Looking For The First Teaching Job

[tutsiwarrior]

lets presume that I have undergraduate degrees in engineering and history and a teaching qualification and that I have a fair grasp of Thai language. Lets also presume that I have no teaching experience (other than that associated with TOEFL training) and am pushing 60 and am looking for my first teaching job.

What are my prospects...good, average, bad?

[kenkannif]

Average to good I'd say.

All the best!

[paulfr]

Lots of schools like older gentlemen as teachers.

Speaking Thai is irrelevant; in fact you are instructed in most place NOT to speak Thai in class.

If you have any Bachelor degree, that qulaifies you for a Teacher's License.

You do not even need a degree though to teach at some of the schools in LOS.

This is for teaching English. Other subjects have somewhat different rules.

[Neeranam]

Speaking Thai is irrelevant; in fact you are instructed in most place NOT to speak Thai in class.

I have had many teaching jobs because of my ability in the Thai language, especially private work.

In Bangkok and around, I used to go to Industrial estates and get some real good nubmers by walking up to the door and making appointments with training managers, HR staff etc. For someone who cannot speak Thai, this would have been impossible.

Keeping good private students who are low level etc etc.

Many students want some native speaker who can speak Thai.

So, very relevant for me.

Nearly always guys who can't speak Thai who say it is irrelevant

[kenkannif]

Shouldn't really use it in the classroom, or if you do it should be minimal.

But I agree speaking Thai is an advantage (in a lot of ways), but not speaking Thai isn't really a disadvantage.

[mbkudu]

Shouldn't really use it in the classroom, or if you do it should be minimal.

But I agree speaking Thai is an advantage (in a lot of ways), but not speaking Thai isn't really a disadvantage.

Being able to understand what they are saying about me and then replying in English always throws them for a loop. I have never and would never speak it in the classroom because once they know, then they use it as a crutch. Outside the classroom fine, but most students would rather speak English outside, at lunch ect.

There are ways of eliciting language from them without using Thai.

Edited August 10, 2005 by mbkudu

[kenkannif]

Cool!

That's perfect!

[tutsiwarrior]

buncha azzoles hijaking the thread...what happens if you are well qualified and considered to be too old to work???

let's talk about a small town in Central Thailand...

tutsi...the tolerant...the merciful...

[mbkudu]

buncha azzoles hijaking the thread...what happens if you are well qualified and considered to be too old to work???

let's talk about a small town in Central Thailand...

tutsi...the tolerant...the merciful...

Don't worry y'old git. You'll have people licking your heels to get you to work for them. With your wit and sizzling charisma you'll be whipping up a pedagogic storm!

[chonabot]

buncha azzoles hijaking the thread...what happens if you are well qualified and considered to be too old to work???

let's talk about a small town in Central Thailand...

tutsi...the tolerant...the merciful...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry y'old git. You'll have people licking your heels to get you to work for them. With your wit and sizzling charisma you'll be whipping up a pedagogic storm!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

lol at 2 old timers chewing the cud here.....

[walt]

How about pushing this question a bit further?

What if you are 65 or more years in age? It has been my understanding that the Thai government is not interested in granting WP's for anyone above a certain age, and it is certainly less than 65, including those in possession of PhD's.

The question must be relevant for thousands of older farangs in Thailand. Anyone with firm information on this topic?

[Neeranam]

I used to work with a couple of oldies about 8 years ago and they were in their late 60s. I heard recently that they were still working , although one was now part -time.

Do you really think that they are going to deport a pensioner for teaching without a permit?

[tutsiwarrior]

Do you really think that they are going to deport a pensioner for teaching without a permit?

I wouldn't doubt it for a minute...

meaning, yeah...their ass would be grass...don't trust Thais no way in this regard...

Edited August 11, 2005 by tutsiwarrior

[kenkannif]

We've got chap in his 70s working with us and he has a WP.

It's certain schools that can't get you a WP after a certain age (I think this applies to government schools, Unis....not so much private language schools etc.).

[tutsiwarrior]

where I live my target is an RC school run by missionaries so I'm hopin' that a WP would always be available...

I'd hate to be illegal, diabetic with nowhere to run when I'm 65...

[kenkannif]

Where there's a will there's always a way (although explaining that to them might be a different matter).

It is though really, really, really hard to get insurance in Thailand once you're 60 or over (so you may want to bear this in mind).

[otherstuff1957]

I assume that your are currently on a retirement or Thai wife visa. I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but if that is the case, I wouldn't rush out to change to a type B visa! If I were in your position I'd just work illegally for a few months to see how it works out.

As for knowing some Thai, I think that it is a definite advantage, if not in the classroom, than in the staffroom!

I know that current educational theory stipulates monolingual classrooms, but I've noticed that educational theories tend to get discredited every 15 to 20 years , so just wait another decade or so and all of the schools will probably be looking for bilingual teachers!

[kenkannif]

If he's on a Non-imm O (dependant) Visa (not retirement) he can get a work permit on top of that, no need to change Visas.

He will work illegally for a few weeks/months....we pretty much all do initially (not saying it's right, just the way it is).

[tutsiwarrior]

so...youse all are sayin' that it is usual for teachers to work without work permits for a few months? That's cool so long as the WP comes through eventually. With my superior exposition and kindly manner I expect to have many fans soon. However, TIT and for every dozen fans there may be a schemeing villain prepared to denounce me to the authorities...(cut to a scene of tutsi running through rice paddies, braying dogs and bloodthirsty locals giving chase...)

[Ijustwannateach]

It's pretty inevitable.

Typical Thai school hiring process:

School: Ok, you're hired!

You: Great! When do we do the paperwork?

School: Oh, mai penh rai. We'll get around to it one of these months. But we need you teaching the M.2's the day after tomorrow.

So you have either the choice of not working at all or working illegally for what you hope is a brief period of time.

I've suggested in the past that anyone who wants to play hardball with the school should demand extra "hazard"/visa run pay until the paperwork does indeed come through, but I'm not sure this would ever work with most places.

It's tough!

"Steven"