Thai language school-is Walen any good?

[MacWalen]

How much do you pay your teachers mr Walen, or is it a secret? Customers get what they pay for so if you are paying poor wages the service is likely to be likewise, wouldn't you agree?

You keep asking the same question over and over again. I pay the teachers well enough and many work with me for many years. How much exactly, what benefits etc. is none of your business mate.

[MacWalen]

How much do you pay your teachers mr Walen, or is it a secret? Customers get what they pay for so if you are paying poor wages the service is likely to be likewise, wouldn't you agree?

As such a smart aleck I suggest you open your network of Thai language schools in different parts of the country and show me how to do it better. Also think of some new ideas for posts as you are getting seriously boring with the same stuff all the time or perhaps you can opt-out of participating in any threads related to Walen if you have nothing valuable to contribute.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts have been deleted. A question has been asked and answered. Continued off-topic discussion will result in a suspension of posting privileges.

Please stay on topic.

[sean in udon]

I signed up with Walen in Pattaya in September 2013.

My need was 2 fold. I wanted the Ed visa so I could stay in Thailand 'easily'. But I also want to learn Thai. The staff were extremely helpful, told me exactly what was required of me (cost, documents, passport size pics, etc) and basically gave me papers and said sign here.

The whole process was completely painless.

Living in Kut Chap, I chose Walen, because I can do the course using Skype. Skype isn't perfect as some of the Thai vowels and consonants really need 1 to 1 tutoring.

However, I use the Walen lessons to supplement my own learning. Some of which is done online (lots of YouTube mini lessons available for free) and some with the Thai family I live with.

I started the Skype classes mid November and am extremely happy with the teachers and the mix of abilities that are in my 'class'.

The English spoken by the teachers thus far has been very good or excellent. And they are very patient.

From my experience, definitely a thumbs up for Walen.

[luckysmile]

I signed up and paid for walen sukumvit today, I had the same 2 reasons as Sean in icon, I would have like to do a few different trial lessons first bit I'm organizing visa from outside Thailand, personally I like the ''walen method of teaching'' and also believe I'll reap what I sow.

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[tacchan23]

Anyone has any idea how they calculate the lessons number at Walen?

I have been attendending there for about 9 months now, after purchasing the 180 hours lesson package.

For sure they not check attendance, so was wondering when they gonna ask me to pay again... the 180 lessons should have expired in about 7/8 months (even if I missed a lot nobody recorded it)

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed.

[varange]

One thing I would be interested in are the Lesson Plans (or the curriculum) for the Thai classes at Walen. Could someone point me to that please?

Edited March 7, 2014 by varange

[umbanda]

Well..I send a message to Mr. Mc Wallen..and didn't get any response....Not a yes..not a no...but really..I do not know if he is representing the school or not. I giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[MacWalen]

Well..I send a message to Mr. Mc Wallen..and didn't get any response....Not a yes..not a no...but really..I do not know if he is representing the school or not. I giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Wallen = Walen.

umbanda, I didn't see any message in my inbox from you, can you send it again? I am certainly representing the school as I am the owner of the school.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.

[varange]

Mr Walen.

Could you point me to a curriculum for the Beginner Thai course please?

[Aldebaran1981]

I have a bad experience even before starting lessons.. I just needs hope lessons are good

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[MacWalen]

What is your bad experience and at which branch? I will look into it immediately.

[Aldebaran1981]

When enrolling, I asked the sales staff if the school could assist in the trip to Laos to get the ed visa. She said yes no problem.

When I got the documents from the school, the told me another thing. She could have told me otherwise beforehand so I could make my own arrangements.

In addition, the counter staff from whom I collected the documents was rude and condescending. 25k baht is not a big sum, but it ain't peanuts for a staff to treat the customer in such a manner.

To add, her stupid accent doesn't cover her poor command of the English language.

Maybe I didn't have a farang face that's why the different treatment?

Main branch at sukhumvit

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Edited May 27, 2014 by Aldebaran1981

[MacWalen]

I will follow up on it. Sending you PM.

[nidieunimaitre]

Tha ad that keeps popping up says:

UNLIMITED STAY in Thailand

FREE ED visa

Is that information correct?

[fresh]

Hello,

I learned Thai in Waalen School, Pro Language School and the University in Chiang Mai. The teaching methods of each school are very different. So the question of "the best school" depends on what you want. I think that Pro Language is good, if you want to learn fast about daily conversation. But your pronunciation will not be good and Thai people will always guess what you mean.

In Waalen you start with the Thai Alphabet and you will repeat and repeat and repeat. Also the vocabularies in Book 1 are not very interesting for daily conversation and you also will repeat them again and again. After one year of learning, this can be a little bit frustration, because there is no big progress in daily conversation. On the other hand, learning another alphabet takes time and because of the repetition system of waalen my thai pronunciation is very good. For myself learning in Waalen makes more sense, because I learn more exactly and correctly right from the beginning.

[Smokin Joe]

Pretty old thread, I looked back and see that I responded once here already.

Since going to Walen off and on for a year I am quite happy with my fluency level. It's seems most of the complaints really lack substance and are more in the line of personal attacks. I've never met the owner, and don't care to, but I don't feel offended by the fact that he runs the school like a business and is out to make a profit.

Since going to Walen I have also take two classes at AUA. . I would recommend both schools but as pointed out the methods are very different. AUA starts out teaching conversational Thai of the type you would commonly use but you don't learn the Thai alphabet or how to read Thai. If you went to both schools for a year you would probably be at similar levels for speaking but at Walen you would have also been able to read Thai within the first couple of months. AUA does have separate courses for writing Thai that I also recommend, AUA writing course is broken up into three as 20 hour courses.

Walen is more flexible than AUA and you could walk in and start any day of the week. AUA runs in 5 week terms with 2 week breaks between terms. AUA Pattaya has a website but they don't maintain it so if you want any info on class schedules you need to call or just go see them in person.

I see a couple of recommendations for Pro language. I stopped by their office and was told they only offer group classes that meet a total of 4 hours for the week. Not sure if that is correct or not but that isn't much face time for a language course if it is.

Note : THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THE PATTAYA BRANCHES

[nidieunimaitre]

Tha ad that keeps popping up says:

UNLIMITED STAY in Thailand

FREE ED visa

Is that information correct?

Helloooooooooooo.

Anybody home?

[Aldebaran1981]

Need to rant again. The dimwit sales consultant pissed me off again.

When I collected the papers for Ed visa collection, I asked if I could go to china to do the visa as I have a trip planned there. That stupid girl told me I must go to Penang to do the visa, as planned.

I told her earlier that I wanted to go to Laos and not Penang.

Incompetent fool!

Total regret and absolutely amazed at the inefficiency of the system in this company

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[MacWalen]

Was it really so bad? Your questions were answered and it happens that someone can get confused. Also be nice to people and they will be nice to you. You are in a foreign country and you are disrespecting peope on a public forum. Very unwise. If there are any problems Walen school can fix them. No need to call people dimwits and fools.

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Edited June 2, 2014 by MacWalen

[Soutpeel]

Was it really so bad? Your questions were answered and it happens that someone can get confused. Also be nice to people and they will be nice to you. You are in a foreign country and you are disrespecting peope on a public forum. Very unwise. If there are any problems Walen school can fix them. No need to call people dimwits and fools.

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do you really need to be so patronizing in your responses ?..."Albebaren1981" , maybe be not the most articulate in expressing his complaints but the fact remains he is a customer of your business and paying you money.

honestly, I have read a lot of your posts on TV and if I was choosing a language school to attend and had read some of the stuff you post onTV, I wouldn't select your school, simple because of the way you post.....first impressions and all.

Please don't take this a troll post at all, I am making a observation on your sales/marketing techniques, which frankly IMHO leaves a lot to be desired

Edited June 3, 2014 by Soutpeel

[Scott]

One troll post has been removed and the poster will be put on holiday.

If you have something to say about the topic, feel free to post, if not please refrain from posting.

[snottgoblin]

Was it really so bad? Your questions were answered and it happens that someone can get confused. Also be nice to people and they will be nice to you. You are in a foreign country and you are disrespecting peope on a public forum. Very unwise. If there are any problems Walen school can fix them. No need to call people dimwits and fools.

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do you really need to be so patronizing in your responses ?..."Albebaren1981" , maybe be not the most articulate in expressing his complaints but the fact remains he is a customer of your business and paying you money.

honestly, I have read a lot of your posts on TV and if I was choosing a language school to attend and had read some of the stuff you post onTV, I wouldn't select your school, simple because of the way you post.....first impressions and all.

Please don't take this a troll post at all, I am making a observation on your sales/marketing techniques, which frankly IMHO leaves a lot to be desired

Very good points made out, which doesn't appear to be trolling. I am sure that a businessman such as MacWalen will appreciate the feedback, so that he can improve his schools. He certainly should be less sensitive about it, it goes with the territory of being successful in business, which no doubt he is.

Being the biggest, doesn't mean being the best. There does sadly though appear to be a threatening content to the response.

Edited June 3, 2014 by snottgoblin

[fresh]

My experience in Waalen School Chiang Mai was, that the stuff was all the time friendly and very helpful. Just some students didn't act polite and with no respect!

[MacWalen]

Maybe I have been living here too long. Try to abuse Thai people and see what you gonna get. Some customers are difficult but still every effort is made to provide best quality service. My staff make mistakes from time to time. In this case a small mistake confusing one student with another. Not a big deal. But look at the reaction. Wow, like somebody died. If someone likes bullying and abusing women then perhaps Walen school is not the best choice.

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Edited June 3, 2014 by MacWalen

[Soutpeel]

Maybe I have been living here too long. Try to abuse Thai people and see what you gonna get. Some customers are difficult but still every effort is made to provide best quality service. My staff make mistakes from time to time. In this case a small mistake confusing one student with another. Not a big deal. But look at the reaction. Wow, like somebody died. If someone likes bullying and abusing women then perhaps Walen school is not the best choice.

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With all due respect Mac Wallen, you are making excuses, I too have been here quite a long time and manage nearly 600 Thai and foreigner nationals, and I would never dream of talking to or communicating with people in the condescending manner you exhibit in some of your responses on TV.

One of the key areas of training for front line staff in a service business is how to deal with difficult customers, granted just because someone is paying for a service it does not give the customer the right to abuse staff, but at the same time, they should be trained in how to deal with customers who exhibit such tendencies and calm a situation down in a professional manner...bit of a cop out to say "try and abuse Thai people and see what happens"...as it seems you are suggesting there will be a violent response...

[MacWalen]

I wasn't suggesting anything but truth be told Thais can be quite unpredictable once they lose their cool. This is Thailand. Again Walen does all things possible to help our students and regrettably we fall short sometimes. There was a tourist guide in Chang Rai who was so abused by two Japanese guys, as it turned out later Jakuza guys, that he killed both of them. It's a rather extreme example but the point is not to abuse others. My staff are not my slaves. I guess it's also easier for a guy to abuse women as he is more likely to get away with it. I have great many happy customers all over Thailand. Service cannot be that bad if many continue with us year after year. I take abuse quite well but I don't like when my staff gets abused.

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[MacWalen]

I will not continue. I accept that you were not happy with our service. We will improve.