Continuing Study In Thailand

[PeaceBlondie]

Looking on the positive side, either Bangkok or CMai would be excellent laboratories of how not to develop an urban area, and how to create unsustainable development instead. But CMai is far more liveable.

[jdinasia]

BUIC is OK ... great location in town .. not far from Klong Toey Subway and not far from Ekkamai Skytrain stations ....

As for BU grads not getting jobs ....... my partner is making WAY over standard for his age (26) here in BKK .. head of depatment over KMITL grads ...

Webster may be a choice if you want to be in Hua Hin ... but after 6 months studying there I was BORED! (The school is 30 mins out of town ... but housing is cheap ... paid 7500 baht/mo for a 2 bedroom place in town

For a cool experience overall ... I'd be looking at BU though ....

one thing to consider .... BKK is not always so nice to other ethnic SEAsians ... see if you can find some vietnamese folks to ask about their experiences

[iamRare]

Thanks for all the input and help guys.

Im as unvietnamese as it can get, but yeah Im still asian. I should be alright though, seen most of the world and Im doing fine sofar.

Thanks again.

[Storekeeper]

iamrare,

I know exactly what you're looking for ... a little subsidized vacation for 36 months on Uncle Sam's tab The VA has approved these schools (international programs only) in the past for GIBILL use (both undergraduate & graduate) :

* Bangkok University

* Chulalongkorn Univesity

* Assumption University

* Thammasat University

The VA will soon be approving a Ph D in Educational Leadership at Assumption.

Past programs approved range from a BA in English to a MBA to a MA in Law. You might also be interested in Webster University in Hua Hin/Cha'am. You would coordinate your GI Bill through their home campus in Missouri.

Have a good time and enjoy. Don't worry about the quality of the school. It ain't no big deal when you're just looking to burn up your hard earned and well deserved education benefit. Go fo it.

Edited May 22, 2006 by Storekeeper

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks, Storekeeper; great post. Yes, I used my GI Bill benefits to go to a whole range of middle and low ranked universities. Once I earned the degree and was working for a few years, it hardly mattered that my degree was from a low-ranked school. Mostly, it mattered to the admissions department and the registrar who certified my previous transcripts. And, I got to spend most of my undergrad years by the beach!!

Like long-term relationships, what you get out of an education mostly depends on what YOU put into it.

[cvazquez]

I recently graduated from a US Law School and am seriously considering going for my LLM (International law) degree in Assumption University in Bangkok. However, I don't know what steps I need to take to be able to enroll in this program. Is there a Visa I need before being able to study in Thailand? In your opinions, would this venue allow me considerable career opportunities?

[PeaceBlondie]

Hello. C. Vázquez.

Do a search on Thaivisa.com and on thaivisa.com/forum for education visa and you should find something.

[legaleagle]

I doubt that there would any significant career opportunities that arise from this LLM program. You would be in Asia, however, and that might lead to god knows where and that would be a good thing for you. The key to careers in the law (as you likely know already) is "where did you go to law school". If your answer is top 20, then I would retract my answer and say that you might actually benefit from Thailand. If not, you are spinning your wheels. There are no "back doors" into top firms, however hard you might try to find them.

[mbkudu]

Is there a Visa I need before being able to study in Thailand?

For long term study plans in Thailand you should apply for an 'ED' visa or education visa. It is simple to obtain. First you must apply at a school, get accepted and then have the director send you a signed letter stating that you have been accepted and the dates when you will begin. Once you have this leter, then just fill out the form for a Thai visa, enclose the letter and the payment. Indicate on the form that you want a single entry non-immigrant 'ED' visa. All you need is a single entry. It will last three months. After the first two months the school should help you extend this visa for a full year. It is then extended yearly as long as the requirements are kept up.

Edited May 27, 2006 by mbkudu

[PeaceBlondie]

mbkudu,

Maybe I missed something. Does the student send his visa application in to his nearest consulate?

[mbkudu]

mbkudu,

Maybe I missed something. Does the student send his visa application in to his nearest consulate?

Sorry if I wasn't clear on that PB. The answer is yes. In my case I simply printed the visa application off my computer from home in the US and sent it, filled out along with the letter from the school and passport, to the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles Ca. It cost $50.00 + postage. It took about 6 days to get my passport back with the 'ED' visa issued in it. If someone were already living in Thailand, I presume that a place like Penang, Kuala Lumpur or maybe Singapore would have to be visited in person to get the visa, but I am not sure.

[nokmdk]

Anyone know of Uni's that offer a BA in Education (English of course)?

Price range? I know alot will say why would i bother when it would be useless in my own country. But, it's not in other Asian places im sure. Any info you can provide would be great.

[Loaded]

Never heard of one offered in Thailand in English - interested to know if it's possible though.

[SeattleSam]

Never heard of one offered in Thailand in English - interested to know if it's possible though.

I know there are many computer programs for BA and Masters taught in English in Thailand.

Tomorrow i'll look for the links to many Thai universities that teach in English.

[kenkannif]

Mission College seems to have an international programme in education and psychology??? E-mail: [email protected] (it's in Saraburi though).

Ramkhamaeng Uni does an MEd. E-mail: [email protected]

Not much help I'm afraid mate.

[grtaylor]

Assumption University Faculty of Education offers a Graduate Diploma in Education (ประกาศนียบัตรบัณฑิต สาขาวิชาครุศึกษา) as a one-year course at evenings and weekends, so you can do it while working. This was set up specifically for those who's qualifications were not in line with the requirements of the 1999 Education Act. You need a Bachelors degree already to enrol for this.

They also offer an MEd, and a PhD in Education. All are taught in English.

[Robski]

I may not get a degree, but I'm expecting to get well flamed for this post by some.

In light of the regulations regarding the need for a degree to get a work permit and the large amount of debate it has created, I am asking what is the easiest way for me to get a degree?

It is possible to get work teaching english with a TEFL certificate, but working on the principle of 'if you cant beat 'em join 'em' as well as 'cover your arse' and 'anything for an easy life'.

I'd like to hear some suggestions on what courses are available, how long they take, wether they are related to english or not, if they can be done on-line, in Thailand or back into the UK.

I don't want to get into a debate about the merits of different degrees, (or how illiterate I am!)

as I think that has been dealt with extensively in other threads. (the degrees that is)

I know that some of the better schools quite rightly are choosy about which degrees they recognise, what I am interested in is meeting the Thai MoE's criteria with the minimum of disruption/sacrifice and getting on with the rest of my life with a lot less stress.

[mbkudu]

You can buy yourself a 'life experience' degree for about $US 130.00 from a number of 'universities'

advertising on the web or you could enroll in a four year university and do the work required to get the degree. The very last, but least honorable of course is Khao San Road. Those are the only three I can think of. I believe online study degrees are only for studying for a masters; meaning you would have a BA already. Not positive though. I'm doing the easiest and cheapest way I can; studying here in Bangkok at a university in a four year international program. It is affordable and manageable with my schedule. If you need more information, feel free to send me a personal message. If your post is some kind of bait/troll thing then don't bother sending the message.

Edited November 9, 2006 by mbkudu

[billd766]

Please don't take this personally or as a flame but.......

Personally speaking if I found out that my sons teacher couldn't be bothered to work hard enough to get a good degree I would not be a happy parent.

If you really aren't interested in working hard and doing the best that you can, but just enough to get by, I wouldn't employ you as a teacher.

I have no teaching skills at all except for work and that is on a one to one basis where it is easy to concentrate, but teaching a class of 40 or 50 children in your own language whilst the pupils language is totally different must be one of the hardest things to do. As such I would think that a lot of hard work and preparation is involved and it is something that I would like to do but I would need to be fairly fluent in Thai to talk to pupils before I would attempt to teach them English.

To be less than good would do more harm than good.

Remember that in life you get what you pay for.

[richard10365]

There is not much difference between a Khao Sarn Road degree and a life experience degree. The life experience degree usually comes with transcripts and cost a lot more.

Both degrees are not recognized in the USA. In fact, I have read of a fire chief being fired (no pun intended) when it was discovered his degree was a life experience degree.

Also, you cannot use a BA Life experience degree to go for a masters degree. If you try, universities will laugh at you.

I believe the intention of the Thai government is to see academic achievement and not some kind of shady shortcut.

[toptuan]

Please don't take this personally or as a flame but.......

Personally speaking if I found out that my sons teacher couldn't be bothered to work hard enough to get a good degree I would not be a happy parent.

If you really aren't interested in working hard and doing the best that you can, but just enough to get by, I wouldn't employ you as a teacher.

I have no teaching skills at all except for work and that is on a one to one basis where it is easy to concentrate, but teaching a class of 40 or 50 children in your own language whilst the pupils language is totally different must be one of the hardest things to do. As such I would think that a lot of hard work and preparation is involved and it is something that I would like to do but I would need to be fairly fluent in Thai to talk to pupils before I would attempt to teach them English.

To be less than good would do more harm than good.

Remember that in life you get what you pay for.

[Robski]

I am perfectly serious, I am also very hard working. there are many very good teachers working with just a TEFL certificate. I believe that a degree may make you more qualified it does not make you a better person, wether that means your ability to interact socialy or your moral integrity, many people are working with unrelated degrees, as I said though I don't want to judge the merits of a degree I just want to continue staying in Thailand and if that means meeting the MoE's criterea then so be it. I don't wish to buy a degree, I don't consider myself to be dishonest, I just want some constructive feedback as to what would be a good way of obtaining one.

[Casanundra]

Go and get a degree because let's face it, it's not 'that' hard and in all reality just takes some time, a little effort and some dedication to complete.

You 'will' come out the other end with new knowledge (even if absorbed passively) and hopefully a new set of skills will have been learnt along the way. One thing is for sure, you will have a different mindset to the one you have today when you have completed it.

Who knows it may inspire you onto greater and better things and open up doors that may currently be closed to you right now and I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of it you go on to do a Masters as well because there is nothing like learning new things to keep us inspired.

[PeaceBlondie]

Before I finally got my BA at age 29, I rationalized by using all the arguments such as "I'm smarter than the degreed people" and "It won't make me more intelligent" etc. I applied for a job at the YMCA and the guy said, "I'm one of the few YMCA managers who would hire you; you'd never get promoted. Go back to school." The next day I started back to uni, and finished that time.

My degree is in religion, but it qualified me to be admitted to an accounting position. And it got me my jobs in Thailand. So, good luck; don't think the easiest way is the best way.

[smilingjim]

I may not get a degree, but I'm expecting to get well flamed for this post by some.

In light of the regulations regarding the need for a degree to get a work permit and the large amount of debate it has created, I am asking what is the easiest way for me to get a degree?

It is possible to get work teaching english with a TEFL certificate, but working on the principle of 'if you cant beat 'em join 'em' as well as 'cover your arse' and 'anything for an easy life'.

I'd like to hear some suggestions on what courses are available, how long they take, wether they are related to english or not, if they can be done on-line, in Thailand or back into the UK.

I don't want to get into a debate about the merits of different degrees, (or how illiterate I am!)

as I think that has been dealt with extensively in other threads. (the degrees that is)

I know that some of the better schools quite rightly are choosy about which degrees they recognise, what I am interested in is meeting the Thai MoE's criteria with the minimum of disruption/sacrifice and getting on with the rest of my life with a lot less stress.

You mention the UK. Why not look at the Open University site - they will give you all the info you need about doing legitimate online degrees, choices etc.

www.open.ac.uk

[johnnyk]

I suppose one can look at getting a degree in two ways:

1) Its a piece of paper that may help me somehow and the quicker and easier it is, the better.

2) Its an opportunity to learn all kinds of interesting stuff.

I took #2 and have never regretted it.

Edited November 9, 2006 by johnnyk

[Ijustwannateach]

A lot of good advice here. If degrees were easy, they wouldn't mean anything at all. I've frequently argued here that TEFL teaching doesn't really require a college degree (and I still believe that) but if you're subject teaching or if you're planning to make TEFL a "career," then you really do need at least one- and the way things are going, before long you'll need at least two.

Have heard good things about the Open University, but it's not "easy."

"Steven"

[percy2]

Allegedly a former prime minister of Thailand's degree was purchased. I wouldn’t name names but he was as slippery as Robin Hood.

If a bought degree is good enough to be PM it’s good enough to be a teacher surely.

Cheers

[Nemo.]

Do the Thai regulations stipulate "degree" or "accredited degree". Plenty of "life experience" unaccredited degrees that are not outright cons/fakes in USA (online). Loads of "bible colleges" are legal that offer quickie degrees. maybe a bit iffy but real colleges!

[aussiestyle1983]

Quick degree huh?

Seems like you just want the degree to be able to keep teaching in LOS. If your not interested in the education and knowledge you will gain from doing the degree course, then you will need alot of money to get a real degree. If you have enough money and you know the right person, you may be able to buy a degree from a university in LOS. The degree would be real and you would get transcripts and all, just as if you actually studied there, but really you will just be paying for the piece of paper to use to be able to stay here. Having said that, a lot of degrees from Thai universities are not recognised overseas, if you planned to use it overseas, but you only want it so you can stay here so that wouldnt be an issue. I suggest you offer a very large sum of money to someone with the power to give you the degree you want, but be very careful if attempting this angle or you could end up in deep shit..............................

You would most likely end up paying more than the cost of the degree its self if you actually did the full course, keep that in mind. But that is an option.