dutchchiangmai

Hello,

Both my wife and I are working here in Thailand. We both have a non b visa, extended several times. This April my visa will end and I'm thinking about changing my visa to a dependent visa / non- immigrant visa (O). We are married here in Thailand and we have our Thai marriage certificates. We also registered our marriage at both our embassies. We are both foreigners.

I understood that I need to cancel my work permit and with the letter from the labor department go to immigration, together with passports, pictures and marriage certificates.

Do we still need to have a certified copy that we are married from our embassies or will the Thai marriage certificate be enough? If we need to have a certified document from our embassy do we both need them or only one of us?

If we can use the Thai marriage certificate does it needs to be authenticated by the MOF?

Can this process be done at immigration in Chiang Mai on the same day?

Is working allowed on a dependent visa?

Thanks for taking the time to read and maybe answer some of my questions.

@lotsinisaan; I know that you're a teacher here for quite some time, so I would have expected a more.............. response. We all know that some of these 'native' speakers with a heavy accent are nearly impossible to understand, not only for non-native but also for native speakers. I hope I don't have to explain all the different English accents and dialects to you. So yes, there are some Filipinos with much better English pronunciations than some native speakers. And to compare Dutch speakers to Tagalog, well thats just........... you fill in the blanks.

Well someone with that name shouldn't even be teaching here in my opinion...

Blimey, what a wicked remark. It's clear that sometimes one's opinions are directly linked to their level of intelligence. But that's my opinion. With no disrespect at all.

@steve2: In my 5 years of teaching I have met several of them. It depends who you know, right? Let's leave it with that we both have our own opinions and that they don't need to be the same. Cheers.

International schools will hire Filipinos as teaching assistants. The salaries in no way compare to the Western teachers.

My wife is a Filipina, who works in an International school in Chiang Mai and she get payed the same salary as all the other teachers. Native or foreigner. And so it should be. Any decent International school will pay his qualified teachers the same salaries, otherwise they're not worth having the name "International". They should change it into puppet school than.

That is an absurd comment. I have never worked at a school where all the teachers get paid the same. What about length of service?

No disrespect to anyone here, but if I were to enroll my daughter at an international school I would expect her English teacher to be a native speaker. Filipinos are not native speakers of English. Sorry but that's the way it is.

Yep pretty much every international school I've seen adverts for when hiring they specificaly state Western trained (and usually follow up with UK, US, etc.) The wife is very fortunate in this case, and I stand by my previous statement. Most international schools will hire western trained staff only, that's what the big bucks are for. If international schools could get away with charging 500,000 baht or more a year for tuition and still hire filipino staff I'm sure they would.

Protip: They can't.

Maybe you've been hit with this xenophobic virus that seems to affect so many Thais. In any professional business people get hired for their qualifications and expertise. Only in this part of the world people seem to think that skin color adds to one's intelligence. If a teachers has a neutral english pronunciation and has the experience needed for that job, you're background doesn't matter. Even in Prem, one of the most prestige International schools in Chiang Mai, you will find several non native teachers. True, it's not that common, but it does happen. It depends how professional a school is.

So; yes they can.

International schools will hire Filipinos as teaching assistants. The salaries in no way compare to the Western teachers.

My wife is a Filipina, who works in an International school in Chiang Mai and she get payed the same salary as all the other teachers. Native or foreigner. And so it should be. Any decent International school will pay his qualified teachers the same salaries, otherwise they're not worth having the name "International". They should change it into puppet school than.

That is an absurd comment. I have never worked at a school where all the teachers get paid the same. What about length of service?

No disrespect to anyone here, but if I were to enroll my daughter at an international school I would expect her English teacher to be a native speaker. Filipinos are not native speakers of English. Sorry but that's the way it is.

Let me a little bit more clear on this one, and with no disrespect to you or your response, but it's pretty obvious for most of the people that teachers will be paid different salaries according to the years that they have been teaching. There is however no difference between nationalities when deciding in which salary level they belong. And many of the Filipinos teaching here, their English pronunciation is even better than some of these "native" speakers.

International schools will hire Filipinos as teaching assistants. The salaries in no way compare to the Western teachers.

My wife is a Filipina, who works in an International school in Chiang Mai and she get payed the same salary as all the other teachers. Native or foreigner. And so it should be. Any decent International school will pay his qualified teachers the same salaries, otherwise they're not worth having the name "International". They should change it into puppet school than.

From the day that I started using my E-cig, I reduced my real cigarettes on day 1 from 35 cigs a day to 2 a day. I still smoke my morning and evening cigarette. Not because I'm stubborn, but because I love to smoke. However, my lungs really disagree with me on that point, so the best second option is e-cigarettes. Whomever stated that e-cigs don't help, should get his head examined. The same goes for people who sometimes complain about the smoke from my e-cig. First of all, it's not smoke, but vapor and second of all, there's no second, third or first hand smoke involved. If you all want to complain about pollution and unhealthy exposure to fumes, look outside the window and see the exhaust fumes from all the cars around you. Let's see what happens if people start complaining if you start your car or your bike.

For the OP, maybe a holiday and some valium is in order.

"qualified teachers in good private schools make more than 40k."

Not in CM. The only schools that pay above 40k are international schools and they usually ask for the world in qualifications. As I stated one job wanted a PhD and paid only 50k

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I work in a Thai private school in CM and I make more than 40k a month, without extra teaching classes.

I was hoping that someone who already went to the whole process could explain to me which papers exactly I need and how to obtain this background check. I looked at the police clearance website, but either most of it gets lost in translation and the web link doesn't work. I already send these guys an email on their website, but as usual in cases like this, no response. But thanks for your input.

Dunno about Chiang Mai, but you could start by getting all the documentation together and then maybe paying a visit to Police HQ.

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/150

Question to all the members.

How to obtain a criminal background check in Chiang Mai, without me going to Bangkok. Is it possible to do this here? Any help is much appreciated. I ask because one possible employer from China asked for background check.

Thanks

Steve

Thanks for the responses everyone. I know this topic has been done once or twice before, I think we all just need positive affirmation of our own individual circumstance.

Well, I have a friend who's doing it now for the 2nd year. He turned 21 last Fall... And wasn't a day at the university.

AFAIK, a CELTA is not a requirement nor a substitute for a university degree. Why bother?!? See if you can find work and how you like it. Don't start by spending big bucks.

A lot of folks are working as teachers who lack English skills and have terrible accents. Just saying. As a NES, you may have something to offer to the schools. Good luck!

Whilst I have experience with foreign language speakers, and in a classroom environment, and my English is at a level proficient enough level to pass on knowledge and good habits, I have no formal training and would like to take some before being unleashed on the school system.

Should an unqualified teacher be allowed to teach any more than an unqualified Doctor or car mechanic doing those jobs, I don't think so. Unfortunately you will have no problem finding work, hence the very poor standard of English in Thailand. Get a degree, teaching qualifications, experience and then come to Thailand to teach, if you love the place so much it should not be too difficult.

You are correct of course and this is why I want to be trained to a level sufficient to make me a good teacher. As we see on these boards what constitutes adequate training is up for debate. A potentially good teacher should not be excluded just because they don't have a degree just as one would hope a potentially bad teacher is not employed solely because they have a degree (often in a non-related subject) but no formal training.

I am willing to work hard to become a good teacher, whatever that takes.

Google us at thongsook international BA TESOL.

Thanks Bruce, after some research last night I was going to add some questions about your college to this thread. It seems like a very viable option for me.

Can you confirm in my situation I would be able to teach while at the same time studying towards your BA TESOL? Would you recommend I take some formal training first or would the early stages of the course equip me for getting my foot in the classroom door?

Many thanks in advance for your response.

Even if you're studying towards a BA TESOL, you would not be able to work legally as a teacher. You would be working on an ED Visa. There a some agencies in Bangkok who will hire you, but you would be working without proper visa and therefore put yourself at risk. Also, if you would work for an agency without a suitable visa, BA and/or a work permit, they will deduct or withhold more money than usually from your monthly salary. One of the reasons we're having this crackdown on visa runs, is because 2 many people are working without the proper papers. With a BA you would be able to get yourself a non B visa and 2 waivers(temporary teaching license)and a work permit, and with these you would be able to teach for 4 years. After that, at this moment, you would need a degree in education or pass the 4 tests form the TCT.

It seems that many of these people caught with small amounts of drugs give up their supplier. Sometimes the supplier gives up his supplier as well. I'm wondering how the police achieve such a high level of cooperation.

If you confess and cooperate with the police, your sentence will be cut in half.

Not true, quite often it is wise not to talk to police and talk only in court with your lawyer present, there if you accept guilt your sentence will be halved.

Police has absolutely nothing to do with it, quite often they make things worse.

I know this because I have helped friends in a few cases ! Talk in court NOT with police and that is your right.

Then I stand corrected, sir.

It seems that many of these people caught with small amounts of drugs give up their supplier. Sometimes the supplier gives up his supplier as well. I'm wondering how the police achieve such a high level of cooperation.

If you confess and cooperate with the police, your sentence will be cut in half.

Just a blanket, the father must pay, may not always be just.

If for instance the wife leaves for no good reason and against the wishes of the father and moves in with another man should the father still have to pay.

This could be a real travesty if for instance the father is denied access to the child.

In this case he took off with the intention of withholding payments but what were the circumstances of the breakup.

I personally know of one case where a mother has moved out with children to live with another man and she and that man (unemployed) are living off Govt benefits while money is being is deducted from the fathers income to cover those benefits.

Does it matter to the kids? If you have children, even with a bad mother, aren't you still responsible for your children?

Many of these battles are between that parents and the kids get caught in between.

The guy chose the woman, and then chose to have kids. He needs to pay for his choices even if they were bad.

The alternative is for me to pay for them as a taxpayer, which it sounds like I probably have been.

$ 1,500 seems a bit much for child care. If it's joint decision, the woman also should be paying the same amount for her kid, that would add the total cost for a kid in the States to 3,000$ a month. wow....... A whole family can live on that kind of money.

My philosophy is that why would I eat a burger outside if I have a steak at home, unless there's no more steak to eat at home. If all is ok at home, I think very few men would find themselves compelled to cheat on their wives, let alone leave them. But then again, there's always the occasional dumbass who has everything and throws it away for something worse.

For a quarter of the price and in a much better venue check out this:

http://property.thaivisa.com/chiang-mai/condominiums-chiang-mai/one-of-chiang-mais-finest-3-bed-executive-condos-for-sale-2/

Made me rush out and buy a lotto ticket.

I've been to this condo. The people owning it are friends of my wife. An amazing condo and the coffee table you see in pic nr.7, they had to lift it up with a crane in order to fit it through the windows. From what I remember it measured 1.5m by 4m.

There is a chance that the boat operators were not aware of the difficulties the swimmers were in, especially considering the noise of their engines.

Judging by the shadow in the very last frame, the person taking the video had companions who also ignored the boys' plight. How could they appear to be so laid back under the circumstances? I'm wondering if this is some kind of hoax. Have the bodies of the drowned boys been recovered? As the survivor swam to the shore, the head of one of the other swimmers reappears quite a distance from where he went down and then disappears again, towards the top of the frame. The camera then remains focused on the survivor. Is it possible that the others swam to safety out of view?

It wouldn't be a waste of money if some TV member get their heads checked out at the local farmacy. I even wouldn't be surprised if they eventually would find a conspiracy in their own underpants. 2 kids died at that scene. If you really feel compelled to become a private detective, I suggest you start in your own backyard.

I think in any other country in the world if somebody saw children in need of help they would instantly offer assistance,

you sure?

Sickening, utterly disgusting.

For 17 students they need 7 teachers to accompany them. That's something you never see when they are teaching in these schools. It's more like 35 students, 1 teacher. I'm sure all of these 7 teachers had an urgent reason why they suddenly needed to accompany these students.

About a month ago I received an order from the U.S. with 10 bottles of 30ml e-juice. This wasn't the first time I ordered from the State so I was extremely surprised that I had to pick it up at customs and that the package has already been opened by customs either in Bangkok or here in Chiang Mai. The only reason I was able to receive my package and walked away with it was that I gave the lady at customs a bs story about the contents being incense instead of e-juice. I even had her smelling one of the bottles to prove my story. When I arrived home with the package I could see that someone wrote in big letters E-liquid on the outside. I had this package send to me with USPS express mail which costed me about $60 for shipping cost. Another package got stopped by DHL a couple of months ago in Bangkok and I had to forfeit that shipment or pay a shipping handler 6000 baht. From now on i will be ordering my juice with from a shop in Bangkok. Saves me the shipping cost and the agony of this whole customs department,

Wonder why the brother of the victim didn't intervene...stop the woman since he said he saw it from beginning to end...maybe he didn't want to upset her.

With family that that, who needs enemies.

I'm sure prices will rise soon, typical Thai way of dealing with declining profits.

Well, if you are in charge of a hotel, what would you do ? Open doors policy ? with free meals 4 all ?

Let me know, I'll come over with the family ......

I can see that with a remark like that, you're fully assimilated into Thai life and economics. Anybody else would lower his prices, put in some good promotional deals and tried to get at least some of the running costs back.Only, and only in this country, people do exactly the opposite. Revenues goes down, prices goes up. Logic....