Jimjim1968

22 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

What is in your contract, are you an employee, how long is the contract for,how many hours do you work, how many holidays does it state?

Thanks. The contracts are in the office. A buddy went to get it today but there was no one there. We are employees, 12 months contract, up to 25 hours a week contact time, not sure about holiday time.

I will attempt to find out.

My colleagues and I have been working the term since May. The final tests are marked and we are off school. We have to thumb scan in every day (a 40 minute round trip for me).

Yesterday, we were told by messenger that we have to thumb scan in the whole of October until the new term starts.

I responded that my family want to take some time to have a holiday.

I was informed that if I do my pay will be docked.

The saga continues...

Interesting comments. 

I would be interested if there is a knock-on effect to the number of foreign teachers in Thai schools. Extra duties and difficult working conditions may see some folks adopting this line of work. I have noticed many non native English speaking Western teachers hold many teaching positions where I reside. This was not always the case.

Most people I know have hit the 6 year visa waiver and now teach online only. 

They appear to make substantially more money too.

Is this the way to go?

I have a B.Sc degree, but I believe this requires further support. I am currently enrolling to do the PGCEi in order to obtain the licence. A friend pointed out my CELTA could well be enough.

Hi,

Can anyone confirm if the CELTA cert and a degree (non-education) is enough to satisfy Krusapar for the licence?

It seems strange to me that a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language from the University of Cambridge would not be enough to satisfy the Thai government for teaching English in a government school. I suspect it doesn't but an associate seems to think it is sufficient.

Insight welcome.

24 minutes ago, aidenai said:

1 year of study and costs about 60,000 THB.
 

That is good news. I was quoted from Assumption University of Thailand.

Do you have details for this?

I do have savings and my wife is a government teacher. The option does exist that she opens a language center and I work for her, as some friends have done. It's far from a lost cause. And I still have 18 months to prepare.

Also these days online teaching is paying more than a lot of school salaries.

I have always enjoyed teaching here and I have always been happy here. The school secretary spent a lot of her own time investigating this ( she is an ex-PA and very switched on). Many people believe it only to government schools, but it is private schools as well. And some friends in other parts of the country seem to not be applicable to this as yet.

I have 18 months left before my waiver is up. Then, if I want to teach in a school, I would have to do a course (2 years, 250,000B +)

I have a wife and child (Thai) and nearly 50.

I'm trying to weigh up my options;

1. Do the course.

2. Teach in a language center or online.

3. Move to another country.

It's a really tough situation to be in. I've been teaching here for 15+ years.

Grateful for any pointers.

Tried it. Didn't like it. I go with Savannah Dry Cider from South Africa. That's good cider.

Beer. In the very loosest sense of the word.

Government school. Mattayom. I've never experienced this kind of thing before. 

However, all the foreign teachers only received a month visa after the contract expired and the new one began. This is new, we all used to get a new year long visa straight after the old one expired. After that, my collegues got their one year visas (or extension of stay!). I was only issued another month extension as my situation is unresolved.

I thought an update might be appreciated. Obviously it isn't.

Update. 

Yesterday morning I went back to immigration with 2 admin officers from my school. I had copies of the emailed letter of verification of my degree from NESCOT. The original was still in the mail but arrived that afternoon at my home. 

Emails of my correspondance to obtain the letter of verification were also required. 

Then they picked out a photocopy of a Thai translation of my degree. The admin officers came up to me and said, "where is the original of this?". I said "I don't even know what that is. I can't read all that Thai." It transpires that 14 years ago in my second school in Hat Yai, they made a Thai translation of my degree and the Kro Yai had signed it. They want the original.

I was given another month visa and told to produce the documents. As stated, the original letter of verification of my degree arrived at my house later that day. Thirty pounds, it cost me.

I or my wife have no idea where the Thai translation of my degree is. The other foreign teachers don't have this item and got there visas no problem. An admin officer said that because they saw this document, they want the original.

On the paper is the name of the translation service in Hat  Yai. Today, an admin officer called the service, and they said all records had been destroyed in a flood. 

She is now going to attempt to call my previous employer in Hat Yai to see if they have it. 

This document was made 14 years ago. It's NOT my degree, just a translation of it. It is not a requirement at all.

The story continues.... 

Can someone clarify this for me please?

If I stay in a government school for several years I receive a waiver of my work visa that one day is not eligible any more.

Then if I wish to remain in that school I have to get the teacher license. This would mean attending a course (duration?) and paying what would seem a very large amount of money?

If this is the case, is it not best that I work in a private school where this is not a requirement?

I don't follow the logic of this system at all, and I would be a fool to try to get the license. 

I hold a regular BSc degree and a CELTA cert.

I'm always saddened by the crisps aisle. Hundreds of varieties of crisps but none that I like. If only they sold those salt and vinegar Kettle crisps. Oh well.

19 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Very very sad. The roads here can be simply awful. Two weeks ago me and the missus came back from Ratchaburi to Bangkok. Some roads we were travelling through had no lights, nor did they even have cat's eyes on the road. Was just so dark on a major road. One point we went through some green lights but didn't even realise there were traffic lights there 'til we went past. 

 

Have to be so careful.

I agree. I drove back from Surat Thani to Chumphon one time after some shopping. We left at about 5 and it became dark. I couldn't believe there were no cats eyes. Scary trip and last time I ever leave anywhere late.

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone can recommend some good companies to work for offering online teaching.

I work at a Thai school already but am struggling on the salary (have a family). 

Also, as I grow older I am hoping that online teaching may be a better way for me to earn money as the classroom job becomes more demanding. This coming year I have been informed my teaching hours are to be increased to 25 contact hours per week to classes of 50 students. This just doesn't sound fun anymore. In addition to this I am being reminded that this teachers licence issue is being raised and that I will have to attend classes and sit exams if I am to remain teaching in the government school I am currently employed at. 

Apologies for the moan. 

So if anyone has any online teaching companies they could recommend, I should be most grateful.

Ta awfully.

Small farms will go too one day.

And what's on offer? Chang, Leo, Singha and Heinekien.

Many thanks for all your helpful replies. I have contacted NESCOT (UK) and someone has promised to look through the archives and put me onto the replacement copy website, so it should be cool.  Also got my mum on the case. Strange though, because I don't ever recall having the transcript. Also, my degree was done at a technical college (Cosham, Portsmouth), the degree course being subbed somehow from NESCOT (Croydon, Surrey). And its a job-related degree which I did through a day release scheme, so probably not the traditional path most folks take. Got a 2:1 Hons though, and it was a great experience.

Why the panic? Not getting a visa. It's always scary in immigration. 

For the first time in 15 years of teaching in Thailand, the immigration officer asked for my degree transcript. I have never had my degree transcript, and am now frantically sending email back to UK (Nescot) to obtain one. I finished my degree 20 years ago. It was in Facilities Management and I studied it at Highbury College in Portsmouth. I have always had my certificate but I cannot remember ever having a transcript. I have a month to produce the document. 

Am I going to have a problem? Why am I being asked this now? What if the college (NESCOT) cannot produce it?

Nice to see the BBC this week giving some international coverage to this shameful never-ending carnage. At least the world can fully understand the horror, even if the perpertrators refuse to acknowledge.

I work in a school in Thailand. My fellow teacher saw a Thai teacher trashing a bunch of kids. He watched for a bit, then pulled out his phone and pretended to take photos of her. It was an old phone and didn't even have a camera on it. He just pretended. The Thai teacher went livid, screaming and shouting at him with a face full of rage. Goes to show they know it's wrong.

Awful. May it be consumed by the desert sands once more.