Crackdown on illegal foreign teachers: Heavy fines and deportation for those without work permits

[peter48]

Thailand should welcome English teachers. Its the international language for tourism & air flights and probably high technology & science, medical knowledge. So why is this once Land of Smiles so anti-things. Thai education and economy has been judged to be  lacking compared to other SE Asian countries whose education systems are judged ahead of Thailand. Advanced economies are knowledge and globalized  economies. 

[KhaoNiaw]

1 hour ago, Thomas Hannah said:

Correct.farang comes from the french.

No it doesn't. (Not the place to discuss this again though. Many other posts on this>)

[connda]

And another 500 kg gorilla in the room.  My guess that most teachers here that are now working here legally with a Non-B visa and a WP started off at their first job working "illegally" on a tourist visa (or some other visa) and no WP during their initial three to six month probation.  Not all "legal" teachers, but a majority of "legal" teachers started out this way.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

[agoodpunt]

Why not fine the schools for employing illegals oh wait they are thai owner

Its just another anti foreigner publicity media grabbing stint that stupid poorly educated cant grasp

[mogandave]

2 hours ago, Borzandy said:

Or thick brown envelop...

How is a teacher with dodgy credentials and no work permit going to fill a fat envelope working at a government school?

[Marley01]

Quite a few with Manchester uni degrees would be having nervous twitches about now

[mogandave]

25 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Is this guy also going to be checking the credentials and competency of Thai teachers too? It is primarily Thais, that have been misbehaving toward their students recently.

 

Otherwise, it is a blatant act of (out of control) racism. Is he the new Big Joke? Has this administration been missing the xenophobic ranting of that fool so much, that they would hire a substitute racist? 

I imagine most Thais have their work permit and visa requirements in order.

 

 

[2530Ubon]

3 hours ago, muratremix said:

Why they call a pinoy foreigner? Pinoy is a pinoy (filipino) and farang is a westerner. Asians are not farangs, period. 

Now this is a fine example showcasing why Filipinos should not be teaching English. It isn't their first language, they make the same errors as other non-native speakers, and their accent can be difficult to understand. Some Filipinos sound like Americans, but they are few and far between. Unqualified natives shouldn't be teaching either. Bare minimum should be a degree with a TEFL. Thailand will never improve until schools and agents stop hiring non-natives and unqualified natives.

[Odisan]

And they will replace the ones they boot with highly-paid and qualified native-English speaking teachers befitting their skills, knowledge, and educational status and truly (and finally) give the kids what they both deserve and need.

Yeah, right.

????????????

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

This included having a non-immigrant visa (definitely not a tourist visa) a teacher’s license, medical certificate and criminal background check. A work permit is also required.

With due respect, I bet some ex-pat teachers will be "quaking in their shoes". Call 1178 and deploy these:-

 

[hottrader77]

3 hours ago, Borzandy said:

Or thick brown envelop...

Why dont they allow it as with pandemics foreigners might not have funds after not being able to return home and they might need a little cash to get by , if they went in for a background check and all is ok why not ?

 

[Odisan]

39 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Is this guy also going to be checking the credentials and competency of Thai teachers too?

Yes, he said because of your post that he'd also do it personally. ????

[Odisan]

37 minutes ago, peter48 said:

Thailand should welcome English teachers. Its the international language for tourism & air flights and probably high technology & science, medical knowledge. So why is this once Land of Smiles so anti-things. Thai education and economy has been judged to be  lacking compared to other SE Asian countries whose education systems are judged ahead of Thailand. Advanced economies are knowledge and globalized  economies. 

Well, duh! Thailand wants qualified English teachers from the main countries, but when they start talking about $$$ they typically get no further than _$.

[petedk]

1 hour ago, Kaopad999 said:

i have no idea why someone would want to teach in a low paying public school when there are so many better paying online teaching jobs these days. At least that way they are not out in public, constantly in fear of being busted.

Is online teaching really better paid?

 

I belong to the lowest paid teachers at a government university, but I fail to see any online job that pays well (unless I teach 50 hours a week against the 12 that I teach now).

[Max69xl]

3 hours ago, Dannyxyz said:

Pinoy is a foreigner. Anybody not Thai is a foreigner. Farang is used instead of foreigner by many people no matter where the person is from. Maybe the Filipino was mixed race and looked more like a farang than traditional Filipinos. Farang is not reserved for westerners only. It's mostly used in regards to looks (White skin). So sometimes even mixed Thai are confused with farang if they look too White like.

A farang is a caucasian westerner,nothing else. 

[petedk]

32 minutes ago, agoodpunt said:

Why not fine the schools for employing illegals oh wait they are thai owner

Its just another anti foreigner publicity media grabbing stint that stupid poorly educated cant grasp

I guess it is pretty much the same as when they did the TM30 crackdown.

 

The landlord was responsible for the TM30 and was supposed to be fined, but the burden was placed on the foreigners as they arrived at immigration to do their visas.

[0815]

3 hours ago, muratremix said:

Why they call a pinoy foreigner? Pinoy is a pinoy (filipino) and farang is a westerner. Asians are not farangs, period. 

Why? Probably because she/he is not Thai ?

[petedk]

As long as they don't stop us on the streets. I have neither work permit nor passport!

[Stevemercer]

Just last month the Thai Government was talking about bringing in an extra 10,000 foreign teachers to improve English skills. That program is off to a great start!

[0815]

3 hours ago, Dannyxyz said:

Pinoy is a foreigner. Anybody not Thai is a foreigner. Farang is used instead of foreigner by many people no matter where the person is from. Maybe the Filipino was mixed race and looked more like a farang than traditional Filipinos. Farang is not reserved for westerners only. It's mostly used in regards to looks (White skin). So sometimes even mixed Thai are confused with farang if they look too White like.

And if the farang has a workpermit she/he is an alien with an alien number. ????

[worldfun]

chinese ENGLISH teachers? ????

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, Pottinger said:

This is what I've been missing so far this year - a good, old-fashioned Thai crackdown. Now what about a few more hubs and some more police rushing to the scene....? Some pointing wouldn't go amiss.

Just for you ????????

[RayongBudgie]

Life changing events for many expats I would think

[2530Ubon]

4 minutes ago, worldfun said:

chinese ENGLISH teachers? ????

No more ridiculous than Filipino English teachers, or backpackers without degrees from the UK/USA teaching.

[Jaxxper]

We’re talking about some of the next generation being taught by probably unqualified individuals. The authorities ought to take this seriously.

If the would be teacher has all of the right credentials I see no reason why they can’t have their status formalized by immigration, not to mention the school.

[warcy]

There are lots of foreigners teaching English online while in Thailand. Are the police going to nab them as well?

[steven100]

I guess many TV farang will be changing their underpants right now knowing what"s possibly coming their way.  They will be at the schools tomorrow at 6.00 am asking for the boss .....   lol

Many members here are teachers on borrowed time. imo

[Magenta408]

New dude on the job so he has to start with a clean slate. Wat, no Canadians or Aussies?

[steven100]

17 minutes ago, RayongBudgie said:

Life changing events for many expats I would think

agree fully .....  many here would be concerned.

[Expat Tom]

I understand both sides of the issue. At one time, I was the coordinator for the ESL program on the campus of a major Bangkok university. As such, I hired and fired farang teachers. I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of fine foreign ESL teachers and I have, unfortunately, had to discharge some with convictions of pedophilia in their home countries and unverified credentials. 

 

The other side of the coin is that Thailand has some of the lowest English skills of any country in ASEAN. This is, in part, due to low skilled teachers. It is a fact that, in life, you usually get what you pay for. If you have a low budget, you will get teachers who are not native English speakers. I have met many find teachers from the Philippines but they are not "Native English Speakers". If Thailand wants their children to speak English with a Filipino accent then by all means, run all of the farang out and replace them non-native English speakers.