How challenging is it to teach English as a Thai citizen?

[Skarsnik22]

I’m mostly asking this because I’m considering taking my Celta here so I can teach English in Thailand. In my situation I have both a Thai and UK passport but was raised entirely in Thailand (have no residence in the UK). I look like a British person though and many are actually shocked to hear that I’m part Thai based on looks alone. I’ve read that many of those with dual citizenship find it extremely hard to land a job as an English teacher here because employers will assume you are Thai and can’t speak English. 
 

Most jobs I see on ajarn.com often specify that a work permit is needed. I’ve heard that many advise you to just use your overseas passport rather than your Thai one in interviews but I don’t understand how there’s any way around the whole work permit thing since you need to show proof that you’re eligible to work in Thailand. 
 

Is there anyone on here who has managed to secure a job as an English teacher while being half Thai? How hard was the process? Did you have to do anything to hide the fact you were Thai? When asked to provide proof you’re able to work in Thailand, did you provide your Thai passport or just went ahead and applied for a work permit as if you would if you were a foreigner? 

[BananaStrong]

I am little confused.   So, let me make some bad assumptions (yea, I know what that word means...lol).    You graduated from a Thai college and you didn't know any students who were on the path to becoming a teacher?  Raised entirely in Thailand.   Great, but why ask a falang?  I would email any school (in Thai, of course) ..... I'm puzzled how you think we might know more?

 

Since you have UK passport, then sure get the 35,000 baht monthly salary instead of like 16,000 and whatever.....BUT I think you will miss out on the long-term path to MUCH more security and stability at work.  Less pay initially, but then all the perks...................I think you have to work five years and then it's almost impossible to get fired (check with someone else).

 

Hiding the fact that you are Thai?  I'm confused.  If fluent, that's impossible.  If you went to a Thai school, impossible (they will see the transcripts).   If you lie to Thai teachers............well, then you are doomed.

 

Again, go to a school and talk to them.   You get the WP AFTER you have the job, usually after a month or so, etc....not before.  2000 baht if I remember correctly, or 1900 if that really matters.   i forget.

 

contract, get the NonB visa (go to Laos), come back....get the WP....... at the end of your contract you can re-new and not leave the country.  

 

I'm still confused..............lol

 

 

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, Skarsnik22 said:

Is there anyone on here who has managed to secure a job as an English teacher while being half Thai?

One of my students did this. He studied in my Thai school (Englsh program). He went on to study at Assumption University, then did a Masters in the UK. He got a job at a local international school (not top tierm but quite good enough). The school and sother teachers know he is part Thai and speaks Thai. He never speaks Thai to the students. As far as I'm aware, he would be using his Thai passport to work here (so no yearly extensions). What helped him get the job was the UK Masters, so I would not expect a high salary without foreign qualifications - regardless of what passport you use. Also, Thais don't need a work permit - but they still need teaching qualifications (or in the process of getting them). Foreign teachers do to, or need to do a teachign course while they are teachign with a provisional work permit). This is for teaching in k-12 schools. So this is another issue to address. 

[Scott]

We have hired quite a few teachers over the years who are mixed Thai/farang.  All but one used their Thai passport to avoid the Work Permit, visa hassles.  As I recall, if you are using a foreign passport, then you will need to also have a visa to be in the country.   In the case of the young man who used his US passport, his visa was based on having family in Thailand.  He did not want to use his Thai passport because he did not want to get drafted.  He was born in the US, a native English speaker and entered Thailand on his US passport. 

 

The single biggest problem I encountered in hiring mixed heritage teachers was the wages.  The Director was reluctant to pay the full foreign wage, so there was usually a negotiation with the teacher being paid more than the Thai Teachers and more than a Filipino teacher but less than most farang teachers.  

 

To be honest, how much they got paid depended on how "farang" they looked. 

[FritsSikkink]

I don't know about teaching jobs but hire quite a few people from different nationalities. Your qualifications and the way you present your CV are important. Looks like you can write a proper introduction and save the company the hassle to get a visa and work permit. Again, I don't know about schools, but we pay people based on their skills and not based on where they were born.