Foreign Teacher Crackdown To Continue

[Arkady]

In addition to not having been convicted of any known crime, John Mark Karr was fairly well qualified, but not to work at an intern'al school. The several Bangkok schools where he worked briefly have not shown that they even took preliminary steps to make him legal with work permit, teaching license, the right visa, etc. Were any of those schools mentioned by name in the press reports?

It would be great to have effectual criminal checks for all teachers (and other occupations, and retirees, and Thais), and great to have a cable car running from Satun to Mae Hong Son, great to prosecute Thaksin, great to do away with corruption, and great to have a decent airport - none of which will ever happen in the 21st century.

I'd settle for maintaining the corruption, in exchange for COMPETENCY. All these words about how the farang teachers need to be competent and accountable, with no mention of competency on the part of.........

The first school was St Joseph's girls' school. They hired him on probation without a work permit and sacked him because they didn't like his attitude towards the girls. I think he was actually too strict rather than too friendly. The second was also a private girls' school I think. The Thais seem now to have a knee jerk reaction to everything. I don't remember much of a reaction to the American music teacher who used to play piano at the Oriental Bamboo Bar, Eric Rosser?. He really did sexually assault or harrass quite a few Thai kids including including some hi-so girls he taught piano at home. He was caught only as a result of the FBI passing evidence they had to the Thai police. He was a highly qualified music teacher who would not have been screened out by Immigration.

There must be thousands of Thai paedophiles working in schools here but these cases are usually covered to protect the school's good name. Remember the two that were accused of actually raping several 12 year old girls. Their headmaster defended them and forced the parents of the raped girls to move their daughters to another school. The investigatin of the case has gone completely silent.

I remember seeing a photograph of John Karr sitting in the business class of a Thai plane bound for LA looking happy and knocking back the champagne. Now we knew that the reason he had to get plastered was to block out the Beegees songs Suwat was croning. I wonder if the fare paying business class passengers enjoyed the recital. Anyway Karr must have been elated on the plane because he was getting his day in the sun and a free business class trip home. He ran rings round the Colorada DA and make a complete ass of her.

[wurzil]

I'd say that most of the illegal teachers like myself are far better persons than most of the b!tches on this forum that love to rip the teachers apart at every chance they get. At least most of us earn an honest living and even give something back to the country that we live in.

I totally agree that there should be stringent screening of teachers, but please don't tar everyone that teaches with the same brush, there are many decent people teaching illegally without teaching qualifications that do a very good job. And of course there are those with a degree in motor mechanics that can be legal teachers that do an awful job.

What is needed in Thailand is an evaluation exam and several test classes to prove the ability of prospective teachers, and not something set up by some mickey mouse falang company that jump on an opportunity to make some money here in Thailand.

Sure thing, if I get a better job offer then i'd take it, but at the moment my job is teaching and I give it 110%, I enjoy the work, I like the kids and I see their grades improving, that gives me job satisfaction and a sense self worth. Something that is missing in many falangs here in Thailand

The government are cracking down on the wrong people IMHO.

I agree.

Many people look down their noses at teachers working here without permits, some think they are the scum of the earth. It is a shame people do have to tar all with the same brush. There are good and bad people in any group, any occupation any race creed or colour. There are some losers here, but there are also some of the nicest, most professional people you would ever wish to meet.

Is the "ex pat" with the ex pat salary in any position to judge? Whoring themselves out to the corporate boys, bending over and thinking of the money.

[Ijustwannateach]

I would also like to remind our viewers that teachers working without work permits are not necessarily those without qualifications. Those of us who have been through "the process" know how fiendishly difficult it can be to complete the whole paper mill (a difficulty that I suppose can only be increasing as we speak) and how hard it can be simply to find a school that has any intention of going through it with them- you can't do it alone, it requires a semi-credible sponsor.

The danger of all this talk of "crackdown" when there are actually so few legal foreign teachers is that it will actually increase the ratio between illegal and legal foreign teachers here. At the moment, for reasons pointed out in exhaustive detail on the two *previous* "crackdown" threads, the requirements are somewhere between impossible and unknown.

"Steven"

[LPCustom69]

Well although the intent is good, but I think it will come to a sudden halt when they suddenly realize the check that they are talking about costs a significant amount of money. Whoever is already skimming the funds will have no part of that I am sure. So with that said 60-20-20 on this one.

Unfortunately, they will probably pass this fee on to the applicants, and add a little on top of it for their "trouble". I don't think that they should, but TIT. So, let's see, poor pay, and possibly have to pay for the opportunity to teach here. I think many will look elsewhere.

[roamer]

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK

Just to throw a spanner in the works.

A criminal background check in the UK has to be done by the prospective employer.

YOU CANNOT DO IT YOURSELF.

It will also take up to 3 months to obtain their words.

You can obtain what is called a Disclosure which is a very basic check and will take about 3 weeks if you are in the UK.

So now add to that a Thai school having to apply for this and it becomes almost a non starter.

Then add the time it will take them if they do agree to do it.

I had to go back to the UK to get my paperwork in order.

All i can say is good luck.

Shep

Unless things have changed recently then this is bumpkin. I did mine last year by contacting my last local constabulary, who then sent me a form by e-mail and once completed I sent it off with a cheque for 10 squids and some notorised ID and 6 weeks later I received a police report back telling me that 'I basically didn't have one'.

To prove my point here is the link from the Leicestershire Police website:

http://www.leics.police.uk/library/3_forms/

Look for the title: Application for previous convictions, cautions and prosecutions

It says: This form can be used to apply for details of previous convictions, cautions and prosecutions that are held by Leicestershire Constabulary (required for employment and immigration purposes).

Before doing the run-a-round, I would suggest you check the website of your last local cop shop first.

Its not bumpkin as you put it, Sheppy is right, your wrong.

The process you are talking about is a very basic disclosure process. It is NOT the enhanced process that a teacher in the UK has to go through, that can only be applied for by local education authorities and similar authorised bodies.

So if you were Ian Huntley (convicted of two child murders in the UK) your check would come back clean, it would'nt show you had been questioned several times on suspicion of child sex offences.

Or if 10 years ago you had received a 2 year prison sentence for a similar offence it wouldn't show that either, as a sentence under 2 1/2 years is regarded as a "spent" conviction after that period.

That is what the enhanced procedure is designed to flag up. The basic procedure is just that,....basic. So you could be waving a piece of paper round LOS and still be a nonce.

[John K]

Well although the intent is good, but I think it will come to a sudden halt when they suddenly realize the check that they are talking about costs a significant amount of money. Whoever is already skimming the funds will have no part of that I am sure. So with that said 60-20-20 on this one.

Unfortunately, they will probably pass this fee on to the applicants, and add a little on top of it for their "trouble". I don't think that they should, but TIT. So, let's see, poor pay, and possibly have to pay for the opportunity to teach here. I think many will look elsewhere.

My position if it was me, “If you want to do a check on me go ahead, I don’t need/plan to pay for what I already know.” It will fall flat because from what I have seen posted matches what I have heard, it’s not an overnight check. There is one word you forgot in your first sentence ‘try’ to pass the fee. Once again 60-20-20

[yoshiwara]

well there may be 1 or 2 unqualified teachers who know their arse from their elbow but in general it is probably safer to throw the baby out with the bathwater....on the other hand who wants to get out of bed for that money?!

Edited February 7, 2007 by yoshiwara

[Jonson83]

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK

Just to throw a spanner in the works.

A criminal background check in the UK has to be done by the prospective employer.

YOU CANNOT DO IT YOURSELF.

It will also take up to 3 months to obtain their words.

You can obtain what is called a Disclosure which is a very basic check and will take about 3 weeks if you are in the UK.

So now add to that a Thai school having to apply for this and it becomes almost a non starter.

Then add the time it will take them if they do agree to do it.

I had to go back to the UK to get my paperwork in order.

All i can say is good luck.

Shep

Unless things have changed recently then this is bumpkin. I did mine last year by contacting my last local constabulary, who then sent me a form by e-mail and once completed I sent it off with a cheque for 10 squids and some notorised ID and 6 weeks later I received a police report back telling me that 'I basically didn't have one'.

To prove my point here is the link from the Leicestershire Police website:

http://www.leics.police.uk/library/3_forms/

Look for the title: Application for previous convictions, cautions and prosecutions

It says: This form can be used to apply for details of previous convictions, cautions and prosecutions that are held by Leicestershire Constabulary (required for employment and immigration purposes).

Before doing the run-a-round, I would suggest you check the website of your last local cop shop first.

Its not bumpkin as you put it, Sheppy is right, your wrong.

The process you are talking about is a very basic disclosure process. It is NOT the enhanced process that a teacher in the UK has to go through, that can only be applied for by local education authorities and similar authorised bodies.

So if you were Ian Huntley (convicted of two child murders in the UK) your check would come back clean, it would'nt show you had been questioned several times on suspicion of child sex offences.

Or if 10 years ago you had received a 2 year prison sentence for a similar offence it wouldn't show that either, as a sentence under 2 1/2 years is regarded as a "spent" conviction after that period.

That is what the enhanced procedure is designed to flag up. The basic procedure is just that,....basic. So you could be waving a piece of paper round LOS and still be a nonce.

Good point Roamer.

I had my CRB clearance through the post a few weeks ago.My employer had to apply for it ,fill in most of the paperwork and pay the fee.I couldn't have done it on my own.

Saying that,i'm sure there are options available to those who aren't in a position to get the 'proper' CRB check.

Edited February 7, 2007 by Jonson83

[SeanBangkok]

"mickey mouse falang company that jump on an opportunity to make some money here in Thailand"

seriously. mickey mouse faRang companies really should get cracked down upon.

[Hadrian1]

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK

Just to throw a spanner in the works.

A criminal background check in the UK has to be done by the prospective employer.

YOU CANNOT DO IT YOURSELF.

It will also take up to 3 months to obtain their words.

You can obtain what is called a Disclosure which is a very basic check and will take about 3 weeks if you are in the UK.

So now add to that a Thai school having to apply for this and it becomes almost a non starter.

Then add the time it will take them if they do agree to do it.

I had to go back to the UK to get my paperwork in order.

All i can say is good luck.

Shep

Unless things have changed recently then this is bumpkin. I did mine last year by contacting my last local constabulary, who then sent me a form by e-mail and once completed I sent it off with a cheque for 10 squids and some notorised ID and 6 weeks later I received a police report back telling me that 'I basically didn't have one'.

To prove my point here is the link from the Leicestershire Police website:

http://www.leics.police.uk/library/3_forms/

Look for the title: Application for previous convictions, cautions and prosecutions

It says: This form can be used to apply for details of previous convictions, cautions and prosecutions that are held by Leicestershire Constabulary (required for employment and immigration purposes).

Before doing the run-a-round, I would suggest you check the website of your last local cop shop first.

It is not bumkin. The form you have provided a link for there was designed initially for an individual to find out what details were being held about him or her by the constabulary. It does appear that it may be used for certain types of employment and immigration purposes. However, if you want a Criminal Records Bureau check or a 'Disclosure' I think they call it, then a recognised UK Agency has to make the application for you. The CRB check is essential for working in UK schools. What additional info does it hold I wouldn't be able to say....

[pap]

Mon Dieu!!

What's next?!..........a crack down on people living in Thailand using tourist visa's.....errr wait....I guess that already happend.

[andy1308]

You need, at the very least, a disclosure to do almost anything involving children in the UK, including being a referee in a junior soccer match to being a local press photographer taking pictures at schools.

I agree with comments that it will be difficult for Thai authorities to establish an easy method for getting the disclosure and checks done, but isn't this where the consulates and embassys should help?

You need these checks to teach in the UK so my opinion (for what it's worth) is you should have them here too.

[bubbaba]

I'd say that most of the illegal teachers like myself are far better persons than most of the b!tches on this forum that love to rip the teachers apart at every chance they get. At least most of us earn an honest living and even give something back to the country that we live in.

I totally agree that there should be stringent screening of teachers, but please don't tar everyone that teaches with the same brush, there are many decent people teaching illegally without teaching qualifications that do a very good job. And of course there are those with a degree in motor mechanics that can be legal teachers that do an awful job.

What is needed in Thailand is an evaluation exam and several test classes to prove the ability of prospective teachers, and not something set up by some mickey mouse falang company that jump on an opportunity to make some money here in Thailand.

Sure thing, if I get a better job offer then i'd take it, but at the moment my job is teaching and I give it 110%, I enjoy the work, I like the kids and I see their grades improving, that gives me job satisfaction and a sense self worth. Something that is missing in many falangs here in Thailand

The government are cracking down on the wrong people IMHO.

I ask:

Do you think good morals should be a qualification for teaching?

Do you think a person who would lie or cheat is a person with good morals?

What kind of person would you want teaching your child?

[robint]

Its all going badly pear-shaped with surrealistic slowness

The word is already out for tefl pros, stay away from thailand, too much hassle, they dont want you, strangle you with burocracy, cheat you, steal your money, dont give contracts

of course you can visit www.ajarn.com and others

when you see what a bunch of illiterate ramblings on these teacher sites, who are these animals, would you want your child near them

[pap]

It seems to me that in a country with so few English speakers any Native English speaker would be a benefit. A criminal background check should suffice.

But practical solutions don't seem to be favored. I have read many people's comments on this subject and notice that many tend to bash the people who don't have the proper papers. Yet these same people that do not accept perfect grammar and spelling on this forum easily accept the fact that when they go to, or live in Thailand, most Thais don't speak a word of English because many Thais don't even have an opportunity to learn any English due to lack of teachers.

To me this is fairly simple. An analogy is the US's current issue with Illegal immigration. The US needs laborer’s because it doesn't have enough. So instead of finding a way to address this issue we are trying to send the labor our country so obviously needs away. This solves one problem but creates a worse problem.

It seems to me that in a country with so few English speakers any Native English speaker would be a benefit. A criminal background check should suffice.

It never ceases to amaze me how governments always choose ways to over complicate things. Let’s not fix the real problem which in this case is simply a matter of background checks. Instead let’s make it so that a smaller percentage of our children are exposed to the international language of business.

Legal contracts have to be reviewed by lawyers anyway so as long as the children are learning to speak and understand....even if it is not perfect, is a huge step forward for the Thai society. Knowledge is good. It would be ideal if Thailand could get enough Native Speaking English Teachers that were certified but they do not even have enough to teach counting the teachers that are not certified.

If you view this as wrong on my part please explain why?

[bubbaba]

You need, at the very least, a disclosure to do almost anything involving children in the UK, including being a referee in a junior soccer match to being a local press photographer taking pictures at schools.

I agree with comments that it will be difficult for Thai authorities to establish an easy method for getting the disclosure and checks done, but isn't this where the consulates and embassys should help?

You need these checks to teach in the UK so my opinion (for what it's worth) is you should have them here too.

IMO for people wanting to work abroad as a teacher, the home embassy should first endorse on the passport the persons qualifications to teach abroad. If you come to Thailand and apply for a teaching position, you must have the endorsement in your passport or be denied employment. Also, I think this system should apply to all types of employment.

[pap]

I'd say that most of the illegal teachers like myself are far better persons than most of the b!tches on this forum that love to rip the teachers apart at every chance they get. At least most of us earn an honest living and even give something back to the country that we live in.

I totally agree that there should be stringent screening of teachers, but please don't tar everyone that teaches with the same brush, there are many decent people teaching illegally without teaching qualifications that do a very good job. And of course there are those with a degree in motor mechanics that can be legal teachers that do an awful job.

What is needed in Thailand is an evaluation exam and several test classes to prove the ability of prospective teachers, and not something set up by some mickey mouse falang company that jump on an opportunity to make some money here in Thailand.

Sure thing, if I get a better job offer then i'd take it, but at the moment my job is teaching and I give it 110%, I enjoy the work, I like the kids and I see their grades improving, that gives me job satisfaction and a sense self worth. Something that is missing in many falangs here in Thailand

The government are cracking down on the wrong people IMHO.

I ask:

Do you think good morals should be a qualification for teaching?

Do you think a person who would lie or cheat is a person with good morals?

What kind of person would you want teaching your child?

You make a very good point. But I posit that there are so many shades of grey with respect to morals and so many social differences as to almost void your comment.....almost. You may find that many of the best teachers morals do not align with yours. So instead of getting off on a tangent about morals lets ask another question.

Albert Einstein was a womanizer. (Many people would say this is immoral)

Would you want him teaching your children if he were alive?

[endure]

You need, at the very least, a disclosure to do almost anything involving children in the UK, including being a referee in a junior soccer match to being a local press photographer taking pictures at schools.

I agree with comments that it will be difficult for Thai authorities to establish an easy method for getting the disclosure and checks done, but isn't this where the consulates and embassys should help?

You need these checks to teach in the UK so my opinion (for what it's worth) is you should have them here too.

IMO for people wanting to work abroad as a teacher, the home embassy should first endorse on the passport the persons qualifications to teach abroad. If you come to Thailand and apply for a teaching position, you must have the endorsement in your passport or be denied employment. Also, I think this system should apply to all types of employment.

A passport is a travel document. It has nothing to do with teaching qualifications. Do you thing that all citizens of a particular country ought to have their teaching qualifications entered into their passport in case they ever decide to teach English in Thailand?

[bubbaba]

I'd say that most of the illegal teachers like myself are far better persons than most of the b!tches on this forum that love to rip the teachers apart at every chance they get. At least most of us earn an honest living and even give something back to the country that we live in.

I totally agree that there should be stringent screening of teachers, but please don't tar everyone that teaches with the same brush, there are many decent people teaching illegally without teaching qualifications that do a very good job. And of course there are those with a degree in motor mechanics that can be legal teachers that do an awful job.

What is needed in Thailand is an evaluation exam and several test classes to prove the ability of prospective teachers, and not something set up by some mickey mouse falang company that jump on an opportunity to make some money here in Thailand.

Sure thing, if I get a better job offer then i'd take it, but at the moment my job is teaching and I give it 110%, I enjoy the work, I like the kids and I see their grades improving, that gives me job satisfaction and a sense self worth. Something that is missing in many falangs here in Thailand

The government are cracking down on the wrong people IMHO.

I ask:

Do you think good morals should be a qualification for teaching?

Do you think a person who would lie or cheat is a person with good morals?

What kind of person would you want teaching your child?

You make a very good point. But I posit that there are so many shades of grey with respect to morals and so many social differences as to almost void your comment.....almost. You may find that many of the best teachers morals do not align with yours. So instead of getting off on a tangent about morals lets ask another question.

Albert Einstein was a womanizer. (Many people would say this is immoral)

Would you want him teaching your children if he were alive?

NO

[pap]

I'd say that most of the illegal teachers like myself are far better persons than most of the b!tches on this forum that love to rip the teachers apart at every chance they get. At least most of us earn an honest living and even give something back to the country that we live in.

I totally agree that there should be stringent screening of teachers, but please don't tar everyone that teaches with the same brush, there are many decent people teaching illegally without teaching qualifications that do a very good job. And of course there are those with a degree in motor mechanics that can be legal teachers that do an awful job.

What is needed in Thailand is an evaluation exam and several test classes to prove the ability of prospective teachers, and not something set up by some mickey mouse falang company that jump on an opportunity to make some money here in Thailand.

Sure thing, if I get a better job offer then i'd take it, but at the moment my job is teaching and I give it 110%, I enjoy the work, I like the kids and I see their grades improving, that gives me job satisfaction and a sense self worth. Something that is missing in many falangs here in Thailand

The government are cracking down on the wrong people IMHO.

I ask:

Do you think good morals should be a qualification for teaching?

Do you think a person who would lie or cheat is a person with good morals?

What kind of person would you want teaching your child?

You make a very good point. But I posit that there are so many shades of grey with respect to morals and so many social differences as to almost void your comment.....almost. You may find that many of the best teachers morals do not align with yours. So instead of getting off on a tangent about morals lets ask another question.

Albert Einstein was a womanizer. (Many people would say this is immoral)

Would you want him teaching your children if he were alive?

NO

And there we disagree. I don't expect others to teach my children morals. That comes from me and my family. I expect schools to teach childern subject matter and more importantly...how to learn....and both of these are to be augmented by me and my family.

But to each their own. I respect your opinion. I simply do not share it. My line is drawn a little further along than yours.

Cheers.

[Galong]

Why don't they screen Thai teachers too? There are pedophiles in every country; including Thailand. It just so much easier to target Westerners who have no right to fight back.

Low salary and being hassled all the time, gee, I want to be a teacher.

[pap]

Why don't they screen Thai teachers too? There are pedophiles in every country; including Thailand. It just so much easier to target Westerners who have no right to fight back.

Low salary and being hassled all the time, gee, I want to be a teacher.

I would hope they do. But, I think it would be much easier for Thais to recognize a Thai person that fits this profile than a farang that fits this profile.

[Bruce1]

Is it true they're also going to make foreigners living in Thailand provide fingerprints? I heard this story last night second hand. It allegedly involved an American who was told to go to the American Embassy in Bangkok who knew all about it and gave him a form and he paid US$17 for processing.

What next - DNA checks?

[beano2274]

Again cracking down on teachers because of a few perverts, well hold on a minute, is it not true that recently four or five monks have been accused of attempting to have sex with young girls, do they get checked, NO.

Back to the topic, of degrees, to get a Job in Europe it is not neccessary to have a degree, experience is okay, some foreigners in Thailand that I know, left school and joined the forces then after leaving came here, they hold no degrees, but one of the best educational institutes in England is the Armed Forces.

To have a degree for a job in Thailand seems stupid, experience counts.

And on a really bad note, Gary Glitter will be released early, this means wait for the next big crackdown of teachers when he's out

[bubbaba]

You need, at the very least, a disclosure to do almost anything involving children in the UK, including being a referee in a junior soccer match to being a local press photographer taking pictures at schools.

I agree with comments that it will be difficult for Thai authorities to establish an easy method for getting the disclosure and checks done, but isn't this where the consulates and embassys should help?

You need these checks to teach in the UK so my opinion (for what it's worth) is you should have them here too.

IMO for people wanting to work abroad as a teacher, the home embassy should first endorse on the passport the persons qualifications to teach abroad. If you come to Thailand and apply for a teaching position, you must have the endorsement in your passport or be denied employment. Also, I think this system should apply to all types of employment.

A passport is a travel document. It has nothing to do with teaching qualifications. Do you thing that all citizens of a particular country ought to have their teaching qualifications entered into their passport in case they ever decide to teach English in Thailand?

Very true, a passport is a travel document. However that could be amended to include qualifications if a person so desired to have the endorsement. Of course not all teachers should have the endorsement. Only those who desire to teach here.

[John K]

So lets see the will do a check before they give a non B visa. So by the time the check is done so is the candidate 90/180. So simply as things stand now for this to happen it is a near impossibility in real time, never mind Thai time. On the bright side something must give here, it seems the Thais have painted themselves into a corner, yet another reason to say 60-20-20. This may go the way of the ban on alcohol ads, simply incompatibility with reality.

Edited February 8, 2007 by John K

[paulmw]

Foreign teacher crackdown to continue

Foreign teachers will continue to be the target of Immigration crackdowns, Thai Immigration Chief Pol Lt Gen Suwat Tumrongsiskul confirmed during his recent visit to Phuket on Monday.

Karr, a confessed pedophile who falsely confessed to the Ramsey murder, was teaching at a school in Bangkok. He was deported under personal escort by Gen Suwat, who told reporters in the US that he sang the Bee Gees song Words to Karr to lift his spirits during the trip stateside.

On a more serious note, Gen Suwat told Phuket reporters said that random checks of 1,000 foreigners teachers had turned up 65 whose academic credentials had been forged.

“This convinced us of the need to be more strict in checking teachers’ qualifications. We don’t want unqualified teachers or sexual deviants teaching Thai children. This crackdown will help us to better screen the backgrounds of people coming here to teach,” he said.

Gen Suwat admitted that it is difficult to ascertain a person’s sexual proclivities though such checks, but said that police could gain valuable information about applicants by checking to see if they had criminal records back in their home countries.

Just more xenophobia racisms from the Thai authorities, do they real want us here.

One question for Gen Suwat will this crack down include Thai teachers as well as Falangs?I.E. degrees back gound checks.

I do remember in the BKK post, that the same time as the Karr uproar, There were 2 Thai teacher accused of multiple assaults & rape on teir students at a BKK school that went very quiet??

Paul

[Scott]

I haven't read everything, so I may be repeating what's been said, but here's what I know.

About a month ago, we sent a teacher to get his non-immigrant B in Penang.

He had a letter from our school and a copy of his contract (as well as the registration papers of the school)

He had a letter (written in Thai) from the Ministry of Education, saying he was qualified--based on the papers submitted to them--all of which were photocopies. The originals must be presented later when obtaining a Teacher's License.

He DID NOT have a police clearance.

He was subsequently rejected for a non-immigrant B.

Since then, he has returned and we have gotten a clearance form his country. As the employer, I couldn't obtain one easily or quickly. He had to write to the National Police in his country asking for it. He has now obtained this clearance and we will send him again for the Non-immigrant B visa.

One of the problems is that different countries have different laws about who should or should not have access to police records and for what purpose. Generally, most countries you can obtain records of people convicted of a criminal offense (this is public information, usually).

Will this be enough to weed out undesirables. Probably not, but it will put a lot of them off coming--It will continue to be Cambodian, African and a few other places where they may go.

There are always ways around laws, but all anyone can do is try to keep things as honest as possible.

[okinasan]

So lets see the will do a check before they give a non B visa. So by the time the check is done so is the candidate 90/180. So simply as things stand now for this to happen it is a near impossibility in real time, never mind Thai time. On the bright side something must give here, it seems the Thais have painted themselves into a corner, yet another reason to say 60-20-20. This may go the way of the ban on alcohol ads, simply incompatibility with reality.

Very interesting thread, this! And relevant to the situation my husband and I find ourselves in after living here for 7 months or so , on Non. Imm B visas issued in the UK. The plan was for me to close my small business, sell up, and leave the UK for good as we were sick of what was happening there, then to transfer the gallery/online business to totally online and continue here as a consultant. My husband wanted to teach as there would have been little for him to do otherwise. We are both 61, very well educated; both of us have degrees in, believe it or not, the Performing Arts, obtained 40 years ago from specialist schools, both of which are now defunct, and over the years all records have been lost. Not, of course, that a Performing Arts degree would be at all relevant as regards teaching English, but the education that we both received is very relevant. And neither of us are in the least interested in fake documents.

Ay this present moment, I am unable, because of the new business regulations, to restart my business legally, and my husband , having obtained a TEFL qualification when we first arrived here and having been teaching at a private school for 4 months or so, runs the risk of being fines and deported if he is investigated by Immigration. OK, we can manage on income, (just), but with both of us working according to our plans our total income would have been much higher, business and other taxes would have been paid on it, and the extra money would have been spent in Thailand, to some small benefit of the local economy. Plus, of course, if my new business plan had proved successful it would have eventually provided employment for several Thais.

Another point -- employers in the UK are very concerned about the literacy and numeracy of job applicants with degrees these days. Several of my previous supplier companies were forced to test prospective employees, particularly their ability to write their own language, and were pretty fed up with that situation! So, a pretty certificate in Home Economics (or, even worse, Social Science!) from the University of Nether Wallop UK proves that you can teach English??????? Not sure about that.........

I'm not, believe me, knocking the guys who post on this forum, I'm just amazed at what goes on in the name of protecting Thai students from "unqualified" teachers-- from my husband's recent experiences they would better benefit by being protected from Thai teachers of English who cannot string a sentence together in the correct order, or pronounce the words correctly, and who teach by rote wothout any appreciation of the language with which to inspire the students.

Still, we'd rather live here on a pittance and a retirement visa, than in Fortress UK................

Okinasan

[cutter007]

Well although the intent is good, but I think it will come to a sudden halt when they suddenly realize the check that they are talking about costs a significant amount of money. Whoever is already skimming the funds will have no part of that I am sure. So with that said 60-20-20 on this one.

Yeah like the airport, yeah they are real good an realizing they are throwing money away.

They need an economic crisis where everyones net worth is cut in half to figure out they

are doing something wrong.