First-timer Needing Some Tips

[dob310870]

Hello all, my name is Mark, how do you do?

I have just returned form my second trip to Thailand and have decided that I want to go back and stay a while.

My first trip is a bit of a blur as I successfully managed to stay intoxicated for a full five weeks.

On my second trip not a drop passed my lips

Oddly enough I seemed to get a lot more done on my second time around.

Did about twelve dives off Koh Tao (including a night dive), did a bit of off-roading in a four by four, played football golf on Koh Samui, stroked some bog-old smelly tigers in Kanchanaburi and walked across the Kwai bridge. Great fun.

I have decided that I am going to try and spend some months out there (don't know for sure how long yet) and am in need of any, and all, advice that you knowledgable folks here have.

I am a personal fitness trainer by day but by night I am doing a T.E.F.L course, which I expect to have finished by late August.

I fancy going to Chang Mai - never been but my sister says it's a good place.

I started martial arts last year and have already found a couple of schools there to make me feel at home.

I would like to know what the teaching situation is like.

Should I try and get a job from the U.K or is it better to apply once I am there?

Which are the good areas to live in? What are the normal rents?

I have also been looking at the baht/pound exchange rate and I can get 67B/£1 at the moment, is this good or is it likely to go up?

Anyway, I hope this will open some conversation with someone out there in cyberland.

Mark

mark_with_tigers3_at_temple.bmp

Edited May 17, 2006 by dob310870

[jdinasia]

Try the teaching in Thailand subforum ... a kindly mod will happily move this thread for you if you ask

but the answer would be ... if you have ALL the qualifications ... getting hired from the UK will likely earn you MUCH more $$

[barryofthailand]

Welcome Mark,

Chiang Mai is beautiful. Their are plenty of teaching jobs all over Thailand. I live in Pattaya which is on the Eastern seaboard of Thailand. My son goes to a bi Lingual school here in Pattaya and has English teachers from the UK. The terms here are slightly different so job hunting actually can take place all year round. The terms run from May to Sept and from Oct to March, with Summer session four weeks from the middle of march to about the 10th of April. There is a four week break before the regular term begins.

Teaching in Thailand is very rewarding.

Pattaya is a beach community with full facilities such as modern super markets, bowling alleys etc.

Pattaya is also known for its night life.

I retired three years ago and moved here.

Barry

[dob310870]

Try the teaching in Thailand subforum ... a kindly mod will happily move this thread for you if you ask

but the answer would be ... if you have ALL the qualifications ... getting hired from the UK will likely earn you MUCH more $$

Can you tell me what you mean by ALL qualifications? Thanks. Mark

[dob310870]

Welcome Mark,

Chiang Mai is beautiful. Their are plenty of teaching jobs all over Thailand. I live in Pattaya which is on the Eastern seaboard of Thailand. My son goes to a bi Lingual school here in Pattaya and has English teachers from the UK. The terms here are slightly different so job hunting actually can take place all year round. The terms run from May to Sept and from Oct to March, with Summer session four weeks from the middle of march to about the 10th of April. There is a four week break before the regular term begins.

Teaching in Thailand is very rewarding.

Pattaya is a beach community with full facilities such as modern super markets, bowling alleys etc.

Pattaya is also known for its night life.

I retired three years ago and moved here.

Barry

Thanks for taking the time to reply Barry. Your info was very informative. I didn't know about the school terms. I hope that you are enjoying your retirement. Mark

Edited May 17, 2006 by dob310870

[kenkannif]

Try the teaching in Thailand subforum ... a kindly mod will happily move this thread for you if you ask

but the answer would be ... if you have ALL the qualifications ... getting hired from the UK will likely earn you MUCH more $$

Can you tell me what you mean by ALL qualifications? Thanks. Mark

Basically IMO he can only be referring to 'proper' teaching quals...BEd, PGCE, etc. Then you can get a job (possibly maybe) at a good Int school, that pays good money and generally hires from abroad.

Otherwise getting hired while still abroad (but with minimal quals) generally means you'll get a so so job.

[Loaded]

If you're TEFL certified with a degree and you're looking for work, you'll find it in CM if you're patient and persistent. Some language schools (NES, CEC, ECC, TEYA, YMCA) are always looking and they often don't require you to be 'fully' qualified.

The academic semester has just begun, so if you want a 8-5 Mon-Fri gig you're just a little late. The second academic semester kicks off late Sept./early Oct. Arriving in August would give you an opportunity to find work in one of these places.

Look at ajarn dot com for more job info.

Except for international schools, most schools require a face-to-face interview in CM.

[soap]

dont go and buy any thai baht from the uk, all i can say about the likes of thomas cook is "at least dick turpin had the decentcy to wear a mask"

if you want to check the rates go onto the thai banks web sites ie

bangkok bank or siam city bank you will get the true rate from them,i got 70.4 for cash this morning

[kenkannif]

^ YMCA??? Really???

[Loaded]

^ YMCA??? Really???

The YMCA in Santitam CM will show teachers' CVs to potential students and they choose their teacher. Also the teacher needs to tell the YMCA the hourly rate he's prepared to work for. Used to be like that anyway - never worked for them... I guess my photo wasn't narak. But I do know some teachers, who receive a steady stream of work from them, and they seem fairly happy.

[PeaceBlondie]

Mark, let me guess - you'll be 36years old this year, in August, right?

At the top of this forum, Teaching in Thailand, you'll find a permanent, long, informative thread topic titled "Qualifications."

If you have a bachelor degree not specializing in English or education, and you have a TEFL certification but no prior experience, jobs in Chiang Mai start around 25,000 baht per month, which is hard to live on. Without a degree or certification, much less. CMai is very competitive for TEFL teachers, unlike Bangkok. Both are big cities. You can actually learn more if you commute 10 to 35km away.

Good luck.

[kenkannif]

^ YMCA??? Really???

The YMCA in Santitam CM will show teachers' CVs to potential students and they choose their teacher. Also the teacher needs to tell the YMCA the hourly rate he's prepared to work for. Used to be like that anyway - never worked for them... I guess my photo wasn't narak. But I do know some teachers, who receive a steady stream of work from them, and they seem fairly happy.

Sorry mate I just thought you were using that acronym as like a joke....I thought they were like places where young men could stay...not a school.

Apologies for not being clearer before.

[Loaded]

^ YMCA??? Really???

The YMCA in Santitam CM will show teachers' CVs to potential students and they choose their teacher. Also the teacher needs to tell the YMCA the hourly rate he's prepared to work for. Used to be like that anyway - never worked for them... I guess my photo wasn't narak. But I do know some teachers, who receive a steady stream of work from them, and they seem fairly happy.

Sorry mate I just thought you were using that acronym as like a joke....I thought they were like places where young men could stay...not a school.

Apologies for not being clearer before.

No worries K.

I don't think it's a place where young men can go if they're short on their dough bla bla..

However, the area of Santitam is full of lower-end dens of vice for blokes who want boys or babes but the YMCA is kosher... I think

Edited May 19, 2006 by Loaded

[PeaceBlondie]

Well, at least in theory, the YMCA is more Christian than kosher, but a book on evangelism in the 1960's said that it was no longer acceptable to discuss religion at the YMCA. A hit song by the Village People made it even worse.

Yes, I once met a director of the YMCA's English program, from Chiang Mai. They also have Thai classes. And yes, it's not far from many dens of ill repute, of which I would know nothing, of course.

[podge]

sorry i posted this in the wrong place, and cant work out how to delete it, so feel free to delete!

Edited July 15, 2006 by podge