Planning to stay in Thailand for awhile

[AdamJensen]

Hello everyone,

A bit of an introduction about myself - I've been to Thailand 3 times. The longest I've stayed was 2 months. I would like to stay for at least a year or possibly even longer. I've been in a relationship with a Thai native on and off for roughly 3 and 1/2 years now. I'm a 29 year old US citizen. My current situation is employed part-time. My current employer is considering allowing me to work via the internet until either the end of May or the end of September depending on circumstances. My girlfriend has brought up starting a business together, but I would like something more stable before jumping into something with less of a safety net.

When I arrive in Thailand, I plan to look for work, study at a school, and possibly teach English if I'm unable to acquire a job. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the company of children. I love helping people learn. It's just that teaching English would not be my primary goal.

Given that I may end up teaching English (and even if I don't), I figured it would be a good idea to run through one of the standard English teacher training courses. Preferably, I would like to study before heading off. I have 3 primary questions:

1. Is the CELTA or TOEFL more preferred?

2. If I were to take these courses online, would my work options be more limited?

3. What is the best/cheapest way to go about doing this?

Any advice or stories which are similar to mine are appreciated.

[KED]

This belongs in Teaching in Thailand forum not visa.

[TerryLH]

"When I arrive in Thailand, I plan to look for work, study at a school, and possibly teach English if I'm unable to acquire a job."

Is teaching no longer considered as a job?

1. Is the CELTA or TOEFL more preferred?

I'd suggest that you Google the two words. That should tell you which one is preferred for your plan.

[duanebigsby]

Teaching English is a viable Plan B. You pretty much need a degree to land a job and work permit. The TEOFL/CELTA might give a competitive edge but isn't necessary to teach here. It is a good idea; however, and the in class one would be more helpful for a first time teacher as we are often left to our own devices in Thailand. The only drawback is, that if you are using teaching as a way to stockpile money, it is not fantastic pay. If you lived in Bangkok the pay would be subsistence, in Chiang Mai the money would go farther. In Chiang Rai and smaller towns you can actually sock a little away.No harm in only giving teaching a couple years as a lot of expats do tire of it quickly. It does take an effort. I'm in it for the long run and I really enjoy it! Cheers!

[Suradit69]

"When I arrive in Thailand, I plan to look for work, study at a school, and possibly teach English if I'm unable to acquire a job."

Is teaching no longer considered as a job?

1. Is the CELTA or TOEFL more preferred?

I'd suggest that you Google the two words. That should tell you which one is preferred for your plan.

"'I've been in a relationship with a Thai native on and off for roughly 3 and 1/2 years now"

While technically correct, referring to a Thai as a "native" conjures up visions of Rudyard Kipling and old, mouldy copies of National Geographic. I suppose it depends on old you are and in what parts of the world you've lived, but to some ears it sounds pejorative. If she is Thai, then it would normally be assumed she was from Thailand and probably born here without calling her a "native."

‘Native’ is obsolete in many places due to its colonial connotations. It is, however, frequently used to refer to indigenous peoples in Canada and the USA, including by those peoples themselves.

[humqdpf]

Teaching English is definitely a Plan B. Some guys manage to survive long term on English teaching alone but it is not for everyone and it drives many insane eventually.

Your survival in Thailand will have much to do with the following:

1. Your relationship with the Thai person. You have to be really sure about them before you get into any business or any deals.

2. Your skills and education. If you have some knowledge or skill that is in demand, such as you have really good IT or even practical tech skills that everyone needs, then you will have not much problem surviving in Thailand. If you are like the rest of us, then you will have to be really careful about who you work for. If anyone misses a payday and tells you you will have the money next month, walk out.

3. If you plan on staying in Thailand long term, learn polite Thai.

[4u2mad]

Can't see anything wrong with calling someone a 'native'. I'm a 'native' of the UK, definitely in a minority there too!

[AdamJensen]

Thanks for the replies. It wasn't my intention to offend anyone by using the term "native." I was trying to best describe my current situation with this topic and it seemed appropriate.

I forgot to mention I have a BA in Applied Design as well as an AAS in Animation and Game Design. My forte these days is UX design and web design. I have a knack for learning software.

My girlfriend currently has a job in the Bangkok area, so I would likely be looking to be situated somewhere near the city.

[moe666]

There are a few people who make their living over the internet here, I know at least 3 here in CM who stay here by doing this. Create a web site and wait for the calls to roll in. Go back to school and get a teachers certificate from you home state and you could get a real teaching job at a private school, my friend makes 120,000baht a month at one of the top schools in Bangkok.

[metaben]

Just to clarifify, and avoiding you the trouble of Googling, it's TEFL not TOEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language and not Test Of English as a Foreign Language).

Both CELTA (harder) and TEFL give you a crash course in teaching English and a "passport" to do so. Great to have in your backpack next to your Swiss army nife and water purifier, not so great as a standalone qualification or plan.

[AdamJensen]

Just to clarifify, and avoiding you the trouble of Googling, it's TEFL not TOEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language and not Test Of English as a Foreign Language).

Both CELTA (harder) and TEFL give you a crash course in teaching English and a "passport" to do so. Great to have in your backpack next to your Swiss army nife and water purifier, not so great as a standalone qualification or plan.

Ah, okay! It looks like I'll likely be getting a 120 hour TEFL certification. It's definitely not a standalone qualification or plan. I just figured it would be a great thing to have.

[flyingdoc]

I am glad to see that 'native' got changed to 'girlfriend' later in the posts!