Job Situation In Thailand?

[Clive]

Hello.

I have been notified that where I work we will all loose our jobs in the new year.

now would be a good time to move back to thailand as I have been away for many years and longing to return....

Can anyone tell me what the job situation is in thailand for teachers....thank you

[Sophon]

You would probably get more/better answers if this was moved to the "Teaching in Thailand" forum.

Sophon

[Rimmer]

Moved to Teaching Forum

[Hedghog]

At present,many vacancies in the south of Thailand.

[Scott]

You will need to give us a little more information to get a reasonable answer. Do you have a Bachelor's Degree? If so, what field? What country are you coming from? How old are you? Do you have a TEFL or any teaching qualification? Do you have any teaching experience?

It's also a good idea to know where you would like to locate in Thailand and if you are against being in certain areas.

Now is not the best time to be looking for work, but at the end of February and all through March and April, schools will be looking for new teachers.

If you come from one of the countries listed as native English speaking and you have a Bachelor's degree and are reasonably young and presentable, you will encounter few problems. As your qualifications lessen, you might be restricted to some of the more rural areas where they need teachers but don't pay as well and are less stringent in their recruitment.

[siampolee]

Clive, if you've lived in Thailand before you'll know that the second semester ends around early to mid March, which means that teching positions until then are about as rare as hens teeth

Teaching positions will come on line or be posted in newspapers after Songkran.

Hopefully your current position will hold out a little longer so as you are able to return to Thailand say March time. Mind you there is the chance that schools will be seeking summer school teachers for March, April and possibly May time which would get your foot in the door in many cases..

Peruse the jobs offered in ajarn..com also it might be worth posting your resume in that site too, also the online editions of the two English language papers are worth keeping tabs on. Plan ahead as you seem to be doing and you should be O.K.

Good luck..

[sirchai]

It's not the best time to get a full time job, but you'll find some tutoring jobs. ajarn.com seems to be a great idea to check what's available. You can also post an ad here again in April.

Good luck!

Cheers-

[culicine]

As others mentioned, try around March to early May. Above all else, avoid recruitment agencies and email schools directly. Out school takes both, but the salary for the agency teachers is quite a bit less than regular teachers. However, some schools might use agencies exclusively.

[richard10365]

There is one school in Chiang Mai that is hiring Philippine teachers now because they work at half the cost of farang (western) teachers. In addition they are part of the ASEAN and the AEC which makes it a lot easier to get a work permit. Could be a sign of things to come.

Edited December 26, 2012 by richard10365

[sirchai]

There is one school in Chiang Mai that is hiring Philippine teachers now because they work at half the cost of farang (western) teachers. In addition they are part of the ASEAN and the AEC which makes it a lot easier to get a work permit. Could be a sign of things to come.

Looks pretty much like it.--

.

Edited December 26, 2012 by sirchai

[ivan96822]

You will need to give us a little more information to get a reasonable answer. Do you have a Bachelor's Degree? If so, what field? What country are you coming from? How old are you? Do you have a TEFL or any teaching qualification? Do you have any teaching experience?

It's also a good idea to know where you would like to locate in Thailand and if you are against being in certain areas.

Now is not the best time to be looking for work, but at the end of February and all through March and April, schools will be looking for new teachers.

If you come from one of the countries listed as native English speaking and you have a Bachelor's degree and are reasonably young and presentable, you will encounter few problems. As your qualifications lessen, you might be restricted to some of the more rural areas where they need teachers but don't pay as well and are less stringent in their recruitment.

What ages would you say constitute "reasonably young"? Do late thirties, early forties, mid forties fall into this category?

[sirchai]

You will need to give us a little more information to get a reasonable answer. Do you have a Bachelor's Degree? If so, what field? What country are you coming from? How old are you? Do you have a TEFL or any teaching qualification? Do you have any teaching experience?

It's also a good idea to know where you would like to locate in Thailand and if you are against being in certain areas.

Now is not the best time to be looking for work, but at the end of February and all through March and April, schools will be looking for new teachers.

If you come from one of the countries listed as native English speaking and you have a Bachelor's degree and are reasonably young and presentable, you will encounter few problems. As your qualifications lessen, you might be restricted to some of the more rural areas where they need teachers but don't pay as well and are less stringent in their recruitment.

What ages would you say constitute "reasonably young"? Do late thirties, early forties, mid forties fall into this category?

Most employers want applicants between 25 and 45. (Our school and some others I know) Good looking seems to mean more to most of them than being experienced in teaching English, or other subjects in English.

Bald heads, fat people, not white people, too short guys, homosexuals, hippies badly dressed humans etc are not really what they're looking for.

As it's also one of my responsibilities at my school, to look for teachers, I'm more looking for people with a brain, and no age limit. Good luck! --

[joorakee]

Bald heads, fat people, not white people, too short guys (...) are not really what they're looking for.

Headmasters can't judge prospective teachers by their appearance. It would be discrimination, which can be severely punished. A teacher is not a host entertaining women in the nightclub.

[Yooyung]

Headmasters can't judge prospective teachers by their appearance. It would be discrimination, which can be severely punished. A teacher is not a host entertaining women in the nightclub. ..........

Sounds like you've got this whole Thailand thing down pat. Just as soon as our bald, overweight, rednosed and tatooed mates have paid a visit to the anti discrimination board they can head down to the foreign teachers union head office in Soi Palookasville, to drive another nail into those politically incorrect Thais. I mean, its just the way things work around here.

[joorakee]

Sounds like you've got this whole Thailand thing down pat. Just as soon as our bald, overweight, rednosed and tatooed mates have paid a visit to the anti discrimination board they can head down to the foreign teachers union head office in Soi Palookasville, to drive another nail into those politically incorrect Thais. I mean, its just the way things work around here.

Being overweight (or "too short") and having tattoos all over your body are two different things.

Yes, I know that farangs intending to undertake a job, especially as a teacher, in the LOS are advised to "overdress to impress", etc. But I also know that clothes do not make the man.

[Yooyung]

Really? Being bald, overweight and tatooed (red nose optional) seems like its used as a prerequisite for some, along with being an an ex bricklaying paratrooper to be eligable to teach conVERsaChan.

[SlyAnimal]

Most employers want applicants between 25 and 45. (Our school and some others I know) Good looking seems to mean more to most of them than being experienced in teaching English, or other subjects in English.

Bald heads, fat people, not white people, too short guys, homosexuals, hippies badly dressed humans etc are not really what they're looking for.

That age bracket sounds about right (I'd probably say 25 - 49 though), although I think it's more about your general appearance, rather than age. And there are reasons for the discrimination, and thus it's not really discrimination (Since it effects your ability to perform your job).

If you look old and frail, then they're less likely to hire you, because they do usually prefer energetic teachers. Also as the retirement age in Thailand is 60, it'd be a little strange for them to employ someone who is / looks 60+.

If you look like you'd blend right in with the high school students, then you probably don't have much teaching experience, and it might be more difficult for the students to respect you as a teacher and not a peer.

If you aren't White, then you're not "farang", and so to joe bloggs's mother, you're not instantly recognised as a native speaker, and so you may not be respected as easily as parents, who are the ones really paying your salary (Even though Joe Blogg's mother thinks that the white French guy is a native speaker).

If you look like a hippie, with long messy hair, a shaggy beard and/or tattoos, then you're less likely to get a job because you're ment to be a role model and should look professional.

If you're bald or overweight I don't think they have any problems with this, although it'd depend on how you present yourself, and whether you still look professional or not.

If you're particularly short, this might be marked against you in a high school or university, as students shouldn't really be looking down at you, but I don't think it'd be too much of an issue. However being more "normal" height or a little bit taller than average, would likely be more to your advantage.

But those are just factors which influence your application. At the end of the day, you're going to be compared to the other applicants, and although they will consider your appearance, they will also be looking at your experience, qualifications and personality. Qualifications and/or experience getting you onto the short list, and personality/appearance will be what you need to show them at the interview.

[chonabot]

I have a shaved head, only 5ft 7 and fairly stocky - plus I'm mid 40's.

I was offered 5 jobs on the same day when I turned up unannounced at the local schools.

At the time I had no experience but did have a BA and TEFL.

I think my enthusiasm and energy showed sufficiently - funnily enough I'm probably average height now I'm in Thailand

[Yooyung]

Yeah, i'm the same height as you 5 foot sevenish....not really short, but certainly not tall. In Thailand I feel just about right though.

Anyway, regardless of what anyone says, if you have tats on your arm and you want to teach you'll need to cover them. This is just the way it is over there. If you have them on your face.....

Teachers in Thailand are supposed to look and act in a certain way, sure the falang may be able to get away with being a little more whacky, but still shouldnt stray too far from the norm. Basically my modus operandi was this - In the area that I lived, which was also near my school I was mr conservative nice guy. In other words I kept up appearances. If I wanted a crazy night out...I went into the city where I was just another falang and let my hair down. I am not saying I was a saint and it was known that I liked a beer or two but I wasnt drunk at 2:00 pm outside 7/11 abusing motorcycle taxi drivers (yeah, that stuff happens). I had a nice short haircut, shaved & showered often, no tats, no beergut, hair on my head and it worked out well. Its a simple formula but some seem to find it really hard to follow.