Anyone With Experience Taking A Tesol Course And/or Teaching On Ko Samui?

[mystyleisnostyle]

I love Ko Samui and can't wait to go back, since I just graduated from my home university in America.

I plan on taking the course offered by this program: teflworld-koh-samui.com/trainers.htm

The credentials of the principle seem impressive enough, and he has been very open and helpful in our email communication.*** address edited out *** this blog entry made me feel a bit more comfortable as a second opinion on the school and the legitimacy of the program.

Is anyone familiar with this particular program?

Anything in general about teaching and life on Samui they'd care to share?

Do you think it is realistic to think I can find 3-4 other teachers/expats to split rent on a nice house there?

Thanks!

[Scott]

I've edited out the link to the blog. If members have attended the school, they can post comment. Hopefully, some teachers will be around here and post their experiences for you.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

[mystyleisnostyle]

thanks! hopefully I'll have some useful stuff to contribute in the months to come

[tamsom]

Gaw Samui is a dump! I played volleyball there in 1985. I wish you the best prison!

[mystyleisnostyle]

a lot can happen in 25 years. the island i saw was beautiful.

[Phatcharanan]

Gaw Samui is a dump! I played volleyball there in 1985. I wish you the best prison!

Thanks for the really up-to-date info.

[Scott]

This forum is for posting information about/for teachers and related information. Let's not get into broad negative labels in this forum. If posters have specific information to share, please do so. Individuals moving to area might want to know things about transportation, telephone, availability of shopping, costs etc.

[thunder30101]

Just be realistic on your chances of employment and wages in a nice place like samui. Im sure there are lots of people with tons of experience and higher education already there, then you have retired people with nothing to do who will work for cheap just to stay busy. Just make sure you come with enough money to live 3 or 4 months so you dont have to take the first job that comes along.

[otherstuff1957]

^ Good advice! I don't know about Koh Samui in particular, but nice areas - beaches and mountains - are usually the places where most people want to live. Consequently, jobs are harder to find and often pay less. Bangkok, on the other hand, is hot, crowded, dirty, polluted, noisy, etc..., but it's easy to find a well-paying job here.

I work in Bangkok & so I can afford to spend at least one weekend a month traveling!

[kp86]

I did this course with tefl world on koh samui last october. It was excellent, great teachers and you can pay extra for them to find you a job placement after the course if you want one (although the job is not guarunteed to be on Samui). I would highly recommend this course.

[leozaza]

I did this course with tefl world on koh samui last october. It was excellent, great teachers and you can pay extra for them to find you a job placement after the course if you want one (although the job is not guarunteed to be on Samui). I would highly recommend this course.

I'd also like to hear more about Samui for new teachers. I hadn't previously considered the retiree factor or the trade off with BKK conditions. Is this overseas response being studied? The positions are probably highly sought after in the prettier places in Thailand (the beach places) with a compromise on salary to be expected, if not rejected in the long term. Teachers here - Australia - are paid a slightly larger salary to teach on islands. Is there regulation of the teaching industry in Thailand? Thanks. I will also search the other discussion "threads" on this website. So much information!! It's good this, isn't it? Just saying.

[Scott]

Leozaza, welcome to the forum, and thank you for the nice PM. It's appreciated.

Hopefully, some of the teachers who teach in the resort/beach areas will be along to respond. I would guess that competition is a little tighter, but I am sure turnover rates are relatively high, so if your lucky (and qualified) you will get a position.

[mssabai]

I worked on Koh Samui for a year. Was fantastic. Not hard to find a job if you have a degree and tefl and are in the right place at the right time. Jobs get filled quickly though and recruiting time is now. You will probably be too late for this year if you still haven't done your tefl. Samui is expensive to live on though and the teachers wages do not reflect that. Surat Thani on the other hand has many more teaching options (Samui is limited to kids and some in house hotel work), a large fairly young farang community, low living costs and it is just a hop skip and a jump to the islands. Be warned though the same thing applies. The good jobs will be filled in the next couple of months and then you will have to wait another year for more openings. Not so good jobs will probably be available.

Also be aware that doing a tefl on Samui is the same if not more than in most western countries. Add on your living costs and it is a pricey package. If you have the money though I'd say go for it. Got a couple of friends who have done their tefls there and have only heard good things. Sorry don't know which courses.