General Advice On Teaching In Thailand

[Krupnik]

Hi all

I am hoping for some advice.

I am thinking of quitting my job in London and applying for teaching contracts in Thailand (if I am brave enough!)

I am a twenty-nine year old English female. I have no teaching qualifications or experience, only a degree. Firstly, what chance do I have? I have seen a lot of vacancies on various websites which do not ask for anything other than a degree but I haven’t tried applying yet.

I’m surprised to see so many options and routes and contracts etc available to non experienced teachers, and I’m confused about what would be the best. Does anyone have any advice? I thought it would be good to do one where you can also train for a TEFL but the only one that seems to offer that is called best TEFL where you train for three weeks in Ban Phe or Chiang Mai – but it starts in either October or April. I’ve missed it for this year but don’t want to wait until April 2008.

Does anyone have any advice on this? Has anyone done that particular TEFL course?

Also are these dates pretty much fixed for any teaching position because of the Thai academic year?

Sorry to be asking so many questions, just hoping for a little more information as I’m really keen to do this.

Any advice at all will be very gratefully received. Thanks so much!

[PeaceBlondie]

Hi, and welcome.

As for qualifications, at the top of this Teaching in Thailand Forum on ThaiVisa you will find an incredibly long topic entitled, "Qualifications and Questions". But yes, bring your bachelor's degree (the physical diploma) with you when you come, to prove that you're qualified.

You do not need to take a combination course that places you directly into a job with your TEFL course provider. One of our sponsors is SEE (see SEE's banner, above) which has courses starting at various intervals in Chiang Mai. Upon completion of their course (or a competitor's similar course), they would help you find a job locally (although Chiang Mai has traditionally been terrible for wages). However, times have changed, wages have probably increased greatly even in Chiang Mai, and females get higher wages, especially if your appearance/presentation is good and you're willing to teach primary students.

You can get work at almost any time of year, but May is best and late September is second-best.

I hope that helps and now I'll let other folks chime in who know better than I do.

[El Taco Loco]

It is critical that you take the TEFL in Thailand, as they teach the nuances that is Thai students. Very different from the West. SEE is good. But if you had to wait, like, why not? Keep working in the UK, save up some dosh and then come. Bring about 3 or 4 thousand pounds, return ticket, etc. Prepare for emergencies.

Bring some nice ESL books. The books here can be quite expensive and are not very good or have that horrible Singapore or Philippino Engrish writing in them.

[Scott]

I work in a bilingual school and we require a degree, but don't require a TEFL. Of course, any kind of training is good. In a bilingual school you may be teaching a subject, such as science, social studies etc. This depends on your background and desire.

If you want some information you can PM me and I will send it to you. It might give you some ideas of what the wage scales are like and conditions of employment. From there you can look at what you might reasonable want/expect.

Best of luck to you.

[Krupnik]

Thanks PeaceBlondie, Scott and El Taco.

This is really useful especially the SEE site (I can't believe I hadn't noticed that before!) as I am particularly interested in working in Chiang Mai as I like it there so much and have a few friends there. Networking opportunities are important to me actually - with other teachers etc - is there quite a community of teachers in Chiang Mai? Shame about the low wages but I guess things balance out.

El Taco - been waiting and saving for over a year now so I'm ready to leave.

Scott - thanks, will send you a PM.

Thanks everyone, any more info/advice is also most welcome!

Thank You!

[stament]

Hi there,

I did a course at SEE (see sponsored link at top of teaching forum). They were superb and I thoroughly recommend them. I have PM'd you details and if you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

I'll be back at SEE myself next month teaching.

Cheers

[otherstuff1957]

The previous post have pretty much covered the important points, I'd just add: don't take a job offer until you've had a chance to spend some time here. Try to find some Tefler watering holes and pick up some free advice from the locals!

[Krupnik]

The previous post have pretty much covered the important points, I'd just add: don't take a job offer until you've had a chance to spend some time here. Try to find some Tefler watering holes and pick up some free advice from the locals!

Why not? I have already spent about six months in Thailand anyway but only as a traveller. I didn't meet all that many teflers to talk to though. Or did you mean the place where the job/school is specifically?

Thanks

[otherstuff1957]

Most schools are OK places to work at. When you find a school that looks good and go for an interview, see if they have any teachers who have worked there for more than a year. If not, you might want to ask why? If they do, ask to talk to them and try to get the straight scoop as to how the school treats their teachers.

[susanstar]

My best advice to anyone applying for a teaching job in Thailand, based on the experiences of good friends here who have shared horror stories of contracts broken, appalling treatment by administrators and fellow teachers etc etc would be to go and talk to the teachers still there. Take them out for a beer and get the real story on the place. . .and then decide.

I understand that there are good places to work in Thailand and teachers who love their jobs and administrators who treat foreign staff and Thai staff well, but they are probably not the places advertising aggressively month after month on every website for English teachers. Just look before you leap is all.

[PeaceBlondie]

My best advice to anyone applying for a teaching job in Thailand, based on the experiences of good friends here who have shared horror stories of contracts broken, appalling treatment by administrators and fellow teachers etc etc would be to go and talk to the teachers still there. Take them out for a beer and get the real story on the place. . .and then decide.

I understand that there are good places to work in Thailand and teachers who love their jobs and administrators who treat foreign staff and Thai staff well, but they are probably not the places advertising aggressively month after month on every website for English teachers. Just look before you leap is all.

Excellent advice, susan. Similar to the advice to 'hang out at the watering holes where all the TEFL teachers get drunk." I worked at big schools that had no farang currently, or had never had any (and I was treated more or less decently). Likewise, that applies to all three of the of the places I interviewed and didn't go to work. I never found those watering holes, either. Only one of those 6 or 7 places ever got mentioned on the Hall of Shame, and they didn't offer me a job!

Story of my life: wrong time, wrong place. But if you get interviewed at some place that has 14 or 44 farang teachers, talk to them, and find out where they get drunk.

[Krupnik]

Thanks guys. Anyone know where the TEFL watering holes are in Chiang Mai?!

[southerndog]

Thanks guys. Anyone know where the TEFL watering holes are in Chiang Mai?!

No, but I'm always up for meeting new people, and having a beer..