Working For Free!

[Pusa]

Im going to Thailand in January, and my dream for some while have been to educate kids and youth in english. On my last trip I met a few tourists who worked for free down there.. But I think they were able to get food and hostel for free..

Anybody know about this?

Anyhow, I would like to know what kind of visa I'll need to avoid getting deported or thrown in thai jail.. (I heard that is not too pleasant)..

Does it cost me anything and how do I do this?

Björn

24 years old from Sweden..

[Sunbelt Asia]

Im going to Thailand in January, and my dream for some while have been to educate kids and youth in english. On my last trip I met a few tourists who worked for free down there.. But I think they were able to get food and hostel for free..

Anybody know about this?

Anyhow, I would like to know what kind of visa I'll need to avoid getting deported or thrown in thai jail.. (I heard that is not too pleasant)..

Does it cost me anything and how do I do this?

Björn

24 years old from Sweden..

You'll need a non immigrant visa so you can apply for a work permit. Don't forget to bring a copy of your diploma to Thailand ( needed as you'll be a teacher)

www.lawyer.th.com

[Pusa]

Im going to Thailand in January, and my dream for some while have been to educate kids and youth in english. On my last trip I met a few tourists who worked for free down there.. But I think they were able to get food and hostel for free..

Anybody know about this?

Anyhow, I would like to know what kind of visa I'll need to avoid getting deported or thrown in thai jail.. (I heard that is not too pleasant)..

Does it cost me anything and how do I do this?

Björn

24 years old from Sweden..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You'll need a non immigrant visa so you can apply for a work permit. Don't forget to bring a copy of your diploma to Thailand ( needed as you'll be a teacher)

www.lawyer.th.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And do I get a non immigrant visa back here in sweden or do I apply for it in Thailand?

[Maestro]

And do I get a non immigrant visa back here in sweden or do I apply for it in Thailand?

In Sweden, at the Thai embassy/consulate.

[Sunbelt Asia]

In Sweden, at the Thai embassy/consulate.

In Stockholm they won't issue a non immigrant B without a WP3 (Application from your employer to apply for a work permit on behalf of you according to Section 3) at the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

Easier just to go to Copenhagen and bring with you a letter from the school you'll work for along with their company documents(company registration certificate of limited company, company objectives and shareholder list, Vat registration. All must be signed by the Director and stamped.

If you are not sure what school you'll work for. Contact us and we'll help you with the paperwork.

www.lawyer.th.com

[sriracha john]

Always amazes me that the government makes one jump through so many hoops and incur sometimes substantial costs... just to remain legal... when all that person really wants to do is to contribute to the country for FREE...

really takes the wind out of so many volunteer's sails....

[wannascuba]

[

I was thinking of volunteering my self. Here are some websites that I was looking into:

http://www.worldendeavors.com/

http://www.serveyourworld.com/articles/88/...eer-in-Thailand

[sriracha john]

[

I was thinking of volunteering my self. Here are some websites that I was looking into:

http://www.worldendeavors.com/

http://www.serveyourworld.com/articles/88/...eer-in-Thailand

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

amazing... pay the first group 51,275 baht for just one month for the privilege of volunteering for free... but at least you're legal as it alledgedly covers the work permit fee.

the second site is an umbrella group covering many organizations which all charge fees and many of which make no mention of the need to procure a work permit in order to volunteer legally.... Several of the groups charge between 150 Euros and 250 dollars simply to apply to join their programs with follow-on monthly costs from 41,000 to 65,000 baht.

It's a real shame there's not a more workable system to encourage volunteering by having work permit fees waived and the Thai government (or allow outside countries to do so) coordinating no-fee programs where the volunteer's only expenses are personal food/lodging expenses.

It would benefit all associated with such a program. Besides the overseas volunteers, it could also be used to tap into the huge unused resource of in-country ex-pats that could provide invaluable assistance to Thailand's betterment.

Instead the government makes things hard on the volunteer, making expensive middlemen necessary or requiring reams of red-tape. Sadly, this discourages untold numbers from pursuing the idea.

By making things difficult to volunteer legally, they exclude the targets of most volunteer programs (e.g. the poor, the uneducated, the disadvantaged, the rural communities) of the opportunity to progress.

This "maintain the status quo" mentality is garbage.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Just remember, this article was in the Bangkok Post about a month ago, so you may want to check this out if you want to volunteer...

New volunteers programme viable?

SONGPOL KAOPATUMTIP

Various strategies and programmes have been drawn up by the Education Ministry during the past decade to develop Thai students' English communication skills and improve the teaching efficiency of Thai teachers of English. Some foreign governments have provided financial assistance for Thai teachers' training abroad, and foreign volunteers have come to teach English to Thai students. But most of these programmes were short-term and public schools now have to recruit foreign teachers by themselves.

Under the education reform programme that began in 1999, the teaching of English in Thai public schools is divided into four levels _ from Grade 1 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12 _ to enable Thai children to read, write and speak English step by step.

In 2000, the Education Ministry allowed public schools to hire native English speakers to teach English. Financial support, however, must come from parents. The English courses are set by the ministry, and are bi-lingual. Conversation is taught mostly by foreigners.

"The burden is on parents, and schools in poor and rural areas have been left behind," said an education official.

To fill the gap, the Education Ministry in May this year launched a "Volunteer English Teachers in Thailand Project" to enable students in remote areas to learn directly from native speakers.

Shelved since Mr Adisai Bhodaramik left the ministry in August, the project is being revived by his successor, Jaturon Chaisaeng, who discussed the matter with ministry officials recently.

Under the original plan, the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) will recruit 10,000 native English speakers to teach English in 10,000 small rural schools through the Thai embassies abroad and the British, American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand embassies as well as other organisations in Thailand.

"The volunteer must have at least a Bachelor's degree in any field, be able to live in a local Thai community, and willing to work and enjoy helping rural children," explained a ministry official.

The successful applicant will get a monthly salary of 8,000 baht, an allowance, a one-way air ticket, a one-year visa, free medical service at state-run hospitals, and free accommodation in a local community where the volunteer "can enjoy and appreciate the real Thai culture," said the official, who was briefly in charge of the project.

"Orientation for volunteers will be carried out by OBEC in cooperation with the International School Association," he added. "OBEC will also monitor and evaluate the performance of these volunteer teachers."

The official said this project, if successfully implemented, can be a model for other public schools to follow. "Everyone will gain from this endeavour. The students can learn from native English speakers, and the volunteers can gain a lot of experience because they can rotate to teach in different schools and in different regions every three or four months."

To contact OBEC, call (662) 281-1958 or (662) 280-5561. Fax: (662) 281-5216. Website: http://www.obec.go.th.

www.sunbeltasia.com

[PeaceBlondie]

That volunteer program has been discussed in great detail on the "Teaching in Thailand" forum here, and we've criticized it far and wide. It's a government speech-of-the-week, a rehash of yet another programme that never got off the ground, and never will. Forget it. If I'm wrong, doughnuts are on me in Hua Hin.

[sriracha john]

Volunteering in Thailand feels as if you are walking down the street and trying to hand out money and no one will take it..... or rather... I guess it's not the case that no one will take it... but the neighborhood cop comes running up and stops you cold from doing so, threatening you with jail if you continue to try and do so.

The whole thing just seems so strange and depressing at the same time.

[Pusa]

Well, I'm not a native english speaker, but I do have a well developed language, and I've been teaching kids back here for some time.. I dont have a degree in teaching, but I finished school here in sweden and just about to continue to law school at university..

It would have been a privilege to get to teach those in the "poor and rural areas" as is described in the text..

And to Sunbelt Asia: I dont know what school I will teach at, and would have been happy if I could get some help with the paperworks if that would get me more freedom to look at different places to work at..

Another question: Am i allowed to at least make enough money (or make a deal of free hostel and food everyday), so that it'll work out without at least losing too much money? It would have been great if I could stay as long as possible..

Edited November 8, 2005 by Pusa

[Sunbelt Asia]

And to Sunbelt Asia: I dont know what school I will teach at, and would have been happy if I could get some help with the paperworks if that would get me more freedom to look at different places to work at..

Sure happy to do so and will provide the required paperwork with no charge if you provide the courier charge #. Just pm me your name, address, passport #, date it expires.

Another question: Am i allowed to at least make enough money (or make a deal of free hostel and food everyday), so that it'll work out without at least losing too much money? It would have been great if I could stay as long as possible..

Remember no matter if you working for free or getting a salary. Its all the same, you need a work permit so yes you can get hostel and food. It won't change the requirements for the work permit.

www.lawyer.th.com

[bina]

i volunteered thru a swedish group in nonghkai, at the time did not know that i needed a work permit they did not tell me and did not provide me with one; now, knowing what i know, i wouldnt do it again.... i paid the group for the privilege of teaching for two weeks in a school... it was fun for me and the kids but totally useless as u can learn from searching past posts in teaching forum.... but the volunteer company makes money for sure...and i had a good time....

u can personal post (pm) me if u want the name of the group (not allowed to post names in threads)...

but forget ideology, any where in the world nowadays u have to pay for the privelege of volunteering (wild animal zoo refugee etc help)... thai friends thought i was nuts to pay to work (got a lot of stares of incredulousnouss) ....

[sriracha john]

One of the apparent reasons that reasonable provisions are not made for allowing people to effectively volunteer... the money to be made by organizations and middlemen...

*edit: and, of course, the myriad of governmental agencies involved in getting their slice as well.

Edited November 9, 2005 by sriracha john

[kenkannif]

Im going to Thailand in January, and my dream for some while have been to educate kids and youth in english. On my last trip I met a few tourists who worked for free down there.. But I think they were able to get food and hostel for free..

Anybody know about this?

Anyhow, I would like to know what kind of visa I'll need to avoid getting deported or thrown in thai jail.. (I heard that is not too pleasant)..

Does it cost me anything and how do I do this?

Björn

24 years old from Sweden..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You'll need a non immigrant visa so you can apply for a work permit. Don't forget to bring a copy of your diploma to Thailand ( needed as you'll be a teacher)

www.lawyer.th.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You don't always need a diploma to teach legally here. I know people with just certificates.