Good teacher agencies

[smartconsulting]

Can anyone please recommend teacher agencies with good reputations for me? If you have had a good experience working for them I want to know who they are. Please PM contact info if you have. Thanks so much!

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[angsta]

Smart consulting? What's that when it's at home?

[Andyfez]

I never recommend agencies.

Try ajarn.com

[DGIE]

If you are handsome from English speaking countries, find the Siam Computer and Language School.

[sirchai]

To answer your question. I'd worked for AYC from 2008-2010. They always treated me well, paid for work permit and visa.

They do have many schools and it's possible to go for a particular province.

If somebody really want s to teach for longer, I'd reckon to find direct employment, as agencies do not pay 12 months.

Please be aware that there are "agents" who're also looking for teachers, once you'd sign d a contract, he,or she receives a good part of your salary every month.

Please see: http://www.aycthailand.com/ the HRS manager was Mr. Doa, no idea if he's still in charge.

( Doa, if you read this, then you'll understand that you owe me a beer, or two.)

But times are changing, others might have had a different experience with them. Let's talk.-

Edited November 21, 2013 by sirchai

[fogoyes]

YES! AYC is a good agency! always paid on time and take care of visa and workpermit! all the rest is your turn! fogo

[Scott]

Post deleted.

[meand]

There are agencies that pay 12 months of the year. They usually make you come in and do ridiculous things in the off months. Digging a hole, and refilling it would be more productive.

[angsta]

I have friends who worked at AYC and said it was pretty good. I worked a semester for Mediakids a few years ago and that was painless and they always paid on time and in full. Sine sound OK as well from what I have heard, the teaching itself is easy and they are reliable. The American dude who interviews people for BIFTS is a kn0b head but the Irish guy (maybe Patrick) is decent but I understand the extra work you have to do for them sucks balls.

[Daniel Boon]

• I too seek advice on teaching, spexifically in Surin ..

[smartconsulting]

• I too seek advice on teaching, spexifically in Surin ..

This is research to see what agencies are trustworthy. We will recommend our new teachers to these agencies. I want to see if I should add any others to my list by asking the forum members their opinions.

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[Avrockx]

Hello

I am also interested to know about some good agencies in Thailand who would assist Non Natives as well.

[Jawnie]

Hello

I am also interested to know about some good agencies in Thailand who would assist Non Natives as well.

Hi Avrockx. I see you aren't getting too many responses. Probably because you are Pak and westerners are somewhat wary. But, then, the schools will probably be wary, also. It's probably best for you to come to Thailand and go around to schools in person and make applications that way. The schools all want native English speakers and some even list specific countries: UK, AUS, US, etc. If you've got a month or two, take a holiday in Bangkok and other cities. Again, I think people may be unfamiliar with Paks as English teachers. You'll need to market yourself a bit more. Question: did you study outside of Pak, such as UK or US?

[aussiestyle1983]

I never intended to teach when I first arrived in Thailand. One day I was walking down a street in BKK with my wife and a lady from Siam Computer approached me and the conversation went like this:

Lady: "You are white?"

Me: "Yes."

Lady: "You speak english?"

Me: "Yes."

Lady: "You can teach?"

Me: "I'm not sure."

Lady: "You want teach job?"

Me: "I'll give it a go."

I went to an interveiw the next day and got offered a job. I didn't believe how easy it was (but I was not happy with the pay) so the following day I went into a large mall and got a job that paid twice as much so I quit Siam before I even started. It was that easy. No agency needed. Use your looks and dress well. No degree & experience required at that time.

[sirchai]

Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done......

Once there was a guy from the deepest Alaskan Igloos....he was out of cash, nor did he have something to make himself fresh. He slept on a roof somewhere in Pattaya, not real shoes, flip flops were his desire and he had nothing to clean his teeth with.

​Then one day a van did stop to ask him a serious question: " Where are you from?" We wanna help you, you poor son..

We're an agency looking for teachers, he didn't know if they were just preachers.

One week later, he became an English teacher, which isn't easy to reach, then was sent to a high school in Isaan and started to teach.

He'd spelled Wednesday without ne on his first day, the kids went : Teecha teecha that's not right, we can say.

The guy's still working for the same agency after many moons, who cares if his wife's flying with brooms?

I remember one lesson when he tried to "teach about the stars", as soon as he'd started, he forgot about the Mars.

And if you think the story isn't true, please forgive me as it's now up to you.-

[angsta]

I never intended to teach when I first arrived in Thailand. One day I was walking down a street in BKK with my wife and a lady from Siam Computer approached me and the conversation went like this:

Lady: "You are white?"

Me: "Yes."

Lady: "You speak english?"

Me: "Yes."

Lady: "You can teach?"

Me: "I'm not sure."

Lady: "You want teach job?"

Me: "I'll give it a go."

I went to an interveiw the next day and got offered a job. I didn't believe how easy it was (but I was not happy with the pay) so the following day I went into a large mall and got a job that paid twice as much so I quit Siam before I even started. It was that easy. No agency needed. Use your looks and dress well. No degree & experience required at that time.

So, you're saying Siam is good or bad??

Edited December 3, 2013 by angsta

[aussiestyle1983]

I never intended to teach when I first arrived in Thailand. One day I was walking down a street in BKK with my wife and a lady from Siam Computer approached me and the conversation went like this:

Lady: "You are white?"

Me: "Yes."

Lady: "You speak english?"

Me: "Yes."

Lady: "You can teach?"

Me: "I'm not sure."

Lady: "You want teach job?"

Me: "I'll give it a go."

I went to an interveiw the next day and got offered a job. I didn't believe how easy it was (but I was not happy with the pay) so the following day I went into a large mall and got a job that paid twice as much so I quit Siam before I even started. It was that easy. No agency needed. Use your looks and dress well. No degree & experience required at that time.

So, you're saying Siam is good or bad??

They are good in that they enlightened me as to how easy is was to pick up work - that they were looking for me because of my good looks; that work would find me even when I wasn't looking lol. However, to expect me to travel 2 hours each way across BKK to teach a 2 hour private lesson for about 220 per hour or whatever the poor rate was back then... I'll let you work it out Anyway, thanks to them, I got into teaching and eventually completed 2 degrees back home which I would not have otherwise done.

Edited December 3, 2013 by aussiestyle1983

[engrin]

Teachers where I work get paid 35,000 if not with the agency and 28,000 with an agency. Hmm...

[Scott]

Name and shame posts are not permitted.

[sirchai]

Teachers where I work get paid 35,000 if not with the agency and 28,000 with an agency. Hmm...

Thought it was the way around before. Then an "agent" is pocketing really good money..But most agencies only pay 9-11 months/year..

And they lose their contracts with schools more often than some expats change their clothes. Sorry, didn't mean you John,nor you James..-

Edited December 3, 2013 by sirchai

[recom273]

I prefer to work for agencies .. sometimes the pay is lower than a direct contract but sometimes for unknown reasons, teachers dont fit into a school, a busy agency such as Siam can always move you to another location should you have a problem.

The school should communicate with the agency rather than coming to the individual teacher. When that comes to extra work, the agency will ask for cash for anything outside the agreed contract, whereas if the school approach the individual or teacher group, you will be expected to do it as a duty as you watch them dangle next years contract over the trash can.

Most agencies i have worked for often just require you to attend school for the contact hours, although appreciate you being around, it means less wasted hours sitting in an office twiddling thumbs.

Agreed, they loose contacts on a regular basis; slack teachers, agency managment, turnover of staff is often blamed. This is Thailand, schools always think there is something better, usually not the case. Not to mention the omnipresent "brown envelope"

[Avrockx]

Hello

I am also interested to know about some good agencies in Thailand who would assist Non Natives as well.

Hi Avrockx. I see you aren't getting too many responses. Probably because you are Pak and westerners are somewhat wary. But, then, the schools will probably be wary, also. It's probably best for you to come to Thailand and go around to schools in person and make applications that way. The schools all want native English speakers and some even list specific countries: UK, AUS, US, etc. If you've got a month or two, take a holiday in Bangkok and other cities. Again, I think people may be unfamiliar with Paks as English teachers. You'll need to market yourself a bit more. Question: did you study outside of Pak, such as UK or US?

Thanks for the reply jawnie.I find your comment quite amusing(in a good way) when you say that westerners might be skeptical in replying because of me being a Pakistani.People moving to a different part of the world have much important issues to deal with rather then being wary of each other.This is an hobby for those who have nothing better to do Now coming to your question..No i haven't!Actually I have been fortunate enough to go to ivy league schools back in Pakistan & trust me,they have very high standards.Students have to go through a rigorous routine to keep up,but I do get your point.A degree from an English speaking country would have made a difference.I have gone through a few Interviews & they went well.Apart from the English teaching position many of the employers asked me if i could make use of my skills in cross cultural management management as a co curricular activity at their school,so its another positive sign.