I have been debating returning back home to spend a year doing a proper Teaching Licence - I'm 41 and have been teaching for 15 years in Thai, I have an MA in linguistics, but find that most Int'l positions require that licence. Is it worth going back to study for a year? Also I am thinking of heading to the middle east for short stints 3-6 months (to start) to get a feel for it, in which case I am guessing from looking at job adverts that a proper teaching licence from home would be required. Advise please. Thanks.

I'm no expert, but I do believe that a valid teaching credential from the Western world would open a lot of doors for you.

When you have a teacher qualification and experience as a teacher in for example the U.K., you can apply for jobs in International Schools in Thailand. Don't forget, the competition is fierce. 70+ very qualified applicants for each job. Who doesn't want to work in a tropical country for a salary of more than 100k per month?

Good point, the top Int'l school want to take teachers directly out of the western system and transplant them here. They can pay, so they take the best. Demands have gotten higher and higher, I feel disheartened by that, and the fact that while I have 15 years here, it practically counts for nothing in the west, or for even the 2nd tier Int'l schools here. A teaching licence would no doubt be better than not, but perhaps if I was starting 15 years ago, getting it now might not actually increase my chances of the better jobs here, this is what I am concerned about. Anyone with experience in the middle east? I suspect the demands are the same if not higher.