Question About "Teaching In Thailand"

[Tzvi]

Dear everyone!

I would like to move temporarily to Thailand ( long period ) together with my famiy ( wife+kids). I have BA in Poltical Science ( Israel ) and close to finishing MA in Coastal Resource Management ( Iceland ). I know very well english, russian, hebrew and few other languages. I want to find a job for sustaining myself during our stay there.

1) What kind of job I better look for? Where to look for those jobs?

2) Teaching English - make sense? I saw few articles about that although some of it seemed biased, recommending some type of quite an expensive local courses. Also, I'm not native English-speaker.

3) Is teaching in bordering states possible also ( Laos,Cambodia ) ?

I would really appreciate your advices

[craigt3365]

How about we move this over to the Teaching in Thailand Forum? Best of luck!

[Scott]

Many schools hire non-Native speakers. You will have to take an English Language Proficiency Exam (such as TOIEC). You could try to be a subject teacher, such as science, social studies etc.

[Tzvi]

Thank you for replies. Interesting, a day after registering in ajarn.com I get such a letter ( part of it ):

In addition, please state your availability in Thailand in your next mail as the new semester will start at the beginning of May and we will hold our seminar during the last week of April.

Moreover, I need the scans of your latest degree and passport and resume and recent photograph for more consideration.

On top of these, we need to send you visa application letters for applying to a Non Immigrant B Visa so you will come here with a valid legal visa for teaching.

We will be glad, if you can be a part of our teacher army of 200 teachers all over Thailand. Here are some basics of the program:

- Teaching in Kindergarten, Primary, secondary and high school levels.

- 24 hours of teaching per week maximum (our average is 20 hours). Teachers need to stay at the school from 07:30 to 15:30.

- Salary between 32 - 36 k depending on qualification and experience.

- Work Permit will be provided.

- Accommodation assistance.

- Good support.

- Accident insurance.

- Fair foreign management and support.

Furthermore, we will hold our semiannual ‘Professional Development and Thai Culture Seminar around last week of April, 2011. This seminar is beneficial for the new teachers for a smooth transition to Thai Culture and Society and you will be certified for Thai culture and teaching in Thailand after the seminar. We are holding these seminars two times a year and they are free of charge for accommodation, transportation and meals. So, you need to be here before the seminar.

I am waiting for your kind response and documents as soon as possible.

As for me, this must mean there is a lack of "white teachers" ( after browsing a bit through the forums I got an idea about racism ) or just "teachers". Is this letter a reasonable proposal?

As for English teaching - what's the best way to look for a job - ajarn.com, other websites, being in Thailand and knocking on the dooors, direct letters to schools etc. ?