The Foreign English Teacher Scam Explained.

[Don Wood]

Fake TELF Scam.

 

      This is the entry point for most unqualified foreign 'teachers' in Thailand. An agent recruits you online and sells you a TEFL course and a job placement. The TEFL course rarely contains 120 hours of English grammar tuition. Any recognized TEFL course should be grammar based. These fake TEFL courses are not recognized in any other country. 

 

Dodgy Agents.

 

       Agents then place the unprepared 'teacher' in a school. They pay low wages to the 'teacher' and kick backs to the school. The agent obtains a work permit and visa for the 'teacher'.

          Best not to ask how they do this. Corruption permeates almost everything in Thailand.These unprepared 'teachers' rarely know anything about Thai labor laws and often end up breaking laws unwittingly. These 'teachers' are illegal and part of a scam that could be considered visa slavery. Quit your job lose your visa. Stand up against exploitation get fired and lose your visa. Upset the wrong person get fired lose your visa. Don't break the law for the school or agent get fired lose your visa. 

 

 The schools

 

               They don't care about the students so why would they care about a fake foreign teacher? They just take the kick backs and use the 'teacher' to make more money by charging the students for English camps etc.  Tourist 'teachers' come and go and the scam keeps rolling on.  

[ThaidDown]

You forgot the third category...

 

Dodgy Teachers

 

A lot of these people have no interest in teaching and are just getting a teaching job to primarily stay in Thailand whilst earning a little money.

 

So in a lot of instances it is just a case of scammers getting scammed.

 

[Happy Grumpy]

Somebody failed their TEFL course. 

[Farangwithaplan]

1 hour ago, Don Wood said:

Fake TELF Scam.

I could tell it was a scam in your first line. TEFL was typed incorrectly. ????

[Puchaiyank]

Corruption permeates almost everything in Thailand.

 

Thai apologists will not appreciate this comment!   ????

[Farangwithaplan]

1 hour ago, Puchaiyank said:

Corruption permeates almost everything in Thailand.

 

Thai apologists will not appreciate this comment!   ????

I have no idea who you are but during general browsing on this forum I have seen you have used that term a lot. I certainly hope for your own sake and credibility that you don't actually stay in Thailand. How embarrassing it would be to realise such a think yet continue to choose to endure it.

 

[Don Wood]

@ ThaidDown

 

                Awareness might discourage some of them. Then again maybe not...

 

@ Happy Grumpy

 

               I am not an English teacher. I just know a lot of them. Some of the stories I have heard are shocking. The qualified ones rarely stay long in the public school system. 

               As far as I am aware you don't need a TEFL to be an English teacher. Fairly sure it's not a legal requirement in Thailand. I do have business interests here related to education so I have had to read up on the law. It was a long time ago and things change,so I may be wrong.

 

@ hyku1147             

 

                  Sad but true. I no longer have business dealings with the public school sector because of this. 

 

Puchaiyank 

 

                  Please note the use of the word almost. It is possible to do business here without being party to corruption. It just takes a lot of determination and diplomacy. Sadly it is very often a deal breaker, though. 

[youreavinalaff]

On 9/11/2019 at 7:18 AM, Don Wood said:

Quit your job lose your visa. Stand up against exploitation get fired and lose your visa. Upset the wrong person get fired lose your visa. Don't break the law for the school or agent get fired lose your visa. 

Incorrect. You do not lose a Visa if you quit your job or get fired. You can remain in Thailand for the full 90 days.

 

If you stay longer, which your post would suggest not, and have an extension of stay linked to your employment then you would indeed need to go an cancel your work permit and your extension of stay.

 

You appear to have been burned at some point and therefore need to vent your anger. Fair enough, but your implication of doom and gloom across the board is exaggerated. I know of many teachers who happily work and teach in government schools, both direct hire and via agencies, that have never experienced the problems that you mention.

[NanLaew]

On 9/11/2019 at 4:15 PM, Farangwithaplan said:

How embarrassing it would be to realise such a think yet continue to choose to endure it.

AFAIK there's no shame in being a masochist.

[moontang]

Notice how the TEFL schools have evolved into employment agencies for NNES and non-degree holders.  If you have a degree and are NES, preferably white, a TEFL course is throwing money in a fire.  Time is much more of the essence, now, too. The time involved may put you at the end of your tourist visa rope.  I like it here, have bought three homes here, but it is a terrible place to do business as a foreigner.  The schools are the worst of the worst.  Even in the West, schools rarely act as sustainable businesses.  They do, however, eventually get a grasp of what it takes to retain employees and avoid litigation. Here, it is simply a revolving door of people getting screwed (without any hugging or kissing).  Saw a Thai person looking for an illegal worker for private tutoring, on Facebook.  One hour per time...150 THB per hour..the sad thing is, he was likely contacted by a dozen each of Africans, Filipinos, and Eastern Europeans, living the dream in filthy Chiang Mai.