Should I start teaching English?

[ukguyinthai]

Without getting into the legalities of visas and work permits, he is not on a huge step in the right direction. Unless the right direction is going back to his own country. I agree the kids would benefit and he would enjoy it but that’s not the point.

The point is everything he has worked for to enjoy his retirement in Thailand, could be taken away in an instant because of bad advice from a lying head teacher. I cannot see why anyone should be encouraging him to compromise his life here.

Talk to the employment dept, don’t talk to the head teacher, and don’t listen to people telling you to just do it.

Enjoy your retirement, find a new hobby.There is lots of ways to integrate with the community.

[GoNavy]

I have a couple of friends who are teaching English. They went to the school here and learned the skills. They are here on a retirement visa and have said nothing about getting a work visa. I should ask them. I thought, since they went through the school it was taken care of.

[bigbamboo]

There is a way around it.... if you are married to a Thai or have a Thai colleague who is ostensibly the teacher. It's extremely unlikely there would ever be any comeback especially in a rural area and technically you're in the clear anyway.

As for the kids giving you a hard time just produce a picture of Achilles and tell them he's one of your family's ancestors.

[bigbamboo]

Reading the OP again I see you are talking about teaching at a school not privately. That might be more problematic. In that case it really is incumbent on the principle to make sure you are covered. If he doesn't want to know then neither should you.

Good luck anyway.

Edited July 1, 2014 by bigbamboo

[Greg Nixon]

If you are here on a retirement visa, you are not allowed to work. No exceptions.

[Greg Nixon]

If you are here on a retirement visa you are not allowed to volunteer.

[Scott]

Without getting into the legalities of visas and work permits, he is not on a huge step in the right direction. Unless the right direction is going back to his own country. I agree the kids would benefit and he would enjoy it but that’s not the point.

The point is everything he has worked for to enjoy his retirement in Thailand, could be taken away in an instant because of bad advice from a lying head teacher. I cannot see why anyone should be encouraging him to compromise his life here.

Talk to the employment dept, don’t talk to the head teacher, and don’t listen to people telling you to just do it.

Enjoy your retirement, find a new hobby.There is lots of ways to integrate with the community.

All you are commenting on is the legalities.

I made no assumption that he should or should not do anything. That is up to him. He has been informed of the visa/work permits requirements.

Currently we have two teachers who changed from a non-immigrant O to a non-B and started working. One was on a retirement visa and the other on a family visa, but there were problems for that person obtaining a work permit without changing to a non-B.

In Costa's case, it's nice to hear about someone who is in contact with the local school and who is viewed as a resource by the community.

[watso63]

Good on you Costas. If you have a better half ie a Thai partner that has time on her/his hands and is supportive of you, then let her/him teach and you just go along for the ride and just be on hand as a supportive partner, nudge nudge, wink wink. Grammar isn't important. In a village junior school, the teachers will only be teaching English in addition to other subjects and as you intimate you will find their language skills are very limited. They will actually enjoy learning from you too and will not see you as a threat to their employment. Relax, enjoy yourself and good luck.

Edited July 2, 2014 by watso63

[Rawprawn]

I agree with Scott. I think there is a lot of paranoia in this thread. I was recently in South Thailand and met the local English teacher that had been teaching for over 10 years. We had a very hard time communicating and she was barley able to string a sentence together. Thailand desperately needs help educating students in English, most of the schools are very poor and the students would be extremely grateful for your help. I wouldnt worry about your Greek accent at all, given what they are currently taught your accent will have little bearing on the outcome. Forget about comments re English not being your strength, believe me it is probably far far better than what they have access to through local teachers. I think the whole visa issues being talked about here are extreme, and yes IF it were to be reported and IF action was to be taken that could have implications. If it was me, I would look at the benefit to me (feel good, help others who desperately need your help, keeps me busy) and for them, and weigh the costs. Fly under the radar, in reality this sounds a poor area and they need help. They will appreciate it. I doubt someone is losing a job, if there was money to pay them someone would be in a job. Talk about your concerns with the Principal if there are any concerns. If it was me I would do it, give what you can.

[puchooay]

All of this scaremongery really does make me laugh.

Costas...Go with the headmaster to the employment office. Explain that you will be going into school a couple of days a week or so to help out.

You will not need permission from the teaching council as you can be employeed as a special instructor. Therefore all of the documentation can be done at local level.

I am sure that the local employmet office will be more than happy to help out and point you in the right direction.

[watso63]

During my last visit to immigration I was asked if I knew about oil drilling in my area. They were on the look out for illegal chinese workers. My local police use the karaoke bar where the girls are mostly from Laos. How do they get a WP? Rural police are not in the game of fining or making the farang life a misery. They are more interested in you drinking Hong Thong with them and seeing whether you can eat spicy minced frog or not.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[GOLDBUGGY]

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Without getting into the legalities of visas and work permits, he is not on a huge step in the right direction. Unless the right direction is going back to his own country. I agree the kids would benefit and he would enjoy it but that’s not the point.

The point is everything he has worked for to enjoy his retirement in Thailand, could be taken away in an instant because of bad advice from a lying head teacher. I cannot see why anyone should be encouraging him to compromise his life here.

Talk to the employment dept, don’t talk to the head teacher, and don’t listen to people telling you to just do it.

Enjoy your retirement, find a new hobby.There is lots of ways to integrate with the community.

All you are commenting on is the legalities.

I made no assumption that he should or should not do anything. That is up to him. He has been informed of the visa/work permits requirements.

Currently we have two teachers who changed from a non-immigrant O to a non-B and started working. One was on a retirement visa and the other on a family visa, but there were problems for that person obtaining a work permit without changing to a non-B.

In Costa's case, it's nice to hear about someone who is in contact with the local school and who is viewed as a resource by the community.

So these 2 Teachers Teach English for free then?

[Costas2008]

I have a couple of friends who are teaching English. They went to the school here and learned the skills. They are here on a retirement visa and have said nothing about getting a work visa. I should ask them. I thought, since they went through the school it was taken care of.

GoNavy, Thank you, I will be waiting to hear from you.

It will be a great help for me and other, non teacher, members that would like to do the same thing like me.

[Costas2008]

Good on you Costas. If you have a better half ie a Thai partner that has time on her/his hands and is supportive of you, then let her/him teach and you just go along for the ride and just be on hand as a supportive partner, nudge nudge, wink wink. Grammar isn't important. In a village junior school, the teachers will only be teaching English in addition to other subjects and as you intimate you will find their language skills are very limited. They will actually enjoy learning from you too and will not see you as a threat to their employment. Relax, enjoy yourself and good luck.

No chance there.........my wife is a qualified nurse, working her guts in the local hospital, lucky if I see her between shifts.

I know their language skills are limited, if non existent, That's why I decided to help.

[Costas2008]

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Without getting into the legalities of visas and work permits, he is not on a huge step in the right direction. Unless the right direction is going back to his own country. I agree the kids would benefit and he would enjoy it but that’s not the point.

The point is everything he has worked for to enjoy his retirement in Thailand, could be taken away in an instant because of bad advice from a lying head teacher. I cannot see why anyone should be encouraging him to compromise his life here.

Talk to the employment dept, don’t talk to the head teacher, and don’t listen to people telling you to just do it.

Enjoy your retirement, find a new hobby.There is lots of ways to integrate with the community.

All you are commenting on is the legalities.

I made no assumption that he should or should not do anything. That is up to him. He has been informed of the visa/work permits requirements.

Currently we have two teachers who changed from a non-immigrant O to a non-B and started working. One was on a retirement visa and the other on a family visa, but there were problems for that person obtaining a work permit without changing to a non-B.

In Costa's case, it's nice to hear about someone who is in contact with the local school and who is viewed as a resource by the community.

So these 2 Teachers Teach English for free then?

No, they are full time teachers, teaching English between other subjects.

As, I had a conversation with them, with my limited Thai, as they can't understand any English, they will be more than happy to have me there assisting them.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Costas2008

[watso63]

It's a great way for you to learn Thai too. Just sit in with the local teachers when they teach English. Nothing wrong with that if the headmaster allows it.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Scott]

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So these 2 Teachers Teach English for free then?

No, they are paid teachers.

[GoNavy]

I have a couple of friends who are teaching English. They went to the school here and learned the skills. They are here on a retirement visa and have said nothing about getting a work visa. I should ask them. I thought, since they went through the school it was taken care of.

GoNavy, Thank you, I will be waiting to hear from you.

It will be a great help for me and other, non teacher, members that would like to do the same thing like me.

I have a call in now to ask one of them. He was in school he said when I called. I endeavor to check on both of them today.

[Costas2008]

I have a couple of friends who are teaching English. They went to the school here and learned the skills. They are here on a retirement visa and have said nothing about getting a work visa. I should ask them. I thought, since they went through the school it was taken care of.

GoNavy, Thank you, I will be waiting to hear from you.

It will be a great help for me and other, non teacher, members that would like to do the same thing like me.

I have a call in now to ask one of them. He was in school he said when I called. I endeavor to check on both of them today.

Many Thanks.

[BWPattaya]

Costa, I used to have a work permit on a Retirement visa/extension.

[Costas2008]

Although, I'm depressed now, I'm glad I opened this thread.

The only thing I wanted was to offer my services to the village community.

Also an attempt, to come closer to Thai people, their thinking, their culture.

Couldn't foresee all these problems, especially the work permit one.

Why is everything so difficult in Thailand?

Anyway, I have to have a serious talk with the headmaster.

Thank you all for your valuable comments and advice, up to now and I will be more than glad to hear more.

Thank You.

Welcome to the real world Stavros.

'Helping', will only get you in trouble here.

Keep yourself to yourself and forget about it.

...but if you really need to help you might want to consider Cambodia.

No bureaucratic problems there

First of all, Thank you very much for adding me as a friend, much appreciated.

Second, as about Cambodia, I have a nice wife here, taking care of me, when she is not working.

I have a nice house, that I enjoy living in, and I have a comfortable life in retirement.

Worked hard, for 45 years to achieve that.

So, no Cambodia for me.

[Costas2008]

Costa, I used to have a work permit on a Retirement visa/extension.

I would appreciate, if you can share with us, how you obtained the work permit.

If you don't want to post it on TVF, please, can you PM me with the details?

Many Thanks.

[bushwacker]

I think that piece of paper that you sign at immigration when you apply for an extension of stay when you are here on a so called retirement visa .... which states you will not work or money or for free, might just cover this situation. In other words, you must have a work permit. If you get a work permit then you cannot have a retirement visa or extension of stay. You have signed a document that says that you already understand, so you will have no defense.

Now, of course if you do it and nobody reports you then you are fine. But if a student is pissed off with you and talks to his parents and they report you OR if you get into a problem with the Thai English Teachers as they seem to be so dense, and they report you OR if one of the local after school English Teachers sees you cutting into their livelihood and reports you OR if you piss off some Thai or farang in your area and they want to cause trouble and they report you .....

Well, in all of these cases the result is the same. You are screwed and deported. Not a good risk/reward scenario, from my perspective. Many people do teach and work illegally and take their chances. But make no mistake, you are breaking the law.

What do you think?

[bushwacker]

There was a comment made that by taking this job, you would not be taking a job away from anybody. This is a false statement. At present there may not be a position established or a person doing the work, but if the head master believes that he needs an English teacher then he would fill the job. He would fill it with a free Greek Man or have to pay some body else. If he goes the free route then a job has been taken away from a somebody. Either a paid ESL person or a very poor Thai English Teacher.

If there is no need for a teacher then there is no job. If there is a need then the Head master looks to fill it. Free or paid.

Last week I had the front of my house painted. Yesterday, a Thai came to me and said to my wife that he could do a better job painting and asked if we wanted him to repaint the house. We said no, because there was no job. A week ago there was a job and we could not stand how it looked so we hired somebody to paint. Try fitting your story into this example.

Hihihihi

[rct99q]

I assist a local school near Nong Khai as they have limited resources and I am the only access these rural children get to a native English speaker. No pay, no work permit, no problems. The Thai teachers at the school (government school) have no issues as I also provide help for them.

Pretty basic stuff but there are plenty of websites with good information;

www.mes-english.com has plenty of useful flash cards and print outs to help

www.busyteacher.org also has plenty of info but you need to sign up with them and contribute ideas (which is very useful for other teachers)

www.onestopenglish.com also offers some decent lesson plans for conversation

If it is very basic, early stage learners the best thing you can bring is a sense of humor, be lively (it can be exhausting so if you are not in very good shape health wise perhaps you may want to think twice about doing this), sing songs, tell stories etc.....

If you have ever been a parent (and an active one participating in the child rearing) then do what you did with your own children.

I use age appropriate songs, stories (disney stuff is always great), movies (again age appropriate), cartoons, music.

As for the other stuff (work permits, pay, etc). I do not think there is an immigration officer or local police person who does not know what I (and several others) are doing. I doubt a foreigner in this country could flush their own toilet without someone knowing.........are they looking to arrest and detain you the moment you open your mouth to teach a couple of 6 year olds English.....?? IMO, no, but as they say......up to you.

[Costas2008]

I think that piece of paper that you sign at immigration when you apply for an extension of stay when you are here on a so called retirement visa .... which states you will not work or money or for free, might just cover this situation. In other words, you must have a work permit. If you get a work permit then you cannot have a retirement visa or extension of stay. You have signed a document that says that you already understand, so you will have no defense.

Now, of course if you do it and nobody reports you then you are fine. But if a student is pissed off with you and talks to his parents and they report you OR if you get into a problem with the Thai English Teachers as they seem to be so dense, and they report you OR if one of the local after school English Teachers sees you cutting into their livelihood and reports you OR if you piss off some Thai or farang in your area and they want to cause trouble and they report you .....

Well, in all of these cases the result is the same. You are screwed and deported. Not a good risk/reward scenario, from my perspective. Many people do teach and work illegally and take their chances. But make no mistake, you are breaking the law.

What do you think?

What I think, is that you are 100% right to what you say.

I wouldn't even think of starting this teaching without a legit permit.

At the moment, I'm trying to sass out, how did others obtained the work permit on retirement visa.

If I can do the same, I will carry on.

[bushwacker]

And just to add one more point. I have been asked to teach English at schools and privately for over 6 years now. Maybe 30-50 requests. They all say no need for permit.

Every year when I go for the extension of stay for reason of retirement, I ask at the office can I teach for free. The answer is NO.

I ask there are many doing it. What happens to these people. Their answer is, when we catch them that are deported.

You have a house and a nice life style. Do you want to risk these?

Up to you.

[puchooay]

There was a comment made that by taking this job, you would not be taking a job away from anybody. This is a false statement. At present there may not be a position established or a person doing the work, but if the head master believes that he needs an English teacher then he would fill the job. He would fill it with a free Greek Man or have to pay some body else. If he goes the free route then a job has been taken away from a somebody. Either a paid ESL person or a very poor Thai English Teacher.

If there is no need for a teacher then there is no job. If there is a need then the Head master looks to fill it. Free or paid.

Last week I had the front of my house painted. Yesterday, a Thai came to me and said to my wife that he could do a better job painting and asked if we wanted him to repaint the house. We said no, because there was no job. A week ago there was a job and we could not stand how it looked so we hired somebody to paint. Try fitting your story into this example.

Hihihihi

The OP is talking about helping at the school. I am quite sure that the Thai teachers will be more than happy for him to walk into a class and do their teaching for them.

[GoNavy]

I have a couple of friends who are teaching English. They went to the school here and learned the skills. They are here on a retirement visa and have said nothing about getting a work visa. I should ask them. I thought, since they went through the school it was taken care of.

GoNavy, Thank you, I will be waiting to hear from you.

It will be a great help for me and other, non teacher, members that would like to do the same thing like me.

I have a call in now to ask one of them. He was in school he said when I called. I endeavor to check on both of them today.

Costa................I just spoke with one of my friends. He is in his last week of schooling for teaching. He said that it is the law that you have to have a work permit whether it is volunteer or income producing. He said he would have to change his retirement visa over to a work permit if he wants to follow the law. My other friend has not changed over and decided to take the risk.

Now, living in Thailand there is the law........and there are many not following it and get by. Teaching English and the fact that it is needed may get you by. But, as others have mentioned..........piss off a Thai and they know.......or they are jealous.....or the parent is upset with your teaching.......etc. You are at risk if they want to spill the beans. I saw it happen with an acquaintance in Bangkok. He started his own English school after teaching and another teacher turned him in. Because he took students from her...........and her father worked at immigration. He damn near got deported.

If it were me, I'd look into the work permit business. Especially with your headmaster in favor, they can assist. The hoops to jump can't be any worse then gettingar retirement visa. Good Luck.

[Costas2008]

I have a couple of friends who are teaching English. They went to the school here and learned the skills. They are here on a retirement visa and have said nothing about getting a work visa. I should ask them. I thought, since they went through the school it was taken care of.

GoNavy, Thank you, I will be waiting to hear from you.

It will be a great help for me and other, non teacher, members that would like to do the same thing like me.

I have a call in now to ask one of them. He was in school he said when I called. I endeavor to check on both of them today.

Costa................I just spoke with one of my friends. He is in his last week of schooling for teaching. He said that it is the law that you have to have a work permit whether it is volunteer or income producing. He said he would have to change his retirement visa over to a work permit if he wants to follow the law. My other friend has not changed over and decided to take the risk.

Now, living in Thailand there is the law........and there are many not following it and get by. Teaching English and the fact that it is needed may get you by. But, as others have mentioned..........piss off a Thai and they know.......or they are jealous.....or the parent is upset with your teaching.......etc. You are at risk if they want to spill the beans. I saw it happen with an acquaintance in Bangkok. He started his own English school after teaching and another teacher turned him in. Because he took students from her...........and her father worked at immigration. He damn near got deported.

If it were me, I'd look into the work permit business. Especially with your headmaster in favor, they can assist. The hoops to jump can't be any worse then gettingar retirement visa. Good Luck.

GoNavy, Thank you very much for your swift answer.

Unfortunately, we go back to the, Retirement visa = no work permit = not able to teach.

But, I still believe there is a, loop hole, in the law out there.

I will keep trying.........