75.000 Baht For Teacher Licence?

[mezcal]

Hi,

I've been teaching in Thailand for 1.5 years now with a Bachelors degree (not in education). I'm not a native speaker but my english is very good and I have only a minimal accent.

It seems that it's getting more and more difficult to stay here and work as a teacher. You are constantly living with the fear that some new law will just send you back home without even a 'thank you'.

Yesterday, a fellow english teacher showed me a document stating that all foreign teachers have to get a teacher licence. Fair enough. The trouble is that apparently all the teachers without a bachelors in education have to attend a course for a mere 75.000(!!!) Baht. Teachers with bachelors in education can absolve a shorter course for only 8.000 Baht...

What is going on here?!? I certainly don't have 75.000 to spend (waste) to get a teachers licence. Even if I had the money I wouldn't use it to feed the obvious greed of these ridiculous lawmakers.

What about all the gap-year students who come here to teach? How many of them have a bachelors in education? Will there be anybody left to teach???

Maybe I'm just freaking out for nothing, maybe not...

I don't know if this has been discussed in this forum already. I tried to find something about it, but couldn't... So please, if you are more enlightened than me about the subject, let me know! Maybe I can get a good nights sleep, finally...

thanks

M

[mbkudu]

If I were you, I'd either tell the employer to pay it, or I'd quit and go to another country. Well, if this is indeed going to be the case, maybe Uli was right after all.

Edited January 31, 2008 by mbkudu

[mezcal]

The thing is: I love it here! I have a girlfriend and we are planning to get married, sooner or later. The question is: Is this really going to be an obligatory requirement to teach in Thailand or just one of the many scares the government invented?

As for my employer to pay the money: forget about it!

I really dunno...

[torrenova]

Surely there should be some credit given for expereince in the field such as "qualified by experience" after a minimum time period and perhaps linked to performance.

[DragonQuest]

sounds like a scam to me.

[Wrong Turn]

The thing is: I love it here! I have a girlfriend and we are planning to get married, sooner or later. The question is: Is this really going to be an obligatory requirement to teach in Thailand or just one of the many scares the government invented?

As for my employer to pay the money: forget about it!

I really dunno...

Get married and then go back to your home-country.

Honestly, if you're not a native speaker, your options are limited in Thailand or elsewhere for teaching English.

Or....

Start a business in LOS or go into a different field.

The days of non-native speakers are coming to an end, IMO.

Some schools may hire you in the future, but they will have a lot of leverage over you.

[mopenyang]

Hi,

I've been teaching in Thailand for 1.5 years now with a Bachelors degree (not in education). I'm not a native speaker but my english is very good and I have only a minimal accent.

It seems that it's getting more and more difficult to stay here and work as a teacher. You are constantly living with the fear that some new law will just send you back home without even a 'thank you'.

Yesterday, a fellow english teacher showed me a document stating that all foreign teachers have to get a teacher licence. Fair enough. The trouble is that apparently all the teachers without a bachelors in education have to attend a course for a mere 75.000(!!!) Baht. Teachers with bachelors in education can absolve a shorter course for only 8.000 Baht...

What is going on here?!? I certainly don't have 75.000 to spend (waste) to get a teachers licence. Even if I had the money I wouldn't use it to feed the obvious greed of these ridiculous lawmakers.

What about all the gap-year students who come here to teach? How many of them have a bachelors in education? Will there be anybody left to teach???

Maybe I'm just freaking out for nothing, maybe not...

I don't know if this has been discussed in this forum already. I tried to find something about it, but couldn't... So please, if you are more enlightened than me about the subject, let me know! Maybe I can get a good nights sleep, finally...

thanks

M

Given the low salaries paid foreign teachers in Thailand, pricing the course at 75,000 baht (if true) is unrealistic and will obviously cause foreign teachers to move on. If that's the goal, they may very well be successful. At the same time, life has taught me to be very careful what you wish for. It may come true.

[Petch01]

Yesterday, a fellow english teacher showed me a document stating that all foreign teachers have to get a teacher licence.

Mezcal,

Why don't you scan that document and post it on this board. There are such a lot of rumors about this topic on this forum and other forums. Generally, everybody is saying the same: "teachers in Thailand must have a teacher's license" but lack details. Your version of a 75,000 THB course for non-B.Ed's is completely new to me.

I know the requirement. The requirement is that non-B.Ed.'s must pass a test. More info is here. http://foreprof.ksp.or.th/foreign-test.pdf

I did this test in the beginning of December 2007. I don't know yet whether I passed or not. The tests weren't that easy for me, simply because I didn't do any education course and should have self-studied a little more. I think I passed 2 tests. But than again, no course requirement is and was there to do the tests. Only 4,000 THB for 4 tests.

Beside these tests, you also have to do the Thai Language, Culture and Ethics course. Costs 4,000 THB. I did this one in October 2007. These two requirements were there for me as a B.Sc./M.Sc. to get a teachers license from the Teachers' Council of Thailand in Bangkok.

On another teaching forum are currently a lot of posts about this topic.

Please, scan the document.

Petch01

Edited February 1, 2008 by Petch01

[Ijustwannateach]

I will go further: scan that document and put it here or this thread will be closed before the end of the day. The last thing we need is unfounded rumour mongering; there are enough founded rumours.

[stevemiddie]

I will go further: scan that document and put it here or this thread will be closed before the end of the day. The last thing we need is unfounded rumour mongering; there are enough founded rumours.

Unfounded. We have just been quoted 4000 baht.

Non BEd,s

[Petch01]

I will go further: scan that document and put it here or this thread will be closed before the end of the day. The last thing we need is unfounded rumour mongering; there are enough founded rumours.

IJWT,

If I understand you well, you are pointing at the 75,000 THB thing. If so, I totally agree with you. Close this tread.

Petch01

[garro]

I agree that unless there is some proof that this thread should be closed quickly.

There is enough 'madness' and 'gloom and doom' in the air already.

You would think everyone was going to be deported tomorrow reading some of the threads on here.

[PeaceBlondie]

If several regular teacher-posters say we can close the thread, no need to wait until school's out. If the OP has evidence, he can send a PM to me or to IJWT. Closed until further notice.