Teacher Bashing

[midasthailand]

I haven't been a member too long but really enjoy the cut and thrust of TV. one of the things I've noticed is that teachers seem to be a fairly easy target here, why? I don't know, it seems if somebody is working as a teacher in Thailand they must be illegal, incompetent and causing the reputation of westerners to be tarnished by their actions.

Well, it is my intention to travel to Thailand in the very near future and seek employment as a teacher of the English language and I believe that I am doing so with the best of intentions. I lived and worked in Bangkok for three years in the late nineties and developed a deep respect and affinity for the Thai people, culture, climate and food. Whilst there I had the chance to observe Thais at all levels of society, being a military officer attached to an Embassy and formed the opinion that generally the Thai people are honest, hard working and friendly, I also found that there was a premium placed on proficiency in English, with those having a proficiency able to seek better jobs and higher salaries.

Therefore, having retired from the military and completed a TEFL course I thought why not go to Thailand and try and teach English. I have no formal teaching qualifications apart from 36 years in the Navy where on occasion I was required to teach Electronics theory but have the advantage of being a fluent Thai linguist.

At the end of the day I am looking for an understanding of why the members of this forum have such a downer on those unfortunates that come to Thailand and teach English for a paltry 30K/month. I am sure I would be able to work for a multinational company and earn a lot more but at the end of the day would I be doing any good for anyone? As a teacher of English in Thailand you give children the opportunity to improve their lot in life and what greater satisfaction than that is there in life?

[Morden]

Hi Midasthailand,

There are some people here who will attack anything that's a bit different from themselves. Teachers are different from such members because they are intelligent, educated, articulate, use grammar and punctuation correctly and can spell. If you have read Lord of the Flies you will understand something of what is behind the mentality and actions of mob minded people. The internet is a place where people don't even face each other and where there are few rules so these individuals are able to behave in a way that they cannot in the street. On the other hand, there are many decent people who are members here but they tend to keep quiet when the yahoos are on parade.

I hope that goes some way to explaining why teachers are attacked on this forum. However, Thailand has a great need for people such as yourself and I wish you luck in your chosen new career and life.

Thailand has much to offer beyond Bangkok, by the way. You might consider Korat, for example, where there are both private and state schools and a farang community in which I'm sure you would make some good friends. And the birds don't cough when they wake up in the morning!

[GuestHouse]

I think you are right, teachers to get a bit of a bashing on here. I suspect it's got a lot to do with guys finding comfort in the fact that some people live in Thailand on less than they themselves do. But I also suspect those who delight in attacking low paid teachers are probably not much better off themselves.

Teaching is an honorable profession and teachers absolutely can and often do have a positive impact on those they teach.

It's been my very good fortune to have been taught by some excellent teachers, at school and university, the impact they've had on my life has been huge.

The opinions of bitter bar flies hardly register on my consciousness, let alone leave any lasting impression.

Best of luck with your move to Thailand and change in career.

[meom]

I don't think teachers are attacked because they work for less money but because a lot of them are not exactly qualified and came to Thailand as sexpats, ran out of money and go into teaching to finance their whore mongering existence.

Or so the story goes.

[canadiangirl]

As meom says, I guess there's definitely a contingent of teachers who are there for the girls and don't treat the job very seriously. If you look at resumes and pictures on some of the teacher websites, you'll see your competition. :-P

But also as Guesthouse says, there's also a lot of room to do good things and have a positive influence on young people's lives as a teacher, and I also have very fond memories of some of my teachers. I think you have a very good attitude and I wish you the best of luck in your new career!

[pgs]

Hi Midasthailand,

There are some people here who will attack anything that's a bit different from themselves. Teachers are different from such members because they are intelligent, educated, articulate, use grammar and punctuation correctly and can spell. If you have read Lord of the Flies you will understand something of what is behind the mentality and actions of mob minded people. The internet is a place where people don't even face each other and where there are few rules so these individuals are able to behave in a way that they cannot in the street. On the other hand, there are many decent people who are members here but they tend to keep quiet when the yahoos are on parade.

I hope that goes some way to explaining why teachers are attacked on this forum. However, Thailand has a great need for people such as yourself and I wish you luck in your chosen new career and life.

Thailand has much to offer beyond Bangkok, by the way. You might consider Korat, for example, where there are both private and state schools and a farang community in which I'm sure you would make some good friends. And the birds don't cough when they wake up in the morning!

Older teachers, yes. A lot of the young one coming through in NSW now can't spell. Here it's all about phonetics - if it sounds OK, it'll do. Pathetic.

[qualtrough]

I agree with the OP that teachers get bashed unfairly here.

I am curious how the OP became a "fluent Thai linguist" in the three years he was here. Or is his experience in Thailand more lengthy than the 3 years he mentioned? OP?

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm probably as much of an expert on the various forms of teacher bashing as anyone else on here, as well as the various forms of teacher-baiting and teacher-trolling.

I agree with the posters above who attribute it to basic bullying: attempts to build oneself up by attacking those one perceives as somehow inferior. The behaviour indicates a certain degree of personal insecurity, and is really pretty sad- if one was really doing well it wouldn't, I think, seem amusing to bash teachers (who will, after all, be teaching the children that one presumably is having, doing well).

Another reason is trolling, the reasons for which are complex and neurotic, to say the least. Unfortunately, many teachers are also, in fact, insecure for various reasons too numerous to list and frequently do not recognise the bashing behaviour as trolling. That's why we have pretty strict rules in the teacher's forum here prohibiting troll-prone topics. I also monitor teacher-related threads and comments in other parts of the forum- simply posting in another section of the forum is not a free license to bash teachers. For example, this thread comes up with high "troll potential" on my radar because it is essentially inviting people to give reasons for bashing teachers. While the posts so far have demonstrated maturity, things are almost doomed to deteriorate. Let's see how long the children can resist.

"Steven"

[midasthailand]

I agree with the OP that teachers get bashed unfairly here.

I am curious how the OP became a "fluent Thai linguist" in the three years he was here. Or is his experience in Thailand more lengthy than the 3 years he mentioned? OP?

In answer to your question about my fluency in Thai, I was selected for the position at the Australian Embassy not only because I was a good looking dude but because I had been tested for language aptitude and found to have aptitude to learn all languages (nothing to do with intelligence, I hasten to add). Having been selected, I was posted to the Australian Defence Force school of languages at RAAF Point Cook in Victoria to undertake a 44 week intensive Thai language course. The course was taught by two Thai Ajarns, 7 hours/day in the classroom with 4 hours homework/night, 5 days/week with 10 hours homework on weekends. Graduation standard was level 2+ for reading, writing, speaking and listening and level 2 for translating and interpreting (level 5= native speaker).

So I arrived in Thailand speaking Thai, spent three years there where I had to speak Thai to their military and had to read the Thai papers for intelligence information. After returning to Australia, Timor flashed up in 1999 and the Thais had the second largest contingent there after Australia, they needed an officer to act as liaison between the Thai Army and INTERFET Headquarters and I drew the short straw, so ended up living with 1,500 thai soldiers for five months with no other farangs within cooee. Needless to say my spoken Thai ended up pretty good.

I was over there (Thailand) earlier this year and the Thais tell me my Thai is still pretty good. I consider my Thai a bit rusty, particularly writing and reading, but who am I to argue with the experts.

[wasabi]

I appreciate this thread and hope as long as it stays civil it can remain unlocked. I have mixed feelings about being a teacher but if I was to chose teaching English in Thailand I would take it seriously and do the best job I could. Part of the reason I feel wary about pursuing a teaching career is the bashing I see of English teachers. The aspect of it that seems the most annoying is the preconceived notion that one cannot get laid in their own country so they are trying to stay in Thailand by any means necessary where it's arguably easier to get female attention. I won't deny a significant part of my attraction to Thailand is Thai females but it's disparaging and unfair to assume I and others are attracted to Thailand and seek a way to stay there for that reason alone and even if so that many aren't offering something valuable to Thai society. I guess it comes down to the fact many who teach English are not doing so because of the nobility of the profession or proficiency at doing so, but as a means to an end. Thus making the quality of their chosen profession and intentions for doing so doubtful to many.

In my life I've always seemed to rub people the wrong way and am an expert at getting the crowd to turn against me. While I can have my feelings hurt I really don't let the fear of that stop me from doing what I want, so ultimately if teaching English is what I want to do, I'll do it.

Edited September 29, 2007 by wasabi

[Gary A]

Good dedicated teachers have my utmost respect. Not everyone can do it. I certainly can't. I'm not fond of children and have VERY little patience. Where the bashing comes in has already been mentioned. Guys come to Thailand and eventually run out of money. They then go buy their degree from Kao San Road and present themselves as teachers. Their grammar is atrocious and they can't spell yet they were hired. I would guess that qualified teachers resent them more than I do. I think that due to the recent crackdown, most of them realized that it was very likely they would be caught and gave it up.

Good luck to you and it sounds like you would indeed be an asset for Thailand's future. No one has any respect for piss head phony bogus teachers.

[PeaceBlondie]

I guess I worked with one teacher who wasn't very well qualified, yet he was enough of a well-bred English banker type that he behaved himself, taught what he could, went through the motions, gave it the old school try, etc. The first expat teacher I worked with has a doctorate and heads a TEFL program now. The next mate had two degrees in science. The guys who replaced me were qualified (by Thai TEFL standards) and did okay.

In other words, I've yet to meet a drunken sod, including that heavy drinker who directs a language school! I've sat at the pub next to several old geezers who tried it and quit; can't blame 'em. Sexpats don't last long, either. It's incredibly more difficult than it looks, to put up with the system here, teach huge classes of uninterested students in hot rooms, teaching out of inadequate books, low pay, etc. And even teachers who are well qualified and well behaved, as I was, find it nearly impossible to get legal.

Maybe things have changed lately, on ThaiVisa and in Chiang Mai. The teacher-bashers seem to have slunk back into the gutter. Slink, slunk, slank....my spellchecker thinks that's correct.

[mrtoad]

I guess I worked with one teacher who wasn't very well qualified, yet he was enough of a well-bred English banker type that he behaved himself, taught what he could, went through the motions, gave it the old school try, etc. The first expat teacher I worked with has a doctorate and heads a TEFL program now. The next mate had two degrees in science. The guys who replaced me were qualified (by Thai TEFL standards) and did okay.

In other words, I've yet to meet a drunken sod, including that heavy drinker who directs a language school! I've sat at the pub next to several old geezers who tried it and quit; can't blame 'em. Sexpats don't last long, either. It's incredibly more difficult than it looks, to put up with the system here, teach huge classes of uninterested students in hot rooms, teaching out of inadequate books, low pay, etc. And even teachers who are well qualified and well behaved, as I was, find it nearly impossible to get legal.

Maybe things have changed lately, on ThaiVisa and in Chiang Mai. The teacher-bashers seem to have slunk back into the gutter. Slink, slunk, slank....my spellchecker thinks that's correct.

I have to agree, that from my experience of teachers the large majority are pretty normal and reasonably educated people. Sadly, there have been a few that have given the profession/vocation (depending on how you want to classify an ESL) a bad name, which has led to the majority being tarred with the same brush. Just because someone goes mongering doesn't mean that they are not educated, and I also know enough full expats with large companies whose behaviour could also be described as pretty mongerish.

In the end you get good and bad in every type of job, it's just you tend to here more about the bad than the good. It's not like the BKK post is going to write an article on how dedicated and caring some farang teachers are, when they will get much more interest in how a teacher bought a fake degree and went mongering.

I don't feel I need to say much more, as so far the replies on this thread have been balanced other than meoms which needs little explainin. I would say that in general a lot of the really unqualified have left the country now with the rules tightening up.

OKay, thats it. Apologies for grammar and spelling, but I can't be bothered to check it now as I need to write up some reports.

[mr_hippo]

As with everything, there are good and bad teachers. I have worked with some TEFLers who, to be quite honest, were as thick as pig5h1t; one wanted me to explain the verb 'to be' to him as he had 'never heard of it!'. A lot of my non-teaching time was spent teaching the native speakers basic grammar.

Do I teach now? No and not because I don't want to, it is because I don't have a degree. I spent over 30 years nursing and at the last count, I could put over 20 post-nominal letters behind my name and that is not counting O.F.a.L.L. So if any school wants an 'educational consultant. not 'teacher - pm me!

[qualtrough]

I agree with the OP that teachers get bashed unfairly here.

I am curious how the OP became a "fluent Thai linguist" in the three years he was here. Or is his experience in Thailand more lengthy than the 3 years he mentioned? OP?

In answer to your question about my fluency in Thai, I was selected for the position at the Australian Embassy not only because I was a good looking dude but because I had been tested for language aptitude and found to have aptitude to learn all languages (nothing to do with intelligence, I hasten to add). Having been selected, I was posted to the Australian Defence Force school of languages at RAAF Point Cook in Victoria to undertake a 44 week intensive Thai language course. The course was taught by two Thai Ajarns, 7 hours/day in the classroom with 4 hours homework/night, 5 days/week with 10 hours homework on weekends. Graduation standard was level 2+ for reading, writing, speaking and listening and level 2 for translating and interpreting (level 5= native speaker).

So I arrived in Thailand speaking Thai, spent three years there where I had to speak Thai to their military and had to read the Thai papers for intelligence information. After returning to Australia, Timor flashed up in 1999 and the Thais had the second largest contingent there after Australia, they needed an officer to act as liaison between the Thai Army and INTERFET Headquarters and I drew the short straw, so ended up living with 1,500 thai soldiers for five months with no other farangs within cooee. Needless to say my spoken Thai ended up pretty good.

I was over there (Thailand) earlier this year and the Thais tell me my Thai is still pretty good. I consider my Thai a bit rusty, particularly writing and reading, but who am I to argue with the experts.

Thanks for the additional info. Sounds like you have a good background in the language. Good luck with your job plans!

[mopenyang]

Unfortunately, far too many foreign teachers in Thailand have questionable or little or no real qualifications to be professional teachers. Too many of "these unfortunates" (in the words of the OP) are happy to get any job they can so that they may survive in Thailand. Teaching, believe it or not, for many of these same people is at the high end of the earnings spectrum, as they have little or no funds, skills, education or opportunities for other employment in Thailand.

There are always teaching opportunities here and many where one really does not have to have any qualifications whatsoever to get a job as a foreign teacher. The result is that people come into teaching in Thailand that cannot write or sometimes even speak a coherent sentence in English. Another group and part of the latter group are not really interested in teaching anyway and it is simply a means to support their "extracurricular" activities in Thailand.

Occasionally, a professional teacher by university degreed education, training and experience does slip through the cracks and quickly realizes after looking over the scene why the reputation of foreign teachers in Thailand is what it is. I have encountered too many foreign "teachers" in Thailand who have no business being in a classroom except as students. Some of them actually believe they are teachers because they are in proud possession of a one-day or more efl, esl or similar teaching certificate that all too often represents the highest level of anything resembling education they have achieved. They delude themselves and most unfortunately they delude their students.

None of this will change until professional teaching qualifications are stringently enforced for foreigners in Thailand and teaching salaries are increased to a level where professional teachers will want to come to Thailand first to teach and not for other reasons including the previously mentioned "extracurricular" activities.

At the same time, there are presently opportunities for professional teachers in Thailand and some of them pay very well. Fortunately, for both the students and teachers, it is highly unlikely that you will ever find a representative of "these unfortunates" at such institutions.

Edited September 30, 2007 by mopenyang

[ThaiWanderer68]

I hadn't really noticed much teacher bashing on TV. Then again I've never visited the teaching forum. What I do see, is when people are looking for jobs in Thailand, teaching English often gets quoted. That's because it's one of the easiest jobs for a foreigner to get here. Teaching English in Thailand does have stigmas attached to it though, particularly being low paid, and its associations with the sex industry.

I have a TEFL qualification and considered teaching here at some point. These stigmas were some of the key reasons not to teach for me. (Although there were a lot of others too). On the 1 month course I did, it was obvious a couple of people were choosing it as a means to allow them to stay in Thailand and indulge in the sex industry. That said the majority of people on our course weren't like that. The point to me, is I'd consider people willing to pay a fee for a month's training course to be linked to the more dedicated people. But even even among that there were say 10%+ doing it for the wrong reasons. If you get people teaching English without qualifications or experience, and without being willing to invest, I'm sure the proportion of people doing it for the sex industry links increases.

I've seen some very good English teachers, who were quite dedicated. It's a tough business and sometimes not that well respected or treated. They don't have the same status as Thai teachers. Plus there can be a lot of hassles with the schools, adminstration. Career prospectives aren't great. (Though who's to say careers are so important). So with low income, lot of hassle, few career prospectives, people question why others would do it. They overlook dedication and enjoyment.

From what I've seen, it suits a more mature person, who perhaps already had a career, and is winding down or retiring. Or someone wanting to live a middle-class reasonanbly comfortable lifestyle outside Bangkok. Older people also seem to get more respect.

Edited September 30, 2007 by ThaiWanderer68

[ThaiWanderer68]

On the subject of where the stigmas come from. There's no smoke without fire. There are whoremongers and sexpats in the industry. Though there are some dedicated people too. The internet also propagates these stigmas, in the same way it does many other stigmas.

One website that comes to mind is Stickman. In his early years he used to write about teaching. Yet at the same time perhaps more about the sex indusry and bars in Thailand. His trips to the infamous Thermae, as well as whoremongering commentaries in Pattaya. Nana, Cowboy, being a judge in Nanapong gogo contests describing what naked girls were doing on stages for prizes to win 10k prizes etc. This really juxtaposed the two industries.

You don't regulalrly visit Thermae out of curiosity of what other people do. Get real. Once he got married he has tried to cut the links a little with this industry and claim his website is more generally about Thailand. Thats perhaps true of his website today, butit's still quite bar focused. He started out with a very heavy focus on this industry, and one of the best known websites in Thailand for sex and English teaching. I don't think it's any coincidence he's only archived his columns from 2006, and 2007 on the new website. The earlier years aren't there for his weekly columns. He's grown up a little and feels/realised the need to disassociate himself from his earlier writings. The readers submissions going back to the start (2000-ish) are there (which he can claim are not his own wrtings), but not his weekly columns,

There are other such sites but his is perhaps one of the best known.

In the same way Stickman now tries and looks down on whoremongerers, forgetting he himself was one. I wonder how many people teacher bashing on TV also used to be teachers, or whoremongeres, and have grown out of it, but feel a need to distance themselves from it all? Part of the way they do this is by putting others down. Hiding their own inadequacies or guilt, by bashing easy targets.

Edited September 30, 2007 by ThaiWanderer68

[mrtoad]

On the subject of where the stigmas come from. There's no smoke without fire. There are whoremongers and sexpats in the industry. Though there are some dedicated people too. The internet also propagates these stigmas, in the same way it does many other stigmas.

One website that comes to mind is Stickman. In his early years he used to write about teaching. Yet at the same time perhaps more about the sex indusry and bars in Thailand. His trips to the infamous Thermae, as well as whoremongering commentaries in Pattaya. Nana, Cowboy, being a judge in Nanapong gogo contests describing what naked girls were doing on stages for prizes to win 10k prizes etc. This really juxtaposed the two industries.

You don't regulalrly visit Thermae out of curiosity of what other people do. Get real. Once he got married he has tried to cut the links a little with this industry and claim his website is more generally about Thailand. Thats perhaps true of his website today, butit's still quite bar focused. He started out with a very heavy focus on this industry, and one of the best known websites in Thailand for sex and English teaching. I don't think it's any coincidence he's only archived his columns from 2006, and 2007 on the new website. The earlier years aren't there for his weekly columns. He's grown up a little and feels/realised the need to disassociate himself from his earlier writings. The readers submissions going back to the start (2000-ish) are there (which he can claim are not his own wrtings), but not his weekly columns,

There are other such sites but his is perhaps one of the best known.

In the same way Stickman now tries and looks down on whoremongerers, forgetting he himself was one. I wonder how many people teacher bashing on TV also used to be teachers, or whoremongeres, and have grown out of it, but feel a need to distance themselves from it all? Part of the way they do this is by putting others down. Hiding their own inadequacies or guilt, by bashing easy targets.

Stickman deserves little respect or credit, and has done more than most to tarnish ESL teachers with his own brush.

[ThaiWanderer68]

Stickman deserves little respect or credit, and has done more than most to tarnish ESL teachers with his own brush.

Think you crystallised the point quite well there. Internet, and sites like Stickman in particular, have really been a key factor in propagating the English teaching and sex industry combination, and stigmas.

[mr_hippo]

Sorry, your right. I was just trying to wind Mr Hippo up. He sounded grumpy and in need of an argument.

There has been a move to degree only training in the UK and Ireland though and all the Fillipino and Indian nurses who keep the system going have degrees. There is a lot more to modern nursing than handing out bed pans!

Sorry for going off topic.

I always enjoy a lively debate! Keeping on roughly the same theme, I am always suspicious of some Brits of a certain age with a 'degree'. Before Tech Colleges and Polytechnics became universities and started handing out 'confetti degrees', university places were hard to come by; I left school in the sixth form with A-levels that would have got me into university but that option was not open to me - Mum and Dad wanted me to get a job and add to the family coffers! I think only one of us in the sixth form went onto university.

One Brit I worked with was in the same class as an England international footballer despite there being a five year age gap - either the footballer was a genius or the Brit had to repeat the same year 5 times!

[PeaceBlondie]

It's not as if expats on big MNC salaries aren't whoremongers at times, or ____________ fill in the blank, any number of expat occupations. It's not as if Somchai the Thai ajarn doesn't have a mia noi or a student in his bedroom at times. In fact, why should we relate teaching English in Thailand so closely with sexual activities, when other occupations and the natives do it, as well? I'm not making an excuse for it, but would the rest of the occupations who've rented a piece for the night please get in the queue for the confessional booth? Thank you. Now, would those expats on big executive salaries last all day in a hot Thai classroom teaching the relationship of the past perfect tense with the simple past?

[garro]

Sorry, your right. I was just trying to wind Mr Hippo up. He sounded grumpy and in need of an argument.

There has been a move to degree only training in the UK and Ireland though and all the Fillipino and Indian nurses who keep the system going have degrees. There is a lot more to modern nursing than handing out bed pans!

Sorry for going off topic.

I always enjoy a lively debate! Keeping on roughly the same theme, I am always suspicious of some Brits of a certain age with a 'degree'. Before Tech Colleges and Polytechnics became universities and started handing out 'confetti degrees', university places were hard to come by; I left school in the sixth form with A-levels that would have got me into university but that option was not open to me - Mum and Dad wanted me to get a job and add to the family coffers! I think only one of us in the sixth form went onto university.

One Brit I worked with was in the same class as an England international footballer despite there being a five year age gap - either the footballer was a genius or the Brit had to repeat the same year 5 times!

What is so suspicious about mature students. A lot of people I know waited until they were older and completed a degree in a subject which benefited their career.

Are you suspicious of those with degrees because you don't have one?

[garro]

I think one way to improve the image of Farang teachers is to ensure that they all are at least graduates with real academic degrees.

[mr_hippo]

I think one way to improve the image of Farang teachers is to ensure that they all are at least graduates with real academic degrees.

Also to pass an English test of some sort. If you do not know basic grammar then how can you teach it? Possibly a test similar to GCSE or other countries equivalent and getting a high pass mark.

[PeaceBlondie]

At the proper suggestion of AmericanGuy, I've removed 9 posts that were off topic, including my own. Apologies for straying off topic. Please return to (not) bashing teachers; thank you.

[kiakaha]

being a fluent Thai linguist.

there is no shortage of "cunning linguists" in Thailand

[lost_in_space]

I think one way to improve the image of Farang teachers is to ensure that they all are at least graduates with real academic degrees.

Also to pass an English test of some sort. If you do not know basic grammar then how can you teach it? Possibly a test similar to GCSE or other countries equivalent and getting a high pass mark.

In my experience, as a teacher in the States and here, the folks who teach best are the ones who set up the best "learning situations" for the students.

It's not about holding forth on the subjunctive mood, it's more about being creative with your teaching method. A knowledge of grammar doesn't necessarily correlate with that.

[Nickthegreek]

I think one way to improve the image of Farang teachers is to ensure that they all are at least graduates with real academic degrees.

What a great Quote.

Most of the teachers I have met bought their degress on the Kao San Road or via the internet,if they do have a degree than they get wasted most nights on either drugs or drink.

If you wanted to teach in you home country,take the UK ,you would need a Degree and a 1 year teaching qualification to boot.

I wish you all the best and I hope that your skills and experience bring something positive to whichever school you may choose to work in.

[PeaceBlondie]

Excuse me, but this is Thailand, where even the properly qualified Thai teachers of English have (generally) poor command of English, the wrong methods of teaching, are overworked and underpaid, etc. If all farang teachers of Schminglishche had to have a bachelor's in education with a major in English, you'd have to pay them 120,000 baht per month or more, plus incredible benefits. The only farang teachers like that are almost all in true international schools. Thai students don't need a B.Ed./M.Ed/properly certificated real, live teacher. They need a reasonable acting native speaker of English, with a TEFL certificate or two years of experience teaching, to teach English in almost all Thai schools.

And you'd be amazed how many thousands of such 'qualified native speaking English teachers' are here, being abused by the system. Kudos to them; congratulations to them for giving students (such as children of ThaiVisa members) some real knowledge of proper English and other subjects.