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Posted

If you want to be self employed your only choice is to open a company with all the requirements that entails.

 

It would likely be just easier to get a job / work permit through a language school or if that's just supposed to be a side hustle then simply tutor students privately under your current visa.

 

For credentials you should get a TESOL or something to have a bit of cred to show to students or their parents if asked for it.

  • Thanks 1
Posted

A visa does not allow you to work. Only a work permit does that.

You can get a work permit and work with a non-o visa or extension of stay based upon marriage to a Thai.

  • Like 2
Posted
8 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

If you want to be self employed your only choice is to open a company with all the requirements that entails.

 

It would likely be just easier to get a job / work permit through a language school or if that's just supposed to be a side hustle then simply tutor students privately under your current visa.

 

For credentials you should get a TESOL or something to have a bit of cred to show to students or their parents if asked for it.

Yes I have a TEFL, degree and teaching experience. I kind of concluded the same as you about it being a hassle going legit. I guess my main concern is that by putting a website online, am I opening myself up for a whole load of pain from immigration!!!

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Posted
54 minutes ago, greenmonkey said:

Yes I have a TEFL, degree and teaching experience. I kind of concluded the same as you about it being a hassle going legit. I guess my main concern is that by putting a website online, am I opening myself up for a whole load of pain from immigration!!!

Not sure if a website is going to help you in this regard as far as advertising is concerned. Most tutoring clients come through word of mouth, personal recommendations and by answering ads others have put up seeking a tutor.

  • Like 2
Posted

You could join iTalki or similar and not accept any students from Thailand. 

 

Then it might be more of a technical transgression than flagrantly breaking the law. 

Posted
1 hour ago, dundas said:

You could join iTalki or similar and not accept any students from Thailand. 

 

Then it might be more of a technical transgression than flagrantly breaking the law. 

FOAF was teaching Chinese students online via palfish in China without difficulties. (Whereas muggins taught face to face & got managed to get arrested.)

  • Confused 1
Posted

From what I've been told by staff at the local Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labor offices, you can't legally teach students privately in Thailand unless you have work permit. To get a work permit, you have to go through the legal steps of opening a business and then get approval from the Ministry of Education. It's not impossible--I know a couple of foreigners who have opened language/tutoring centers--but there are a lot of requirements to satisfy, both to set up and ongoing. It's probably not worth it if someone just wants to teach a few hours a week on the side.

 

Of course, there are many foreigners who teach private students illegally (as a foreigner, especially one that teaches at a Thai school, you'll be approached by people in the community asking for classes for themselves or their kids). A lot of those teachers make some money and don't have any problems, but there is a risk. Jealousy is a big issue here. Many of the Thai school teachers also have tutoring centers that they run outside of school hours. If they hear that some foreigner is competing against them, they can just make a call to immigration. Immigration is always encouraging people to report violations so anybody can easily report you. Word gets around and foreigners can't really fly under the radar here.

 

In our province, Immigration has what they call a "crime suppression division". These are not the IO's who you deal with for visas, extensions, etc. Those people are basically paper-pushers. The other ones behave more like cops who are out to bust people for violating laws. Several years ago when the TM30 started becoming enforced, they were out in our neighborhood checking on all the foreigners. One of my neighbors (Thai) told me that they had asked if any of the farangs living in the area taught private English classes to the local kids. I had to go to their office because I refused to pay their bullsh#t TM30 fine (they were also very rude to my wife). I was teaching (legally) at a Thai school at the time and they casually asked me a couple times if I taught private classes. I hadn't been,  but they were definitely trying to trap me.

 

Consider your situation and the risks/rewards carefully as you make your decision.

 

 

  • Like 2
Posted
4 hours ago, pi2005ni said:

Everything is fine doing things privately from home or elsewhere without the proper paperwork, however if you have problems with anyone or someone is jealous of you making a few baht then you incur major problems including possible deportation. Unless you really are needing the money I wouldn’t take the risk .

You are not even allowed to teach free of charge!

 

(To illustrate this somewhat: A few years back, when farang members of a Rotary Club from Pattaya tried to distribute bottles of drinking water (free of course) to a flood-affected area in and around Bangkok they were not allowed to do so because of lack of work permit.)

Posted
4 hours ago, onebir said:

Whereas muggins taught face to face & got managed to get arrested.

You're just going to drop that in there and leave it at that?  Can you share any details?  What were you doing, how you got caught, why they arrested you, what was the outcome?

  • Like 1
Posted

You need a work permit to teach privately. 

Students do not read english websites or thai websites looking for a teacher, it's word of mouth or additional teaching from a school teacher .....   and as stated, you must have a work permit.

Posted
52 minutes ago, steven100 said:

You need a work permit to teach privately. 

Students do not read english websites or thai websites looking for a teacher, it's word of mouth or additional teaching from a school teacher .....   and as stated, you must have a work permit.

I've done it for over 25 years and never been questioned. I've NEVER known anyone to have a problem.

Yes, it is law, but so is wearing a motorbike helmet.

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