A friend of mine has been asked by a nearby school in Ubon if he will teach English on a volunteer basis two days a week. It's more along the lines of just having conversations so students can practice what they are learning but being that it's at the school in a formal setting, they want a work permit. With a letter from the school he got a non-immigrant O, 1 year multi entry visa but now the school says he may not be able to teach because he technically lives just over the border in Sisaket and his work permit is only valid if he lives in Ubon where the school is. Is that correct? The school is going back to talk about the work permit but we're wondering what the law says. What are the requirements? Also, he doesn't have a bachelor's degree or a teaching certificate. Does that mean he'll need a month of TEFL training in Bangkok or CM? If so, there's no way he'll be able to help the school legally. Any online options?

The work permit is issued by the office for the region where he works, not where he lives. The work permit tells him for whom he can volunteer and at what location. It should be valid.

Hmmmm, must be some miscommunication going on. Will see what they find out next trip to the office.

my understanding is that you will not get a work permit for such work (paid or otherwise) without a degree

Not always a necessary to have degree or diploma or teaching course....Seems like he already has the W.P. should be no problem.

Volunteers are exempt from the teaching license requirements.

He only needs a work permit, which he has.

Extensions of stays can be a problem, if it is a government school. Most immigraiton offices will extend, but it seems that strictly speaking volunteering at a government school does not qualify, one needs to volunteer for a registered charity.

Amazing Thailand!

I can't understand all this carry on about having a degree to teach English. I have worked as News Director in large Radio and Television netwoorks, run Newspapers, lectured in Journalism at colleges of advanced education and even sat on a board to advise a leading University on the establishment of a Chair of Journalism.

But no, I don't have a degree. When I started in journalism, I like most others at the time, did a cadetship with the radio station, worked like hell and became the youngest Radio News Director in the country, but it would seem that I am not qualified to teach English in Thailand. Obviously that is why the English textbooks here are so good and the English spoken by many of the Thai ENGLISH Teachers is excellent. Maybe I should try and do a course at Uni here to obtain a degree in English?