Hi

I live in Phuket and i am interested in helping out at any Local School , I have taught English before and i am happy to Volunteer , does anyone know, if this is Ok, to do, or do i need a work permit even for this ??

Thanks

You need a Non Immigrant Visa and a Work Permit.

Moved to the Visa Forum.

Even volunteering to do anything requires a work permit. Ask school to contact the local labor office to find out what paper work is needed from them. It should not be that hard to get.

What is your current visa/extension of stay status?

An Off Topic post has been removed.

Yes, WP needed. But realistically you probably won't run into any trouble, unless someone rats you out, which happens a lot here.

One way to look at it is simple: You don't want to go to a school that says "Sure we'd like to have you as a volunteer -- you will be our first!"

Yes, WP needed. But realistically you probably won't run into any trouble, unless someone rats you out, which happens a lot here.

a friend volunteers and has for several years...instead of "teaching" the school says he is just "visiting" and he visits one day a week and talks to the kids in English.....keep a low profile and don't be a jerk to the other teachers and most likely you'll have no problems...what a lot of the kids desparately need is to just try and talk and understand a farang in English

Just stay on good terms with the Thai teachers and parents.

what i would do is get a volunteer position first, you can definitely get away with volunteering for a few days or so to see if you are a fit. After that, the place should help you with your visa and work permit. If they don't, find another place.

You will need to get a work permit, that is a fact. Now it all depends on what visa do you already have.....is it a tourist visa or a Non "O" visa? I know a few guys who are married so are on a non "O"visa attached to the marriage and have a work permit to be able to teach.

Yes, WP needed. But realistically you probably won't run into any trouble, unless someone rats you out, which happens a lot here. Not....

Hi

I have a retirement visa as i am over 50 ..

Cheers

I was convinced to "just go talk to the kids" at a village school so they can hear English spoken by a native speaker. After a few sessions, I realized it would be impossible to continue and stay on good terms with the Thai "English teachers". You see, the course materials were very bad -- poor English grammar, spelling and the phonetic transliterations of English words using the Thai alphabet were just plain wrong. The Thai "English teacher" had tranliterated words the way she (incorrectly) pronounced them. It was no wonder the poor kids couldn't pronounce some English words correctly.

I figured either the school wasn't really committed to teaching English to the kids -- otherwise they would have hired a teacher with proper credentials and arrange for a work permit. They were only creating the illusion of teaching the kids English by having a random English-speaking retiree come once a week to talk with the kids.

Edited May 13, 201313 yr by NancyL

Hi

I have a retirement visa as i am over 50 ..

Cheers

You will not get a Work Permit with Retirement status.

You either go and help out illegally and hope for the best or forget the idea.

Yes, WP needed. But realistically you probably won't run into any trouble, unless someone rats you out, which happens a lot here. Not....

In the diving industry it certainly does. Some of the most venomous people I have ever met are in the diving industry in Phuket.

Yes, WP needed. But realistically you probably won't run into any trouble, unless someone rats you out, which happens a lot here. Not....

In the diving industry it certainly does. Some of the most venomous people I have ever met are in the diving industry in Phuket.

+1