Who are these Foreign Teachers who have "problems " with their Visas or Work Permits

[HappyExpat57]

28 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Why you telling me. I'm not looking to be a teacher. 

I asked how long does a TEFL course take to complete in Thailand.

Just didn't answer the question so.......

Most courses are 120 hours of classroom over a 4-week period plus a good number of after hours doing real time teaching to volunteer students.

Edited October 13, 2021 by HappyExpat57

[HappyExpat57]

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So that's the process?

Why can't someone obtain a full teaching license straight up?

A teaching license is a whole other animal. The most common situation in Thailand is a person with a bachelors gets a work permit and a waiver for the teaching license. I believe (and if I'm wrong someone will most certainly let me know!) the waiver can be extended annually for up to five years.

[HappyExpat57]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I did not have any degrees, but did have impeccable TEFL qualifications and experience, and the two schools I worked at always got me work permits.

That's a porky right there. Work permits are NOT given to teachers in Thailand without a valid bachelors degree. Been that way for years. In the past, you could get a fake degree, but not any more. SOMEBODY in this situation is telling a fib or making up false documents.

[HappyExpat57]

2 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

How many hours of classroom teaching does the course include. Real employers that pay real wages require real qualifications

I did the 120 hour course from TEFL, International in Phuket. This was spread out over 4 weeks and we also taught two classes without pay after class 3 or 4 days a week (it's been over a decade so it's a little fuzzy). It cost (at that time) about $1350 USD and it was the best investment I ever made, particularly the after hours teaching.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Heh, what a hot topic. It has been every time it's come up. Beats talking about Covid.

 

At your first teaching job you get the waiver. You can't get the full teaching license straight away. It requires working at the school a full 365 days, then getting signatures and recommendations from several school officials. This isn't easy. Thus, many teachers go through waivers at 2 or 3 different schools, before applying for the full license, or finally being sent home without it.

 

Wow, so you say, school officials aren't interested in helping aspiring foreign teachers get that full license, which would insure their continued staying and working in Thailand? Surprise, surprise.

 

At a previous school I saw a teacher loved by many students, energetic, outgoing. He had just passed his first year and was on the verge of his full license. Yet he was then let go over a beef he had with a Thai teacher. Some project fell apart due to her lack of organization, and as he tried to piece it together, this drew attn to her mistakes. A big no no.

 

On that note, I'd never work for a private school in or around BKK again. The arrogance, the hassle. It's really not worth the high salary. You get paid more, yet must endure significantly more grief. Then much of that salary is eaten by the higher cost of living, higher rent, and a daily commute of moto taxis, songthaews, and BTS, which really add up.

 

Thus, I'm back out in Issan making 45k, about the max you can expect here. Compartatively low, yet much more worth it considering the lack of BKK attitude, hassles, expenses. My rent now is just helping my in-laws with groceries and utility bills, and repairs around the house, I teach adults online for about another 20k, and now my wife and I have been able to finance a car.

[PremiumLane]

On 10/13/2021 at 8:45 AM, EvetsKram said:

Try being in Thailand and get yourself a B visa.  These are obtainable out of country only.  

I changed from a Non-ED to get a work permit. Immigration changed the extension to say I was being employed, and then we got the work permit on that.

I know others who have done this because of covid and not being able to leave the country. All had job offers and the proper documentation. 

Also, if you are on a tourist visa, that can be changed in country. 

Edited October 14, 2021 by PremiumLane

[aarontendo]

Yeah just to chime in it's been a long process so far but things are moving on mine.

 

Came in on tourist visa, renewed it at Muang Thong Thani temporary immigration office, went to apply for non im-b and picked it up as of yesterday.  Next step is to get my work permit this coming month and then extend the non im-b. 

 

I recall doing a visa run many years in the past, but I can only assume that due to COVID we are just processing extensions of stay (or visas or something) in country.

 

Sorry if the details aren't fully complete, I know there are differences between visas and extensions of stays I just can't keep up with it.  We do have an amazing HR person at my school who keeps busy getting all our paperwork done.

 

I have all the necessary paperwork including background check, college degrees, transcript, teaching license from back home, etc.  I can only suspect that many folks who are struggling with the visa are missing a degree or faced with an HR department that isn't being as helpful as they could. 

 

I suppose my point was to say that at least in my experience the process is ongoing. It's long, but it's going.

[Neeranam]

On 10/12/2021 at 1:52 PM, sapson said:

 

With the khaosan road university department being closed for a while it could makes it more difficult.

A few years ago, Isarn University was the most popular where I live, as well a PhDs from Hawaii. Not sure about now. 

[Colabamumbai]

On 10/14/2021 at 8:09 AM, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Heh, what a hot topic. It has been every time it's come up. Beats talking about Covid.

 

At your first teaching job you get the waiver. You can't get the full teaching license straight away. It requires working at the school a full 365 days, then getting signatures and recommendations from several school officials. This isn't easy. Thus, many teachers go through waivers at 2 or 3 different schools, before applying for the full license, or finally being sent home without it.

 

Wow, so you say, school officials aren't interested in helping aspiring foreign teachers get that full license, which would insure their continued staying and working in Thailand? Surprise, surprise.

 

At a previous school I saw a teacher loved by many students, energetic, outgoing. He had just passed his first year and was on the verge of his full license. Yet he was then let go over a beef he had with a Thai teacher. Some project fell apart due to her lack of organization, and as he tried to piece it together, this drew attn to her mistakes. A big no no.

 

On that note, I'd never work for a private school in or around BKK again. The arrogance, the hassle. It's really not worth the high salary. You get paid more, yet must endure significantly more grief. Then much of that salary is eaten by the higher cost of living, higher rent, and a daily commute of moto taxis, songthaews, and BTS, which really add up.

 

Thus, I'm back out in Issan making 45k, about the max you can expect here. Compartatively low, yet much more worth it considering the lack of BKK attitude, hassles, expenses. My rent now is just helping my in-laws with groceries and utility bills, and repairs around the house, I teach adults online for about another 20k, and now my wife and I have been able to finance a car.

65,000 a month doubtful.