False Degree

[straycat911]

I have a question abut false or fake degrees. I know many people who use false degrees to get a working permit around the LOS. but i dont hear much of what happeneds to those who are caught.

are they thrown in jail for along time (till a fine is paid)? / Or tossed out of the country to never be able to return?

Just a curiosity

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I have a question abut false or fake degrees. I know many people who use false degrees to get a working permit around the LOS. but i dont hear much of what happeneds to those who are caught.

are they thrown in jail for along time (till a fine is paid)? / Or tossed out of the country to never be able to return?

Just a curiosity

Locked up then deported is the norm. It is fraud so there is always a chance of real jail time.

[straycat911]

I see

Thank you for your reply,

[johnnymoretti]

In fact, I heard once that they took someone that committed this very crime and they put him in a concrete house and tortured him by pulling out his fingernails with pliers and then also pouring motor oil down his throat using a rusty tractor air filter housing. Then after about a month he was able to contact his embassy and they couldnt help him, so he remained in prison for three years.

Later we heard that he had typed a written 700-page confession with his fingernail-less and bloody finger stumps and it was this confession that enabled his release.

He returned to private life and never put any more fake college degrees on his resume (CV) and now he works as a drive-up window clerk at a small hamburger joint.

Oh...and I'm curious why you're curious? Do you have a friend??

[thaigene2]

I have a question abut false or fake degrees. I know many people who use false degrees to get a working permit around the LOS. but i dont hear much of what happeneds to those who are caught.

are they thrown in jail for along time (till a fine is paid)? / Or tossed out of the country to never be able to return?

Just a curiosity

Locked up then deported is the norm. It is fraud so there is always a chance of real jail time.

Bit of an oxymoron really given the number of local kids who have degrees but never did any of the study/work themselves. That's fraud too - but you can bet none of them will ever get locked up for it..

[johnnymoretti]

Local kids don't have to get work permits...so no background check is necessary and highly unlikely for lower paying and non-professional jobs.

Most farangs that apply for work permits with large companies will undoubtedly be scrutinized by the officials and have their degrees investigated. After all, if they find a fake it will give them an opportuniy to ask for a bribe.

Thai people aren't stupid just because they don't speak your language. They are quite capable of finding out you're a fake...if that is what you are.

[Briggsy]

http://bangkokgirls.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/in-the-news/

These 2 got nicked. Check the link. Many don't.

Your "friend' might want to weigh up the pros and cons of going legal with a fake degree or working without a work permit or getting a real degree or just forgetting the working holiday idea.

[Colonel_Mustard]

Not sure what would happen if you went the 'life experience degree' route. It shouldn't constitute fraud as they are not copies but aren't from accredited universities or colleges either. I would guess that if your employer investigates, such a degree might not be considered valid for employment.

[Briggsy]

Not sure what would happen if you went the 'life experience degree' route. It shouldn't constitute fraud as they are not copies but aren't from accredited universities or colleges either. I would guess that if your employer investigates, such a degree might not be considered valid for employment.

One of the English teachers where I worked got himself a life experience Ph D. Cost him around $600. He then asked to be called Doctor. These things should be urban myths but are common occurrences in Meuang Thai.

[Neeranam]

Not sure what would happen if you went the 'life experience degree' route. It shouldn't constitute fraud as they are not copies but aren't from accredited universities or colleges either. I would guess that if your employer investigates, such a degree might not be considered valid for employment.

One of the English teachers where I worked got himself a life experience Ph D. Cost him around $600. He then asked to be called Doctor. These things should be urban myths but are common occurrences in Meuang Thai.

Where can I get one of them? Dr.Neeranam sounds good.

In 13 years of teaching English I knew lots of guys with fake degrees - hundreds. Not one of them was ever charged.

I must admit that I once tok my degree and TESOL certificates down to KSR and got a copy for a friend - they were identical - he's now head of English at a prestigious university!

[Ijustwannateach]

The practice referred to by the OP is a fraud and a crime. Most of the time it remains undetected and unpunished. A very small minority are occasionally punished more severely (short jail terms and deportation) to keep up the pretense. It would take a very small attitude change and a minimal amount of work on the part of the authorities to change this, so one must assume the status quo is a product of their collusion.

It's worth noting again that it is neither illegal nor impossible to work as a teacher in certain contexts *without* a degree, though it is not really a recommended lifestyle, as long as you have never falsely claimed to have one.

Thread moved to the teaching subforum.

[aussiestyle1983]

Local kids don't have to get work permits...so no background check is necessary and highly unlikely for lower paying and non-professional jobs.

Most farangs that apply for work permits with large companies will undoubtedly be scrutinized by the officials and have their degrees investigated. After all, if they find a fake it will give them an opportuniy to ask for a bribe.

Thai people aren't stupid just because they don't speak your language. They are quite capable of finding out you're a fake...if that is what you are.

Not that it's right, but if the Thai asks you to get a fake degree does that make them criminals and fakes as well?

[aussiestyle1983]

http://bangkokgirls.wordpress.com/2007/02/16/in-the-news/

These 2 got nicked. Check the link. Many don't.

Your "friend' might want to weigh up the pros and cons of going legal with a fake degree or working without a work permit or getting a real degree or just forgetting the working holiday idea.

BTW, The school those two worked at, Kornpitak or Kornpitaksuksa as is the name in full, is the most beautiful looking school I had ever seen. I even saw and know teachers that work there that dress up as the disney characters one day per week. I don't know why anyone would need a degree to work in Disney Land. After all, that school is the next best thing to visiting Disney Land.

[KonKru]

Your "friend' might want to weigh up the pros and cons of going legal with a fake degree or working without a work permit or getting a real degree or just forgetting the working holiday idea.

BTW, The school those two worked at, Kornpitak or Kornpitaksuksa as is the name in full, is the most beautiful looking school I had ever seen. I even saw and know teachers that work there that dress up as the disney characters one day per week. I don't know why anyone would need a degree to work in Disney Land. After all, that school is the next best thing to visiting Disney Land.

You're bloody right there aussiestyle, who needs a degree to play the clown and entertainer.

A real degree in Thailand is "Pearls before the swines!" because at the end of the day we

are all ending up "Talking to a brick wall!" and "Flogging a dead horse !"

My Thai boss has a Ph D. in English from a Thai university, asking him "How is it going?" you'll

get the answer "I go market!". Now he is on an upper scale salary but nobody dared to check out

his certificates.

The entire country here is like Disney Land.

Edited February 29, 2008 by KonKru

[stevemiddie]

The entire country here is like Disney Land.

So whats the problem?

[aussiestyle1983]

So who will be wearing the Donald Duck costume next week?

[mr_hippo]

One director of a school I used to work at studied at the University of Nebraska and at the weekend used to drive to the ocean and spend time watching the ocean waves and the palm trees. It was only a 20 minute drive from her apartment!

[stevemiddie]

One director of a school I used to work at studied at the University of Nebraska and at the weekend used to drive to the ocean and spend time watching the ocean waves and the palm trees. It was only a 20 minute drive from her apartment!

Good for her!! I wish I could do the same !

But what, exactly, is the point of your post??

[mr_hippo]

Good for her!! I wish I could do the same !

But what, exactly, is the point of your post??

The director was studying in Nebraska and was only 20 minutes from the ocean - now look at a map of Nebraska and find me anywhere in Nebraska within 20 minutes of either ocean or palm trees. The point being is that she was lying about studying there.

[mopenyang]

Good for her!! I wish I could do the same !

But what, exactly, is the point of your post??

The director was studying in Nebraska and was only 20 minutes from the ocean - now look at a map of Nebraska and find me anywhere in Nebraska within 20 minutes of either ocean or palm trees. The point being is that she was lying about studying there.

A vivid demonstration of why that would be impossible:

http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/ne_geography.htm

[garro]

I recently had interviews at a couple of schools and both places mentioned people turning up with fake degrees.

These were spotted as fake straight away so these fakes obviously don't fool everyone.

[PeaceBlondie]

Okay, easy quiz to set up for interview candidates, if you already know the place they say they studied or taught:

[Petch01]

Okay. Everybody seems to know it all.

Q: Which is not an existing university?

A:

a: University of Glasgow (UK)

b: University of Michagan (USA)

c: University of Greenwich (UK)

d: University of Delft (NL)

e: University of Hamburg (D)

Please, don't google or look it up in your dic. Make your choice.

Petch01

Edited March 1, 2008 by Petch01

[PeaceBlondie]

The spelling of Michigan is wrong. You cannot spend years in the state without knowing how to spell your uni.

Then again, I am not very deft or daft or apt at spelling Delft, in the country that made DAF cars.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The spelling of Michigan is wrong. You cannot spend years in the state without knowing how to spell your uni.

Then again, I am not very deft or daft or apt at spelling Delft, in the country that made DAF cars.

Go easy PB coz after all he's only an English teacher.

[KonKru]

The entire country here is like Disney Land.

So whats the problem?

There might be a problem if they don't except a Mickey Mouse degree from the real Disney Land!

But then again one must except and realize that the word "Fairness" is not known in the Thai dictionary. Take it or leave it!

Ajarn John

Edited March 2, 2008 by KonKru

[Scott]

I've caught a few people with fake degrees, because we are required to verify the degree (as of 2 years ago). They have simply been dismissed, their work permit canceled and their non-immigrant visa canceled. There are plenty of teacher's who have taught for years on fake degrees, but if they change schools now, they stand a good chance of getting caught. They might not, but it is a lot riskier than before.

I always bring the situation up to the administration of the school and let them decide what they want to do. To date, they have never turned it over to the police, but likewise, they have never said to ignore it or forget it.

[shoewah]

It's worth noting again that it is neither illegal nor impossible to work as a teacher in certain contexts *without* a degree

Any advice on how someone without a degree or experience goes about finding a teaching position? I'm talking about a clean cut native English speaker who looks the part.

ajarn.com isn't turning up that many solid leads for people without degrees.

Could a vocational degree from a private College be used in place of University degree? Its a real degree, and can be verified.

[Ijustwannateach]

It *is* getting harder to find a job if you don't have a degree or experience; most of those I know who are working without a degree haven't changed jobs lately. I would say that you'd be best off outside of Bangkok where the supply-demand curve works more in your favour; however, this will take you more time and money to set up (and may not really be worth it to you in the long run). Good luck. I don't recommend anyone come here to teach, even if (or maybe especially if) you have excellent credentials; most places simply don't pay competitively yet for the level of work and hassle required.

[twschw]

Which part of the country are you looking to teach in? If Bangkok, I might be able to help.