I'Ve Been Asked To Teach English In The Village School

[CaptainSplod]

Thanks for the heads up......

A lot of running around just to confirm that you can, in fact, work on your visa type. I don't doubt that problems of this sort will arise all over the country - as it's well-known that Immi offices tend to interpret the rules and regs to what suits them best... I just hope that you don't have any future difficulties with your NS Immi office.

And, yes, it seems that calls from the top bods at schools often help to clear a path through all the red tape and different opinions at the government offices.

I didn't quite get why you needed a doctor's cert - as far as I'm aware there's no need for this - for this type of work.

At this end, we've been hearing rumours (or maybe it's just wishful thinking?) that it might be possible to get a written "OK to start teaching" official clearance, before the actual Work Permit is in place. Did you happen to hear anything of this nature?

Again - good luck with the school - and have fun!

Cheers

Splod

[plopmeister]

I needed a Doctor's cert to continue down the correct Government work permit route. The only piece of paper I can think that you are referring to is the one from Bangkok that the Employment office said I needed.

[Kwasaki]

So I am not the only one here that has been turned away?

No it doesn't does it, there's an eerie silence around here too.

I refer back to my first take on all this, my thoughts were that because Thailand got rated as one of the worst Asian countries for teaching English in schools they have gone along with this facade attempt of recruitment so the government can say in all honesty that they have had many applications from all the schools in Thailand for English teachers to whoever is asking.

My Thai teacher friend does not understand why I have not heard anything and quite upset that they went to all the trouble of asking him to ask me if I wouldn't mind helping out and making appointments to fill out paperwork etc, he is ringing the school Director today to ask him to ring Bangkok and find out what is happening, should be interesting, maybe..

Edited May 19, 2012 by Kwasaki

[CaptainSplod]

Oh, well - my info could well be wrong and a medical cert isn't usually the hardest thing in the world to get......so no problem, there.

Any ideas as to what paper "the one from Bangkok that the Employment office said I needed" is?

Cheers

Splod

[plopmeister]

The thing that pisses me off about this debacle is that the kids are stuck in the middle. I know for sure the kids want me there as much as the other teachers...

[Kwasaki]

Oh, well - my info could well be wrong and a medical cert isn't usually the hardest thing in the world to get......so no problem, there.

Any ideas as to what paper "the one from Bangkok that the Employment office said I needed" is?

Cheers

Splod

Do you mean this :- http://wp.doe.go.th/sites/eng/index.html

[connda]

Monday morning. First day of class at the local schools. I haven't heard a peep from either of the schools that asked me to teach. I wonder if it might have anything to do with me writing, in Thai, on my application that I expected the school to get me a work permit prior to the first day of class? Humm?

I half expect someone to show up on my doorstep before Friday to give it one last try. We'll see. But considering that I've notified each school in writing (in Thai) that a work permit was essential to me agreeing to work, and was non-negotiable - well, maybe I won't. I guess it depends how bad that want me.

No problem. Back to the easy life of semi-retirement.

Edited May 21, 2012 by connda

[Para]

So what just another 'good idea' at the time that fell flat on its face b/c I am guessing the right money wasn't paid to the right government officials?

Whatever.

[thaicbr]

Monday morning. First day of class at the local schools. I haven't heard a peep from either of the schools that asked me to teach. I wonder if it might have anything to do with me writing, in Thai, on my application that I expected the school to get me a work permit prior to the first day of class? Humm?

I half expect someone to show up on my doorstep before Friday to give it one last try. We'll see. But considering that I've notified each school in writing (in Thai) that a work permit was essential to me agreeing to work, and was non-negotiable - well, maybe I won't. I guess it depends how bad that want me.

No problem. Back to the easy life of semi-retirement.

Most teachers have to work without the work permit being issued it does take some time. It is perfectly alright to work as long as the paperwork has been put in and the school has the paperwork from the labour office to show that.

sent from my Wellcom A90+

[connda]

Monday morning. First day of class at the local schools. I haven't heard a peep from either of the schools that asked me to teach. I wonder if it might have anything to do with me writing, in Thai, on my application that I expected the school to get me a work permit prior to the first day of class? Humm?

I half expect someone to show up on my doorstep before Friday to give it one last try. We'll see. But considering that I've notified each school in writing (in Thai) that a work permit was essential to me agreeing to work, and was non-negotiable - well, maybe I won't. I guess it depends how bad that want me.

No problem. Back to the easy life of semi-retirement.

Most teachers have to work without the work permit being issued it does take some time. It is perfectly alright to work as long as the paperwork has been put in and the school has the paperwork from the labour office to show that.

sent from my Wellcom A90+

It's illegal to work without a work permit. Having the paperwork submitted is not having a valid work permit -- that's a fallacy. It's still against the law and you run the risk of being busted: 5 years in jail, 100K baht fine, and deportation. Sure, if you're busted and you're taken to jail, and then to court, I guess you could argue that you have submitted the paperwork. But the risk is all on the foreigner. I don't know about you, but I never want to see the inside of a Thai jail -- ever!

The work permit process can be completed in 7 business days or less. So it's really up to the school leaders to work with the Ministry of Labor to get things moving.

I don't have to work, I choose to work. So I guess I have the luxury of putting my foot down and just saying "No work permit, no work." I wish other foreigners would do the same thing, because Thai labor law is incredibly counter-productive and virtually all of the risk is assumed by the foreigner who chooses to work (or selflessly volunteer) illegally.

Edited May 21, 2012 by connda

[Kwasaki]

I don't have to work, I choose to work. So I guess I have the luxury of putting my foot down and just saying "No work permit, no work." I wish other foreigners would do the same thing, because Thai labor law is incredibly counter-productive and virtually all of the risk is assumed by the foreigner who chooses to work (or selflessly volunteer) illegally.

I guess I have mention this before but the school that wanted me to apply didn't have any idea what was required and got info from schools that had foreign teachers.

I was told by my Thai teacher friend who rang the school that they hadn't heard back from Bangkok so they were still just waiting.

I assume at least they took on board the fact I would not and could not work without a permit.

They were quite intrigued and interested about the things I had to do to go about getting my 1 year extension at immigration and had no idea about what foreigners have to do to stay.

It is all very easy to take a cowboy attitude in Thailand as many know but whena whole new ballpark opens up.

The problem is trying to interpreter the actual LAW, this bit is interesting though, what do you make of this.!!!!!!!!!!!

WORKING OF ALIEN ACT, B.E. 2551 (2008)

Section 4. This Act shall not apply to the performance of specific

duties by the alien in the Kingdom in the following capacities.

(6) as a person who performs duties or mission for the benefit of

education, culture, art, sports or other activities as may be prescribed by the Royal

Decree.

I am from a English 'culture', I am 'articulat', I can ride in the school on my 'sports' bike, I will educate the children in English, so I don't need a work-permit then, right ??????????

Edited May 21, 2012 by Kwasaki

[Para]

It's illegal to work without a work permit.

Not ranting at you Connda but <deleted> is it called to deliberately undereducated children so they are controllable when older, communism?

This has hit a massive nerve we are foreigners prepared to drag the learning abilities of thier children out of the dark ages and what do we get?

Typical Thai response, nothing that way no face lost.

Rant over!

Para

[Mario2008]

I don't have to work, I choose to work. So I guess I have the luxury of putting my foot down and just saying "No work permit, no work." I wish other foreigners would do the same thing, because Thai labor law is incredibly counter-productive and virtually all of the risk is assumed by the foreigner who chooses to work (or selflessly volunteer) illegally.

I guess I have mention this before but the school that wanted me to apply didn't have any idea what was required and got info from schools that had foreign teachers.

I was told by my Thai teacher friend who rang the school that they hadn't heard back from Bangkok so they were still just waiting.

I assume at least they took on board the fact I would not and could not work without a permit.

They were quite intrigued and interested about the things I had to do to go about getting my 1 year extension at immigration and had no idea about what foreigners have to do to stay.

It is all very easy to take a cowboy attitude in Thailand as many know but whena whole new ballpark opens up.

The problem is trying to interpreter the actual LAW, this bit is interesting though, what do you make of this.!!!!!!!!!!!

WORKING OF ALIEN ACT, B.E. 2551 (2008)

Section 4. This Act shall not apply to the performance of specific

duties by the alien in the Kingdom in the following capacities.

(6) as a person who performs duties or mission for the benefit of

education, culture, art, sports or other activities as may be prescribed by the Royal

Decree.

I am from a English 'culture', I am 'articulat', I can ride in the school on my 'sports' bike, I will educate the children in English, so I don't need a work-permit then, right ??????????

That doesnot apply to teachers, it is something that for example applies to participants in a sport or accademic contest. Not to normal teaching at a school.

[tingtong]

Last week, when at my son's school for parents day, i was also approached by some head teacher about teaching english.

I am not native, or anything, but the school is rural, so, they can be little desperate.

My 2 problems, apart how much i am qualified or not, are:

1. I am far from being retired,so, without a pension coming in, that 10k a month wont make ends meet, not to mention that even thai teachers lobbying now for 15k a month from the government, that would leave foreign teacher salaries way lower ( government program only, obviously, not that private teachers) what seem to be very unfair, given the higher living costs compare to thais.

2. after the parents day, when the thai teacher asked how many kids cant read, hands up, and half the parents and kids happily and unashamed raised hands, i am pretty sure that teaching english there is kind a hopeless as long as they have trouble with thai. that is 50%!! oh, and we talk about grade 4!!, not grade 1, or kindergarten!

for me, even more shocking was to see that parents were willing to fork out 400 thb/month for extra class when the teacher told, but they had never asked the obvious: how come the kids were studying here 3 yrs, and cant read yet?!

(my son had only 1 yr there so far, we moved due the flood; he is the lucky few who can read...)

in the reflection of these, i think it is a NO, forsure, though i would be curious to see how the teaching is, and maybe to take a chance to see if kids can learn something, a foreigner sure would be a change for them.

there is little chance for tablets, though anyway a new fan for the classroom, or some decent tables and benches (maybe chairs?) would be nice, as well as some books were only existing like 8 books for 30 kids...maybe time for some newer ones?

i know, all waiting up for tablets still...nevertheless.

[Para]

Last week, when at my son's school for parents day, i was also approached by some head teacher about teaching english.

I am not native, or anything, but the school is rural, so, they can be little desperate.

My 2 problems, apart how much i am qualified or not, are:

1. I am far from being retired,so, without a pension coming in, that 10k a month wont make ends meet, not to mention that even thai teachers lobbying now for 15k a month from the government, that would leave foreign teacher salaries way lower ( government program only, obviously, not that private teachers) what seem to be very unfair, given the higher living costs compare to thais.

2. after the parents day, when the thai teacher asked how many kids cant read, hands up, and half the parents and kids happily and unashamed raised hands, i am pretty sure that teaching English there is kind a hopeless as long as they have trouble with thai. that is 50%!! oh, and we talk about grade 4!!, not grade 1, or kindergarten!

for me, even more shocking was to see that parents were willing to fork out 400 thb/month for extra class when the teacher told, but they had never asked the obvious: how come the kids were studying here 3 yrs, and cant read yet?!

(my son had only 1 yr there so far, we moved due the flood; he is the lucky few who can read...)

in the reflection of these, i think it is a NO, forsure, though i would be curious to see how the teaching is, and maybe to take a chance to see if kids can learn something, a foreigner sure would be a change for them.

there is little chance for tablets, though anyway a new fan for the classroom, or some decent tables and benches (maybe chairs?) would be nice, as well as some books were only existing like 8 books for 30 kids...maybe time for some newer ones?

i know, all waiting up for tablets still...nevertheless.

tingtog your post is the sad reason we so desperately need to do what we can to help educate these kids. I agree on the face of it they are not our problem BUT we all choose to live here and IMO are entitled to give something, just a a little back.

Do you think anyone was doing this of the 10k? come on get real. The money was the tipping point for volunteering to do something they had thought of doing for a while.

So do we bury our heads in the sand and lets the undereducated farmer children become just another generation of rice pickers? I hope you are in a position to be able to pay for your child’s education at a respectable school as you seem top of totally missed the point of what we were all prepared to offer back to the country we live in.

[Para]

I don't have to work, I choose to work. So I guess I have the luxury of putting my foot down and just saying "No work permit, no work." I wish other foreigners would do the same thing, because Thai labor law is incredibly counter-productive and virtually all of the risk is assumed by the foreigner who chooses to work (or selflessly volunteer) illegally.

+1

[tingtong]

hi

yes, i applaud volunteering.

but as i am not yet the age to retire, nor from a rich country or from a well to do family background, i need to work. and that work is outside Thailand, like for many.

i really wish to help here son, but for the avarage 2-2.5 months being here a time, i a not sure if all vollunteering wouldnt backfire to the kids, who might just as well be left without a teacher in the middle of their studies.

last year the thai english teacher ( who anyway didnt teach much for that 1 hour a week, nor could speak much enlish for that matter) left the schhol mid-year. was never to be replaced, so, simply the kids never got graded for english, that's it.

wonder how the school can pull that, but they can obviously.

and this school i mention is a bigger, amphur one, not really a village, even though still very rural compare to the other amphurs in Chaiyaphum.

[Para]

hi

yes, i applaud volunteering.

but as i am not yet the age to retire, nor from a rich country or from a well to do family background, i need to work. and that work is outside Thailand, like for many.

i really wish to help here son, but for the avarage 2-2.5 months being here a time, i a not sure if all vollunteering wouldnt backfire to the kids, who might just as well be left without a teacher in the middle of their studies.

last year the thai english teacher ( who anyway didnt teach much for that 1 hour a week, nor could speak much enlish for that matter) left the schhol mid-year. was never to be replaced, so, simply the kids never got graded for english, that's it.

wonder how the school can pull that, but they can obviously.

and this school i mention is a bigger, amphur one, not really a village, even though still very rural compare to the other amphurs in Chaiyaphum.

tingtong my anger was directed at the way the government controls the masses with education or more importantly the lack of it. Everyone on this thread was prepared to go outside their comfort zone to give something back and what do we get for the selfless act of helping? NOTHING not even the courteous of a phone call in my case.

I apologize my for misguided rant.

With metta

Phra Para

[Daxter]

Yesterday I taught my first 4 hours at my local village school (my wife is an English teacher there). Tomorrow I will teach English at another village school 15 km away. As I understand it, the minimum number of hours the native English speaker is required to teach is just 13 and in fairness to both schools, that is the number of hours I am timetabled to teach. I undertook a weekend TEFLE course at Southampton but have not completed the online part. Despite being nervous and feeling distinctly under qualified, I thoroughly enjoyed the morning, as I believe the students did. The ability of the students varied, but I was pleasantly surprised by a class of 13-14 year olds who were able to converse with me.

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[Daxter]

Sorry I should have stated 13 hours a month.

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[thequietman]

Yesterday I taught my first 4 hours at my local village school (my wife is an English teacher there). Tomorrow I will teach English at another village school 15 km away. As I understand it, the minimum number of hours the native English speaker is required to teach is just 13 and in fairness to both schools, that is the number of hours I am timetabled to teach. I undertook a weekend TEFLE course at Southampton but have not completed the online part. Despite being nervous and feeling distinctly under qualified, I thoroughly enjoyed the morning, as I believe the students did. The ability of the students varied, but I was pleasantly surprised by a class of 13-14 year olds who were able to converse with me.

Sent from my GT-P1000T using Thaivisa Connect App

are you there under the new government initiative ? or just a normal teaching gig ?

[Daxter]

I am teaching as part of the new governmrnt initiative. I was summond to the wifes school at 9.30 on Sunday 22 April, where I met the Principles and teacher representatives from both schools. After very little conversation and a meeting being held in the adjoining room, my wife informed me that I would be appointed to teach 13 hours a month at each school for salaries of 10,000 Bhat (each school). The offer was too good to refuse.

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[Para]

I am teaching as part of the new governmrnt initiative. I was summond to the wifes school at 9.30 on Sunday 22 April, where I met the Principles and teacher representatives from both schools. After very little conversation and a meeting being held in the adjoining room, my wife informed me that I would be appointed to teach 13 hours a month at each school for salaries of 10,000 Bhat (each school). The offer was too good to refuse.

Sent from my GT-P1000T using Thaivisa Connect App

You seem to of been the only one to get a 'legit' offer to teach congratulations. The information is so dam_n confusing and typically Thai even when they do know loss of face keeps them from telling the whole story.

Do they need any other assistants where you are and is there a Temp0le Iclose by I can live in!

Phra Para

[Daxter]

Oh. . . some advice, for those of you about to start teaching on this initiative, prepare a brief introduction speech. 5 minutes after arriving at the school I was asked to address the entire school at the morning assembly. No time to panic. The consolation is that probably no one had a clue what I was saying!!!

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[Kwasaki]

That doesnot apply to teachers, it is something that for example applies to participants in a sport or accademic contest. Not to normal teaching at a school.

Yes Twas just trying to lighten things up the a bit the Royal Decree part as I understand it leads to having to have a work-permit.

This is a full account if anyone is up to reading it

http://www.samuiforsale.com/law-texts/foreign-emplyment-act.html

[Daxter]

I am in a remote part of Maha Sarakham. . . to my knowledge the nearest farang is over 20 km away, and I have not me him! There is a possibility of a third school wanting a teacher under this initiative. I should learn more in the coming days. I think most schools in the area like an English teacher under this iniative, it is just that most have never appointed a foreigner and havent got a clue how to go about it. I will speak to my wife, is currently spending a few days at a temple with her students, but she maybe able to put a word out for you.

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[Kwasaki]

Oh. . . some advice, for those of you about to start teaching on this initiative, prepare a brief introduction speech. 5 minutes after arriving at the school I was asked to address the entire school at the morning assembly. No time to panic. The consolation is that probably no one had a clue what I was saying!!!

Sent from my GT-P1000T using Thaivisa Connect App

Have I missed something ( teaching on this initiative ) Did you get your Work-Permit issued. ??????

Edited May 22, 2012 by Kwasaki

[Para]

I am in a remote part of Maha Sarakham. . . to my knowledge the nearest farang is over 20 km away, and I have not me him! There is a possibility of a third school wanting a teacher under this initiative. I should learn more in the coming days. I think most schools in the area like an English teacher under this iniative, it is just that most have never appointed a foreigner and havent got a clue how to go about it. I will speak to my wife, is currently spending a few days at a temple with her students, but she maybe able to put a word out for you.

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Thank you.

I am an Ordained Monk hence the Temple comment!

[Kwasaki]

tingtong my anger was directed at the way the government controls the masses with education or more importantly the lack of it. Everyone on this thread was prepared to go outside their comfort zone to give something back and what do we get for the selfless act of helping? NOTHING not even the courteous of a phone call in my case.

I apologize my for misguided rant.

With metta

Phra Para

Update

I was telephoned this morning by my Thai teacher friend telling me he had contacted the school about me and was told they are still waiting to hear from Bangkok as of what to do.

They will ring him when they get something. !!

Edited May 22, 2012 by Kwasaki

[Para]

I was telephoned this morning by my Thai teacher friend telling me he had contacted the school about me and was told they are still waiting to hear from Bangkok as of what to do.

They will ring him when they get something. !!

Oh well at least school hasn't started yet!

Cheers for the update please keep us posted.