Walen School - Teacher Training + One Year Thai Work Permit, 49,960 Baht

[lemoncake]

A neighbor of mine is a high ranking Immigration officer. He is implementing a scheme whereby people asking for extensions to ED(Thia language) visas are not spoken to other than in Thai --- they are asked simple questions like " Do big fish eat little fish" !

I am told many applicants are refused !

No wonder! How many times in a Thai lesson would big fish and little fish come up!

Maybe asking in Thai how to order their favorite food would work better... jeeze I teach English and I'm pretty sure my students couldn't answer that question!

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

While it may sound difficult it's actually a really easy question to check your knowledge

- eat

- small

- big

- fish

[lemoncake]

A neighbor of mine is a high ranking Immigration officer. He is implementing a scheme whereby people asking for extensions of ED visas are not spoken to other than in Thai --- they are asked simple questions like " Do big fish eat little fish" !

I am told many applicants are refused !

they have also imposed age limitations in the Chiang Mai area over a year ago which means anyone over a certain age can't qualify for an education visa. like being told you are too old to learn

Hence might be the reason for teaching course with WP

Which Lemoncake begs the question........ is the work permit and subsequent employment guaranteed 100% at the completion of the 50k course already paid for ?

You asking the wrong person

[Spoonman]

Hence might be the reason for teaching course with WP

Which Lemoncake begs the question........ is the work permit and subsequent employment guaranteed 100% at the completion of the 50k course already paid for ?

You asking the wrong person

"begs the question".............. is not actually asking you.....did you learn at Walen per chance ?

[Cezar]

I think it's clear: THIS IS A SCAM.

The "superior" course is useless and for B 50K you will only receive some kind of visa to stay in TH for a year.

It's probably a good idea to close this topic

Ps. At least we know now, what Walen is all about

Edited May 25, 2013 by Cezar

[Spoonman]

I think it's clear: THIS IS A SCAM.

The "superior" course is useless and for B 50K you will only receive some kind of visa to stay in TH for a year.

It's probably a good idea to close this topic

Ps. At least we know now, what Walen is all about

Ahh no.

The 50k buys you into the "teachers" course and upon successful completion you will get a work permit to work in a Walen school, that is of course you are suitable and there is a position available but questions asking for details of said employment/position/work permit have been actively avoided by mr Mac Walen.

So one can assume it is a scam as mr Mac Walen refuses to tell otherwise.

[Salapoo]

Mac daddy?

Answering my questions in post 168 would serve you well. :-)

Edited May 25, 2013 by Salapoo

[lemoncake]

Hence might be the reason for teaching course with WP

Which Lemoncake begs the question........ is the work permit and subsequent employment guaranteed 100% at the completion of the 50k course already paid for ?

You asking the wrong person

"begs the question".............. is not actually asking you.....did you learn at Walen per chance ?

Yeah i did, and would not trust anything he says, since i have had the pleasure of testing "satisfaction guarantee",

But apparently according to him i am a hater and have a personal grudge. My feelings could not possibly have anything to do with my time and money

being wasted

[richard10365]

I think there are requirements to being a teacher. At the bear minimum, a bachelors degree is required. What Mac seems to be offering is a course to improve teaching skills and not any other qualification. If your goal is to be a better teacher, then this course may work for you. There really is nothing wrong it. However, Mac's passion for his product seems to be putting the horse in front of the carriage.

• "We are offering teacher training in the use of our unique teaching system for 49,960 baht, and in addition to that we will also provide a one year work permit."

Considering he made this statement on the ThaiVisa forum (full of global skeptics) and inside the "Thai visas, residency and work permits" forum, it came out as a bit dodgy. However, if Mac's intentions were "trolling" for the purpose of keeping this thread at the top of all other discussions, then you have to give him credit for succeeding. It's a pretty good marketing strategy. 8 pages of gripes and complaints can attest to that. Chances are some were moved to apply. If this were the only place Mac advertised, then it might be risky. However, ThaiVisa is only one of many places I have seen Walen School of Thai.

If Mac's teacher training is as good as his marketing strategy, then it might be a pretty good course. (if my theory of why he advertised like this is correct).

[Salapoo]

The salary at the end must be pretty good if teachers should fork out 50k just for the privilege of working there.

Must be top notch conditions.

Looking forward to hearing about them Mac, so potential customers/employees on here will know whether to take things further.

Edited May 25, 2013 by Salapoo

[teacherofwoe]

Has anyone taken the time to look at Walden's website? I did. I didn't know whether to laugh or cringe. Their page titled The Method will leave you speechless. After that, you can read all of the five testimonials. Yes, five. I'm going to pop into my local Walden International School to take advantage of their

Free Demonstration

You are welcome to come to our school and have a free demonstration of the Method, we are sure you will enjoy it.

I'm sure I will. Everything I've seen from the OP and his website reminds me of Gerald Ratner and his famous speech:

Although widely regarded as "tacky", the shops and their wares were nevertheless extremely popular with the public, until Ratner made a speech on 23 April 1991. During the speech, he commented:

“ We also do
cut-glass sherry decanters complete with six glasses on a silver-plated
tray that your butler can serve you drinks on, all for £4.95. People
say, "How can you sell this for such a low price?", I say, "because it's
total crap." ”

He compounded this by going on to remark that some of the earrings were "cheaper than an M&S prawn sandwich but probably wouldn't last as long." Ratner's comments have become textbook examples of the folly of making fun of, and showing contempt to, customers. In the furore that ensued, customers exacted their revenge by staying away from Ratner shops. After the speech, the value of the Ratner group plummeted by around £500 million, which very nearly resulted in the firm's collapse.

[Spoonman]

Would love to attend for a free demonstration.

When is the best time suited to you Mr Walen ?

Edited May 25, 2013 by Spoonman

[MacWalen]

If something is perfect I cannot believe there would be any negativity.

Walen is not perfect. Can you name me some examples of perfect businesses? I don't think there are any.

[lemoncake]

If something is perfect I cannot believe there would be any negativity.

Walen is not perfect. Can you name me some examples of perfect businesses? I don't think there are any.

Walen is not perfect? Thats new, because in 8 pages it was- according to you

Can you name any business besides yours, which simply refuses outright to accept any responsibility or negativity?

Edited May 25, 2013 by lemoncake

[MacWalen]

Ok --

Why should anyone want to tell untruths about your "excellent" service ?

Lots of reasons. Jealousy, competitors, being nasty by nature, disliking me as a person, disliking some of my staff, disliking the way we teach etc.....

[MacWalen]

I always thought that customer feedback was of the utmost value to a business,

Why disregard negative feedback by labelling those who took time to write as "Haters"

By listening to critics you may just learn something ?

Only If what they write is true. If it is not, and the intention is to discredit the school, then there is nothing to learn from it. Maybe only that you need to keep going because more successful you get more criticism you will attract.

Please post a link to a thread where you accepted any feedback, just one please

Not sure if its your ego or plain arrogance, though might just be both

I accept feedback all the the time and that helps me to improve the school. I also accepted your feedback. I listen to what my customers say. Perhaps that is the reason Walen enjoys their patronage, often many years straight. Things are not as bad as some of you would like other posters to believe.

[lemoncake]

Ok --

Why should anyone want to tell untruths about your "excellent" service ?

Lots of reasons. Jealousy, competitors, being nasty by nature, disliking me as a person, disliking some of my staff, disliking the way we teach etc.....

Or just 1(ONE) reason- bad service

[teacherofwoe]

How is Walden meeting the requirements of the Thai workers to foreign workers ratio to qualify for the amount of work permits it projects it will need?

[MacWalen]

Accusative post and flame removed.

I can understand why those with positive experiences wouldn't want to post in here. Most likely would get attacked for not following the pack.

Tywais, I think you are absolutely right. I am kind of used to it and have had those discussions before but most people would be afraid to participate as a lot of posters here would start throwing dung on them.

[lemoncake]

I always thought that customer feedback was of the utmost value to a business,

Why disregard negative feedback by labelling those who took time to write as "Haters"

By listening to critics you may just learn something ?

Only If what they write is true. If it is not, and the intention is to discredit the school, then there is nothing to learn from it. Maybe only that you need to keep going because more successful you get more criticism you will attract.

Please post a link to a thread where you accepted any feedback, just one please

Not sure if its your ego or plain arrogance, though might just be both

I accept feedback all the the time and that helps me to improve the school. I also accepted your feedback. I listen to what my customers say. Perhaps that is the reason Walen enjoys their patronage, often many years straight. Things are not as bad as some of you would like other posters to believe.

Please post a link to a thread or a post where you accepted feedback?

You say you listen to what your customers say, can you please explain to me why you did not listen to me when i complained about your teacher teaching Isaan instead of Thai?

Can you please explain why you ignored when i complained about being given test in the middle of reception with phones ringing, people speaking and best of all by a non native Thai speaker?

Can you explain why i was ignored that your teacher spends the entire class on the phone?

Can you please explain i was ignored when i complained about teacher not being able to read Thai, students read better than she did.

Am i or my money not worthy your time? or is there another reason for wanting to actually LEARN when attending school

[MacWalen]

How is Walden meeting the requirements of the Thai workers to foreign workers ratio to qualify for the amount of work permits it projects it will need?

Please note that it is Walen not Walden. I do not have the need to explain all the internal workings of my company, rest assured that I deliver on what I promise. If I cannot get someone a work permit I will not charge them. Zero financial risk. I have my reputation to think of. I would not risk my reputation for 50k.

[lemoncake]

How is Walden meeting the requirements of the Thai workers to foreign workers ratio to qualify for the amount of work permits it projects it will need?

Please note that it is Walen not Walden. I do not have the need to explain all the internal workings of my company, rest assured that I deliver on what I promise. If I cannot get someone a work permit I will not charge them. Zero financial risk. I have my reputation to think of. I would not risk my reputation for 50k.

So people interested in the course, do not need to pay 50K upfront? Pay on completion, right?

PS. you risk your reputation for 25K, can not see why 50k would be a problem

Edited May 25, 2013 by lemoncake

[MacWalen]

Ok --

Why should anyone want to tell untruths about your "excellent" service ?

Lots of reasons. Jealousy, competitors, being nasty by nature, disliking me as a person, disliking some of my staff, disliking the way we teach etc.....

Or just 1(ONE) reason- bad service

Could have happened from time to time. Lets add that as another reason. Most of the time though, we get it right. This is the reason I give guarantee on my teaching.

[lemoncake]

Ok --

Why should anyone want to tell untruths about your "excellent" service ?

Lots of reasons. Jealousy, competitors, being nasty by nature, disliking me as a person, disliking some of my staff, disliking the way we teach etc.....

Or just 1(ONE) reason- bad service

Could have happened from time to time. Lets add that as another reason. Most of the time though, we get it right. This is the reason I give guarantee on my teaching.

Ok, i accept it.

So where is my refund?

[MacWalen]

Lemoncake, I think they really did not like you. I cannot see another possible reason. Maybe you were a bad student, had an attitude, maybe you have insulted some of my staff or offended them in some other way. No idea. It was long time ago, 2, 3 years ago. Such an old story that you are getting boring with the same things. I'm sure other posters do not want to read your comments any more so maybe just take a holiday. Past is past, we cannot change it. I do not expect you to be a Walen student in the future either, too much negativity on your part. Could not accept responsibility for your progress.

[lemoncake]

Lemoncake, I think they really did not like you. I cannot see another possible reason. Maybe you were a bad student, had an attitude, maybe you have insulted some of my staff or offended them in some other way. No idea. It was long time ago, 2, 3 years ago. Such an old story that you are getting boring with the same things. I'm sure other posters do not want to read your comments any more so maybe just take a holiday. Past is past, we cannot change it. I do not expect you to be a Walen student in the future either, too much negativity on your part. Could not accept responsibility for your progress.

Ohhh, i see..... so it was all my fault?

Can you please point out where in your guarantee you mention the conditions?

[teacherofwoe]

How is Walden meeting the requirements of the Thai workers to foreign workers ratio to qualify for the amount of work permits it projects it will need?

Please note that it is Walen not Walden. I do not have the need to explain all the internal workings of my company, rest assured that I deliver on what I promise. If I cannot get someone a work permit I will not charge them. Zero financial risk. I have my reputation to think of. I would not risk my reputation for 50k.

My mistake about the name.

Do you find the need to explain any workings of your company?

You say that you deliver on what you promise. Could you make a promise on this thread?

You say that if you can't get a work permit, you won't charge. What do you mean? You won't charge for the course or you won't charge for the work permit fee?

[MacWalen]

Lemoncake, I think they really did not like you. I cannot see another possible reason. Maybe you were a bad student, had an attitude, maybe you have insulted some of my staff or offended them in some other way. No idea. It was long time ago, 2, 3 years ago. Such an old story that you are getting boring with the same things. I'm sure other posters do not want to read your comments any more so maybe just take a holiday. Past is past, we cannot change it. I do not expect you to be a Walen student in the future either, too much negativity on your part. Could not accept responsibility for your progress.

Ohhh, i see..... so it was all my fault?

Can you please point out where in your guarantee you mention the conditions?

It is on the home page of thaiwalen.com, we replace bad lessons with good lessons if that was the case. Your case is several years old so it has expired for you. Just don't get a heart attack from all that negativity.

[sms747]

Hilarious, it's like asking big C for the item free when they get the price wrong, only for them to claim you the customer put the wrong price on the shelf! I think Wallen is doing itself more harm then good with this thread

Edited May 25, 2013 by sms747

[Salapoo]

Mac?

2nd Q has already been answered, pretty much. The others, I'm sure, are both pertinent and of interest to all potential customers/employees.

Im not offering here assistance with ED visas but a teacher training plus a work permit.

How long is the training for?

How is training and getting a WP connected? Surely it means that one will have to work for your company after their training?

What salary and hours will they have to accept in order to qualify for the WP on offer?

What about non-degree holders, will they also be eligible for a WP upon accepting your contract offer, once fully trained?

Edited May 25, 2013 by Salapoo

[lemoncake]

Lemoncake, I think they really did not like you. I cannot see another possible reason. Maybe you were a bad student, had an attitude, maybe you have insulted some of my staff or offended them in some other way. No idea. It was long time ago, 2, 3 years ago. Such an old story that you are getting boring with the same things. I'm sure other posters do not want to read your comments any more so maybe just take a holiday. Past is past, we cannot change it. I do not expect you to be a Walen student in the future either, too much negativity on your part. Could not accept responsibility for your progress.

Ohhh, i see..... so it was all my fault?

Can you please point out where in your guarantee you mention the conditions?

It is on the home page of thaiwalen.com, we replace bad lessons with good lessons if that was the case. Your case is several years old so it has expired for you. Just don't get a heart attack from all that negativity.

I do not see the condition which says student must be liked by the teachers, please point it out for me?

The age of my case makes no difference at all, not to mention there are hundreds of new cases all over the net and no one has been refunded.

I also find it interesting that you remember my case and you would also remember you offered me a couple of free lessons, if i read it correctly now the offer should have been just as many new lessons as the originally paid ones.

So why did you offer me ONLY A COUPLE on a 180 classes program? and why would i want to accept more lessons from the same bad teachers? how would that fix the problem?

Do you think by attending more classes where Isaan is taught, i somehow would start to speak Thai?