Thai language school-is Walen any good?

[Markos22]

Thinking about making an ED visa(very interested in learning too,already know some basic like reading,alphabet etc.). Considering couple of schools in/around Pattaya, walen amongst them.If anyone has any experience with them,maybe can shed some light on it?(hearing some bad comments lately) .We are talking about 20k+ baht so i want to choose well.Thx

[GotR1GHT]

I think they have one day trial at Walen to try it out(not sure though). I started learning at walen 2 weeks ago and i'm really happy with it. I have some experience with other schools so i have something to compare with.I don't want to bash other schools(that's why i won't name it) but somewhere even though i was much better than rest of he class they didn't want to move me on intermediate/advance class so basically for next 6-7 months i had to learn something that i already surpass by a mile.When i came to walen, on first day they've moved me to advance class which is great and shows that teachers really care.

Teachers and teaching method is excellent (in my opinion, the fastest learning method is by thai converstion and learning to read THAI not transliteration-which is basically walen method). So yeah if you want to learn thai ,walen is great and i would recommend it . good luck

[bellboy]

Try Pro language school

If you really want to learn thai Better to pay extra for a small class. or 1 on 1 tuition.

As in most schools in pattaya a lot of guys. Just get ed visa's for a extended holiday.

I would not recemmend wallen .

[Markos22]

Try Pro language school

If you really want to learn thai Better to pay extra for a small class. or 1 on 1 tuition.

As in most schools in pattaya a lot of guys. Just get ed visa's for a extended holiday.

I would not recemmend wallen .

yeah i looked for private lessons but its like 90 000baht, just too much. how many people attend in class in pro language vs walen?

Also why you would not reeccommend walen

[HeavyDrinker]

Going from all of the above is exactly why you should maybe start with a 'teach yourself' course to learn the basics then find a school/tutor to suit your own learning requirements.

Both David Smyth's Teach Yourself (Complete) Thai and Benjawan Poomsan Becker's books are excellent.

[craigt3365]

A number of posts have been removed which violate forum rules...several of them. I highly recommend you read up on these:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules

Especially this one:

In using Thai Visa I agree:

1) To respect fellow members.

[MacWalen]

Walen has significantly more branches and more students than any competitor.

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Edited October 20, 2013 by MacWalen

[ChrisB87]

Not if they teach Thai the same way they teach English. They basically just read through a textbook word for word very quickly and then ask: any questions?

[thaiexpat21]

Walen has significantly more branches and more students than any competitor. Sent from my GT-I9190 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I wonder what Walen has to say about this

"Yes the school was Walen (good rep) they escorted him to immigration and did everything for him. Walen has their own staff within immigration offices using immigration's computer and accessing their data... So yes, very much in good rep with immigration. "

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/675318-holiday-extension-for-ed-visa/page-2#entry6948561

Post 27!

Edited October 21, 2013 by thaiexpat21

[GotR1GHT]

Not if they teach Thai the same way they teach English. They basically just read through a textbook word for word very quickly and then ask: any questions?

It's not just about reading through a textbook very quickly.It's about reading it,pronouncing it correct and make a sentence with that word so you can actually know how to use it properly.The best way you can learn thai is by talking the language,there's no other way

Edited October 22, 2013 by GotR1GHT

[yankee99]

The schools in pattaya imo are centered on visa and not language. I am looking forward to meet some graduates of these visa factories i mean schools that are actually fluent in thai.

[gvan]

Wouldn't recommend Walen EVER!! Try Pro Language or any other place. I've heard very good things about Pro Language if you really intend to learn Thai.

Edited November 15, 2013 by gvan

[Udox]

I have tried both Walen and Pro language. Their teaching methods are very different and I guess you have to try both (free trial lessons) to see which one suits you.

I have to admit - I learned very little with Walen in my year spent there, except how to spell words.

It appeared as though they had a very high turnover of teachers and it was not often we got the same teacher to keep the flow going. In fact in a weekly four hour lesson period - we would have four different teachers, one each hour.

I learned from the experience and made sure that at the next school I enrolled in, the class would be taught by the same teacher every lesson and that the teacher was in fact a real teacher - with qualifications and experience, not some dolly bird just out of University, and also that teaching materials (textbooks) were included in the course fee, which they are at pro.

try them both - or more and see which one feels most comfortable for you!

[jdinasia]

To the OP, since Walen is a sponsor of the forum we are not allowed to openly discuss issues about that school. I would suggest Pro Language.

[Chris May]

Hey guys,

I just noticed this thread and wanted to ask if anyone has had a similar experience. I recently enrolled in to Walen as their courses seem to have flexibilty such as choosing online or other branches. Yet I find the staff unfriendly and inflexible. Its hard to get any info from them on visa extension or on the program yet they told me that I may be late for visa renewal and may end up having to pay overstay. They also seem quite rigid on changing from online to regular courses or from one branch to another.

Maybe its just the Bangkok office. But am already beginning to wonder if I choose the right school particularly with the visas and the flexibility in the course. Any thoughts?

Chris

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[forumuser10]

Hey guys,

I just noticed this thread and wanted to ask if anyone has had a similar experience. I recently enrolled in to Walen as their courses seem to have flexibilty such as choosing online or other branches. Yet I find the staff unfriendly and inflexible.

Yes, my experience as well.

My GF went there for a while, and I asked them about a curriculum/study plan, etc, and she replied in a very unfriendly way, that "no such thing existed", and that my GF should focus on learning the alphabet. And I replied, that I found it strange they do not have any written plan, and she replied, very annoyed, "no not in this school".

Very unfriendly indeed.

[zeichen]

I wonder if everyone that has been dissing on Whalen actually ever took a class with the school. I know that he is an abrassive self promoting person, but that doesn't mean the classes are bad. I have been to a few of the schools and they are professionally presented. I know nothing about their Thai classes but really didn't like their methods for teaching English.

I also wonder those that support Walen after being in a class for 2+ weeks, know anything about 2nd language acquisition or education in general before they give a recommendation.

[rgs2001uk]

Hey guys,

I just noticed this thread and wanted to ask if anyone has had a similar experience. I recently enrolled in to Walen as their courses seem to have flexibilty such as choosing online or other branches. Yet I find the staff unfriendly and inflexible. Its hard to get any info from them on visa extension or on the program yet they told me that I may be late for visa renewal and may end up having to pay overstay. They also seem quite rigid on changing from online to regular courses or from one branch to another.

Maybe its just the Bangkok office. But am already beginning to wonder if I choose the right school particularly with the visas and the flexibility in the course. Any thoughts?

Chris

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I cant answer your question, because I dont know if you really want to learn and study Thai, or just want a visa.

If its the former, head upstairs to UTL and enroll there, some may knock their teaching methods, but it was exactly what I needed.

[lemoncake]

I wonder if everyone that has been dissing on Whalen actually ever took a class with the school. I know that he is an abrassive self promoting person, but that doesn't mean the classes are bad. I have been to a few of the schools and they are professionally presented. I know nothing about their Thai classes but really didn't like their methods for teaching English.

I also wonder those that support Walen after being in a class for 2+ weeks, know anything about 2nd language acquisition or education in general before they give a recommendation.

I did 180 hours course few years ago and now labelled as a stalker for expressing my opinion on the matters.

Let those who loving it spend few months and see their Thai remain at the same level express their satisfaction then.

No point to bit around the bush, it is what it is, a visa factory, nothing more and nothing less.

If one learns 100 or so words and possibly be able to use them, consider it as a bonus.

[PeterSmiles]

Walen has significantly more branches and more students than any competitor. Sent from my GT-I9190 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Is quantity the same as quality these days ?

If so, I can give a few examples of the opposite.

[MacWalen]

So you think Walen grows because we have so many unhappy students, something like that?

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[MacWalen]

There must be enough happy customers I would think. Wouldn't you?

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[Eddy B]

You only get customers because they can get a Ed-visa and possibly learn Thai as a bonus. From the previous threads I have seen that the customers are not getting what thay have paid for. I myself could not care but I do not like see people scammed out of their money.......

[wayned]

Before you plop down a non-refundable pack of money at any school, you should at least "audit" one of their classes to see if their teaching methods fit your needs. Some schools throw you into a revolving class where you might start in the middle of the book, some schools make you wait until there are enough students to start a new class and you stay with that class from day 1, and some are only "ED VISA' machines and sometimes it's hard to find where the classes are held if they actually are. I have had past dealings with http://www.tlslanguageschool.com/ and was happy with their teaching methods. They do have a school in Pattaya, CTLS.

Whalen is probably the biggest school in Thailand with many branches so, accordingly, there have been many good and bad reports about them. I have never had any dealings with them so I can't say good or bad. But do audit a class at any school before you put down the money.

[Chris May]

Hey guys,

I just noticed this thread and wanted to ask if anyone has had a similar experience. I recently enrolled in to Walen as their courses seem to have flexibilty such as choosing online or other branches. Yet I find the staff unfriendly and inflexible. Its hard to get any info from them on visa extension or on the program yet they told me that I may be late for visa renewal and may end up having to pay overstay. They also seem quite rigid on changing from online to regular courses or from one branch to another.

 

I cant answer your question, because I dont know if you really want to learn and study Thai, or just want a visa.

 

If its the former, head upstairs to UTL and enroll there, some may knock their teaching methods, but it was exactly what I needed.

 

Since there seems to be someone from Walen on this forum, I want to be fair and say that it's too early for me to complain about the quality of customer service, and certainly not about the teaching method as I haven't yet tried it. It just seemed that one of the staff who seemed to be some kind of Manager of some sorts came across as being condescending. But I also realize that they see most Farangs enroling only for visa purposes and so perhaps get impatient easily. Anyway, let me give it a go and then share my experience.

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[sms747]

If you just want the visa wallen are OK, at least you get what you paid for. If you want to learn Thai I would not recommend them and there are better options.For 20k you can have 40 hours one to one tuition with a real teacher and study from your chosen text at your own speed and mix reading with speaking, up to you. With Schools it's their way or the highway, most don't care once they have your cash.

Edited November 20, 2013 by sms747

[sms747]

I.

It appeared as though they had a very high turnover of teachers and it was not often we got the same teacher to keep the flow going. In fact in a weekly four hour lesson period - we would have four different teachers, one each hour.

How much do the teachers get paid, anyone know, or is it a state secret?

[lemoncake]

I.

It appeared as though they had a very high turnover of teachers and it was not often we got the same teacher to keep the flow going. In fact in a weekly four hour lesson period - we would have four different teachers, one each hour.

How much do the teachers get paid, anyone know, or is it a state secret?

I believe 10000-12000, I know in my 180 hours not even 1 was actually qualified teachers, at ones rage had a 19 year old. Seriously doubt she had any qualifications or education past high school

[sms747]

Often teachers in Schools cannot speak a word of English, some people say that's not a problem but i found it was. !0k is not exactly going to get you an experienced qualified and motivated teacher,

Edited November 20, 2013 by sms747

[sms747]

So you think Walen grows because we have so many unhappy students, something like that?

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No it has done well on issuing visas, and some even study as well, but it's largely a convenience rather than effective study. How many of your customers are over 50 when they can get an easy long stay visa another way?