I shouldn't have to defend my answer further. Money may not be the most important thing in the world to me, but I still value it and myself enough to say no to a job that doesn't want to pay a livable wage. There is no argument you can use that will convince me otherwise.

13 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

If you have no ties to Thailand, I would strongly advise considering another country, such as Vietnam.  They pay a lot more, are more accepting of foreigners, value a Western education more, take education a lot more seriously and you're a lot higher up on the social ladder.  Also the roads are safer and immigration doesn't view their primary role as making foreign people feel hated.  The only real downside is the petty crime, sneakiness and the fact that the kids are nowhere near as lovely (communism sucks).  And the food maybe isn't as nice or clean.  (Also prostitution is nowhere near the same level, in case that's your bag.)

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand, but covid has taken its toll on the people.  If the pay and respect were the same, I would say Thailand might clinch it, but wages and social status can make a real difference in your life, both short-term and long-term.

 

Not an easy decision, but worth thinking about.

I'll start looking into Vietnam then. Thanks for the advice.

21 hours ago, EricTh said:

There are many people who is willing to work for less than 30,000 baht per month.

 

Asking for 45,000 baht is too much.

 

Sorry, I outright refuse to work for ฿30,000 full time.

6 hours ago, Callmeishmael said:

Before giving you any advice, I would like to ask about your long-term plans and your age. 

 

If you are under 40, or even better under 30, and are looking for an interesting experience for two to four years, I would say, quit farting about and get on a plane to Thailand.  As others have said, getting a job for 30 - 40k should not be difficult if you are a Native English Speaker.  If you are tall, blond, blue eyed and reasonably fit you should be able to walk into any Thai school and get hired immediately.  If you are not blessed with those attributes, but are reasonably neat and polite you can still get a job. 

 

So, once you have your job and your room you have to get your paperwork straightened out.  Now, even if they have the best intentions in the word, your new school may struggle to get this done.  The Byzantine rules of the Immigration Police, Labor Office and the Teacher's council of Thailand often baffle and appall the hapless office girl who has been given the thankless task of getting you legal.  The requirements are both confusing and haphazardly enforced.   For example, I have never had to produce a Criminal Background Check, while others have had to get fingerprinted, send those prints to the FBI, have the FBI document certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc.... 

 

Assuming you and the hapless office girl persevere, you should end up with a one year Visa, a matching Work Permit and a two year Teaching License Waiver.  Hopefully you are happy at your school and they treat you well, otherwise you will have to repeat the whole process all over again. 

 

The TCT will give you up to 3 license waivers, maybe 4 if they lose track of your previous licenses or you ask for another one very nicely.  Then your waivers will all be used up and you will have to go home or try to get a real Teacher's License.  At this time, the only way to get a Thai Teacher's license is to already have one from your home country.  Even a B.Ed. or even a M.Ed. won't help you, although remember what I said earlier about haphazard enforcement of the rules... you just might get lucky!

 

Now, let's assume that you want to teach as a long-term career.  Go back to school, get an M.Ed.. Get a job at a public school in the US.  Once you have your US teacher's certification and two years experience, you can get a job at an international school where you will earn 4 or 5 times as much as a TEFLer and get generous benefits including a nice long paid summer vacation.

 

 

I would like to do this long term, but if I'm not going to be paid a livable wage then I'll search somewhere else. I refuse to get a Master's degree for a job that pays less than minimum wage in my country. I'll just try a different country. Thanks for the help.

14 minutes ago, KIngsofisaan said:

As mentioned Educational Studies in NOT THE SAME as a BA in Education/Teaching! The chances of getting 45,000 with no hassle is very, very slim with no experience. Sure you can get a job for 30,000 at a rural school or teaching center, however that throws you right into the middle of what you are trying to avoid. 

That's fine, I never once claimed I had a BA in Education. I'm simply asking for school recommendations that fit my criteria. From the looks of it, that simply isn't going to happen. Thank you for your time.

24 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

In person TEFL with teaching experience?

Real university diploma, not online?

There are lots of schools advertising on teaching websites with that (college degree and in person TEFL) as a minimum at this time.

You might need to go where you are wanted for your first job rather than where you want to be.

 

Recommend you look for a teachers/teaching website that has job ads.

I don't think we are allowed to refer you to other websites on ASEANNOW.

Yes, it was an in person TEFL class. Yes, the TEFL course I took had live sessions where I was the primary instructor. And yes, it was at least 120 hours. I have an actual degree from an accredited university.

I understand that there are plenty of teaching websites that have job ads. The issue I'm having is sifting through the reviews on the schools in Thailand. Please understand me when I say I'm not asking for online job boards, I can find those easily. I'm quite literally asking for specific schools in Thailand that are reputable. By reputable, I mean they're not going to try and screw me over on pay, they actually sponsor me so I can get a work visa instead of requiring me to make constant vacation visa runs, etc. I'm not trying to be aggressive here, I'm just asking if there are any former or current instructors in Thailand that have literally any schools they would recommend.