Visa To Teach English In Thailand

[espmagick]

Hello Paul here. I am an American and have worked in Japan and now work in other parts of Asia. I would like to teach English in Thailand. Could someone please tell me the procedure for getting a working Visa to teach English in Thailand.

Thank you

Paul

[damian5000]

Hello Paul here. I am an American and have worked in Japan and now work in other parts of Asia. I would like to teach English in Thailand. Could someone please tell me the procedure for getting a working Visa to teach English in Thailand.

Thank you

Paul

Do you have a job lined up already? I would suggest getting 2 or 3 tourist visas (2 months each) prior to coming so you'll have time to look for work. If you beat street you'll find a job within a couple weeks no doubt assuming you have a BA degree and/or TEFL. Especially since you've got experience. I don't think it's so easy to get a working visa by yourself until you've got a place claiming that you'll be working for them. Unless by chance you want to go through a placement agency. But then you know you're paying them premiums and end up with a contract.

[PeaceBlondie]

Hello Paul here. I am an American and have worked in Japan and now work in other parts of Asia. I would like to teach English in Thailand. Could someone please tell me the procedure for getting a working Visa to teach English in Thailand.

Thank you

Paul

Why would an experienced TEFLer want to come to teach here? It's a cesspool of wrong visas, difficulties getting work permits, administrators who don't listen to you, kids who don't learn, curriculum that's ignored, methods that don't work, etc. And you posted this in the forum for Chiang Mai, where newcomers sometimes start at 23K per month (no benefits) with your qualifications, illegally.

Ideally - which is absurd - you'd answer an ad, send them your resume, they'd write back to you, maybe they'd interview you by phone. It doesn't work like that. They often don't read their mail, don't write back, and haven't a clue how to phone you, if the Director even approved the expenses for a phone call. They want you to come here on whatever visa you can get on your own, interview face to face where they'll ask the wrong questions ("Do you like Thai food?"), and then work illegally. Usually. The good jobs? Whom do you know that would help you get those private jewels?

Find a friendly consulate to give you the best B visa you can get, which may be only a three month single entry visa. But don't expect most employers to write the invitation letter for you.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Hello Paul here. I am an American and have worked in Japan and now work in other parts of Asia. I would like to teach English in Thailand. Could someone please tell me the procedure for getting a working Visa to teach English in Thailand.

Thank you

Paul

www dot ajarn dot com

Japan, S. Korea, China are much better for making, saving money and working conditions.

Might be wiser to continue in one of the better countries and take your off time in Thailand where your money goes a lot further and you will have a lot more fun.

[Ajarn]

All I can say is that it has been excellent for me. Once you get your feet wet, you'll find someone looking for someone 'intelligent', which in my case was my knowledge and experience here... My suggestion is to go universities whenever possible. I know a few folks who have been doing it for 20 or 30 years and are enjoying their jobs. In any university there are people you'll be valuable to, maybe in another dept., looking for a teacher to teach a special regular course in English, or teaching English to the Queen, or whatever, for a lot more than regular money. There are great places to work here for someone who is serious and smart about working. Don't worry about the immigration bullshit, for mostly a lot easier than Japan. I have 15 years experience here teaching/managing...

[Ulysses G.]

Hello Paul here. I am an American and have worked in Japan and now work in other parts of Asia. I would like to teach English in Thailand. Could someone please tell me the procedure for getting a working Visa to teach English in Thailand.

Thank you

Paul

Why would an experienced TEFLer want to come to teach here? It's a cesspool of wrong visas, difficulties getting work permits, administrators who don't listen to you, kids who don't learn, curriculum that's ignored, methods that don't work, etc. And you posted this in the forum for Chiang Mai, where newcomers sometimes start at 23K per month (no benefits) with your qualifications, illegally.

Ideally - which is absurd - you'd answer an ad, send them your resume, they'd write back to you, maybe they'd interview you by phone. It doesn't work like that. They often don't read their mail, don't write back, and haven't a clue how to phone you, if the Director even approved the expenses for a phone call. They want you to come here on whatever visa you can get on your own, interview face to face where they'll ask the wrong questions ("Do you like Thai food?"), and then work illegally. Usually. The good jobs? Whom do you know that would help you get those private jewels?

Find a friendly consulate to give you the best B visa you can get, which may be only a three month single entry visa. But don't expect most employers to write the invitation letter for you.

This is the the best advice you will ever get on teaching English in Thailand.

Peace Blondie has been there!

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks, Ulysses, but with proper respect to Ajarn's more experienced opinion, I may be too negative. My experience is since early 2003. Maybe in the years before that, guys without degrees were advised by their schools to get fake degrees, then put in prison for 3 months, as it happened this year. Maybe back then, visas and work permits were easier. Surely, Shirley, people still work illegally in Chiang Mai.

[Ajarn]

Thanks, Ulysses, but with proper respect to Ajarn's more experienced opinion, I may be too negative. My experience is since early 2003. Maybe in the years before that, guys without degrees were advised by their schools to get fake degrees, then put in prison for 3 months, as it happened this year. Maybe back then, visas and work permits were easier. Surely, Shirley, people still work illegally in Chiang Mai.

It's mostly where you work, and who you are. Universities are generally safe and protective of their employess, even making payment of taxes and work permits with no problem.. Also, if you are old or inexperienced or without a degree or maybe just not so sharp, positions with universities are not usually possible, meaning that your options are now in a more dangerous area of kids, and the kids mangers. Among kids are mostly where any problems are going to occur...

Off course people still work illegaly in Chiang Mai. They always have, and they always will. Many of the illegal teachers are desperate for anything...

Edited May 11, 2007 by Ajarn

[Ulysses G.]

To be honest, I hadn't read Ajarn's post.

I just saw Peace Blondie's and was identifying with the stuff about visa f--kups and that type of thing. I remember going to Laos with a job and all my paperwork and being turned down for a non-Immigrant Visa for NO reason and having to come back to Thailand broke until I could raise enough money in several months to go to Burma where they gave me the visa immediately.

As far as teaching in Thailand, I mostly enjoyed it, but prefer to work for myself!

[Loaded]

If you can find a sponsoring school, then you can apply for a non-imm B visa before you arrive here.

If you can't, then come here and find a job. Your employer will then send you to a bordering country with a pile of papers to obtain a non-imm B.

Regardless of whether you have a non-imm B visa or not you will initially work without a work permit (ie illegally). The work permit application by the school to the ministry of labour won't start until you start work and it can take a few months.

Most of the private schools in Chiang Mai such as Prince Royal's College, VCS, Montfort, Dara Academy... pay around 26K/month to TEFL teachers and 30K+ for subject teachers on an English Programme. Dara actually pay 30K for TEFL teachers, give free accommodation and free food. They also give teachers an all expenses paid vacation with flights to Phuket or somewhere else that's nice at the end of the academic year.

Government Unis pay around 22K.

You can earn 250-350 baht/hour teaching in language schools or 'doing' privates.

[Ajarn]

If you can find a sponsoring school, then you can apply for a non-imm B visa before you arrive here.

If you can't, then come here and find a job. Your employer will then send you to a bordering country with a pile of papers to obtain a non-imm B.

Regardless of whether you have a non-imm B visa or not you will initially work without a work permit (ie illegally). The work permit application by the school to the ministry of labour won't start until you start work and it can take a few months.

Most of the private schools in Chiang Mai such as Prince Royal's College, VCS, Montfort, Dara Academy... pay around 26K/month to TEFL teachers and 30K+ for subject teachers on an English Programme. Dara actually pay 30K for TEFL teachers, give free accommodation and free food. They also give teachers an all expenses paid vacation with flights to Phuket or somewhere else that's nice at the end of the academic year.

Government Unis pay around 22K.

You can earn 250-350 baht/hour teaching in language schools or 'doing' privates.

Government universities pay 28,500 baht per month...

And you can come on a tourist visa. Immigration will stamp you correctly when you get a legal job.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Ajarn

[PeaceBlondie]

Yes, schools can do this, and universities probably usually do this (help with your visa, issue a sponsoring letter, etc.). But how many of them actually do? I see that one of my former schools is advertising for a native speaking teacher, with absolutely no hint they'll help with visa and work permit. Same as in 2003 and 1989, no help at all.

As for salary levels, I believe Ajarn's number of 28,500 per month is correct for unis and rajabats, nationwide, including housing subsidy. Thanks, Loaded, for your estimates by school. Interestingly, Wichai Wittya (private school in CMai) seems to be starting TEFLers at 33K and paying decent wages overall, which seems quite rare in CMai.

Do Dara, Montfort, Prince Royal, etc., do their part to get work permits promptly? How many language school teachers have work permits? How many part-timers? Is anybody doing private lessons legally? Not that I know.

[sabaijai]

Moved to visas subforum.

[madcatlady]

And you can come on a tourist visa. Immigration will stamp you correctly when you get a legal job.

Okay, so now I'm confused. So far the consensus seems to be that if you come in on a 30-day VoA then you have to leave Thailand armed with documents and head to Penang, Vientiene etc to apply for a non-imm visa.

Is it true that you can come in on a tourist visa and trade up to a non-imm visa?

My brother is considering taking a job here (he's currently teaching TEFL in Rome) and the job ad states 'visa assisted' - whatever that means...

Advice gratefully received!

MCL

[Ajarn]

And you can come on a tourist visa. Immigration will stamp you correctly when you get a legal job.

Okay, so now I'm confused. So far the consensus seems to be that if you come in on a 30-day VoA then you have to leave Thailand armed with documents and head to Penang, Vientiene etc to apply for a non-imm visa.

Is it true that you can come in on a tourist visa and trade up to a non-imm visa?

My brother is considering taking a job here (he's currently teaching TEFL in Rome) and the job ad states 'visa assisted' - whatever that means...

Advice gratefully received!

MCL

Yes, a minimum 60 day tourist visa is okay for a legal job

[bruceboy]

Best of luck. But ensure you have the correct visa before coming to Thailand.

[p1p]

And you can come on a tourist visa. Immigration will stamp you correctly when you get a legal job.

Okay, so now I'm confused. So far the consensus seems to be that if you come in on a 30-day VoA then you have to leave Thailand armed with documents and head to Penang, Vientiene etc to apply for a non-imm visa.

Is it true that you can come in on a tourist visa and trade up to a non-imm visa?

My brother is considering taking a job here (he's currently teaching TEFL in Rome) and the job ad states 'visa assisted' - whatever that means...

Advice gratefully received!

MCL

In a nutshell, the loophole allowing a change from Tourist to Working visa was closed some years ago. If you wish to work, you must enter the country with one of the Non Immigrant visa classes.

You can come in on a tourist visa and look for a job. If you find one, you can then take the paperwork to a Thai Embassy or Consulate overseas and apply for the correct visa to allow you to teach. The visa is normally issued for a short time and can be extended dependant on you obtaining a work permit.

[patongpanda]

Whoever said to get a tourist visa - that's incredibly bad advice. You'll have to waste time and money to go abroad and get a Non-B visa in a neighbouring consulate. (Who are often very picky about the paperwork).

You cannot convert the Tourist Visa.

From your home country its easy to get a Non-O visa for a year for the purpose of visiting friends/family and studying Thai culture.

Alternatively, you can contact a TEFL course provider - they will provide Non-B visa invitations to your home consulate for free!

[Bertil]

If you arrive here on a tourist visa (not visa exemption), you can convert this visa into a non immigrant O or B at the nearest immigration office IF you have all relevant papers (O = marriage cert., B = documents from your employer).