Is it an okay time to show up and teach English? Just looking for some good feedback!

[Cada]

Thank you

[rijb]

You're welcome.

[smileplur]

Mai pen rai!

[lostinisaan]

Boo Bhenn Jangg.-

[lostinisaan]

" Som Nam Na."

[lostinisaan]

How can I delete my facebook account?

[NanLaew]

Yes! It is a great time to show up right now. There's a sudden flood of vacancies just waiting to be filled and you can cherry-pick the one that YOU want best. Just hurry up and come and get started as soon as you can.

[Suradit69]

Why would you expect that all you need to do is "show up" in order to teach English in Thailand? Is that how schools operate in your country?

Would you write a similar message to the principal of a school and expect that he/she would even bother to respond to your request for information, let alone offer you a position?

[Thighlander]

Actually, about a month after the regular start of school can be a very easy time to get hired......was before the GFC, anyway. There are alway quitters during the first few months. Seemed to be a lot of women, who planned their pregnancies to get maximum time away from the students, too.

[brucetefl]

So lets actually answer the OP's question.

BEST time to get a job is late April through late May. It remains ok in June and slows down a bit in July August and Spetember (with the quitters Thailander mentions) and then picks up again in October through the beginning of November. A dead period begins in mid December and lasts until the end of February. March is not very good but there are some summer camps, etc.

[DogNo1]

Please be aware that getting the proper visa if you intend to come and teach is now more important than ever!

[brucetefl]

Unfortunately that's practically impossible as an English teacher.

Many Schools never hire people sight unseen from overseas. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Many of the people who apply from overseas never end up coming to Thailand.

2. Why risk hiring someone you've never met when you can meet someone and see them teach a sample lesson?

Anyway, it's usually only the crap jobs that hire people they've never met. Far better to get here and apply face-to-face wearing your nice shirt and tie.

In fact, many teachers complain Schools don't even respond to their e-mails if they are overseas. So, how is the world would you manage to get letters that sponsor you to get a B visa?

So, let's be realistic for second. The best thing to do is come here on a two-month tourist visa. Start visiting schools as soon as you arrive. As long as they provide you with the proper documentation, you can convert that tourist visa into a business visa as long as there are two weeks left before you need to depart.

Please note that these are general rules of thumb. Immigration tends to do what immigration wants to do and sometimes they'll tell you they won't convert your tourist visa.

Please be aware that getting the proper visa if you intend to come and teach is now more important than ever!

[gerry123]

hey that sounds like a great idea if we could share a seat on the flight that would keep the costs down if you would like to send me your bank detail i will front you some cash in lieu of your first pay cheque

[brucetefl]

Why all the negativity and snarky replies?

[IMA_FARANG]

If you have the proper qualifications you MAY find a job teaching English in Thailand.

The days of "coming to Thailand, and getting a job as an English teacher immediately" are over.

It's getting more difficult all the time, and the salary you should expect is based on your qualifications.

As a rule of thumb, you will need twice the experience and qualifications you would think you need, and will be paid half the salary you wanted to find a good position.

And it will take you twice as long to find that good position than you thought it would.

For most "good teaching jobs" now you will need a degree in Education and some teaching experience.

And as I said before, your salary will be a lot lower than you hoped.

That's the reality now.

[Cada]

Hi again,

Thanks for the responses. I do not by any means just plan to show up out of no where without planning. I just worded that wrong I guess. I have been planning to come for sometime and will have a visa and will be training with a TEFL company. My question was more about whether or not it is an okay time to show up because of the current politics. I don't know much because I am just reading the news from here, and am not in Thailand. I am wondering if it would be best to wait for another year or if things are currently more complicated in teaching/day to day due to the current happenings with the coup?

Polite feedback would be excellent!

Thanks

[Cada]

I am a qualified teacher. Just looking for some local advice!

[NanLaew]

Good clarification form the OP, thanks. What nationality (passport) are you? That gives us a clue what your visa options are.

brucetefl's spot on with the opinion on seasonal hiring trends and practices so there's a good look at when is best and you have a full 9 months to do your homework on this and catch the next hiring peak. If you have the resources of course, you can always come over and see what's available in the short window at the end of rainy season. If you say you plan on TEFL training here, then come over and get that under your belt before the peak hiring season.

Your concerns about the coup and the ramifications of it shouldn't get in the way of what you seek IMHO. They aren't purging the educational system of anyone that I am aware of.

If you have been watching the news, the recent tightening of visa rules has a much more profound impact on anyone's tentative plans for working here. My initial sarky response was framed in the context that the minority of teachers who are 'below the radar', sans WP and possibly on overstay will be abandoning ship rapidamente this creating an unseasonal staff shortage.

Maybe you should plan on getting a single-entry TR visa from your home country and come over for the first 3 months to cover the Oct/Nov hiring bubble. if you get lucky, you can step out locally with the paperwork and get the right B visa to get the WP issued. You could get a double-entry and have 2 bites at the shopping-around apple and catch Thailand's high season (but teachers low season) with the second entry but the downside is if you do get lucky on first dip, then you can't get the proper B visa as you have an unexpired TR visa already in your passport.

Depending on you nationality, you could come and try pot-luck with the 30-day 'permission to stay' (no visa required) stamp but to be honest, I am not at all confident that with the current Immigrations ructions, that could be seen as anything other than a black star when it comes to future Thai Immigration dealings and appearing a legitimate and earnest applicant. It is a tainted product.

[brucetefl]

Yes the days of getting a job easily are over. Let me give you an example:

A few months ago a kid I know from America came to Thailand. He is 21 and has no university degree. He went into interviews and this is what he said:

"I've never taught English before. I want a job thats really easy. I don't want to do any lesson plans. I want to earn 40,000 per month.

It took him three days to get a job. He's working at a technical college in Thonburi. He had to settle for 35,000.

Yes, the days of showing up and getting a job easily are over.....

If you have the proper qualifications you MAY find a job teaching English in Thailand.

The days of "coming to Thailand, and getting a job as an English teacher immediately" are over.

It's getting more difficult all the time, and the salary you should expect is based on your qualifications.

As a rule of thumb, you will need twice the experience and qualifications you would think you need, and will be paid half the salary you wanted to find a good position.

And it will take you twice as long to find that good position than you thought it would.

For most "good teaching jobs" now you will need a degree in Education and some teaching experience.

And as I said before, your salary will be a lot lower than you hoped.

That's the reality now.

[casualbiker]

Yes the days of getting a job easily are over. Let me give you an example:

A few months ago a kid I know from America came to Thailand. He is 21 and has no university degree. He went into interviews and this is what he said:

"I've never taught English before. I want a job thats really easy. I don't want to do any lesson plans. I want to earn 40,000 per month.

It took him three days to get a job. He's working at a technical college in Thonburi. He had to settle for 35,000.

Yes, the days of showing up and getting a job easily are over.....

If you have the proper qualifications you MAY find a job teaching English in Thailand.

The days of "coming to Thailand, and getting a job as an English teacher immediately" are over.

It's getting more difficult all the time, and the salary you should expect is based on your qualifications.

As a rule of thumb, you will need twice the experience and qualifications you would think you need, and will be paid half the salary you wanted to find a good position.

And it will take you twice as long to find that good position than you thought it would.

For most "good teaching jobs" now you will need a degree in Education and some teaching experience.

And as I said before, your salary will be a lot lower than you hoped.

That's the reality now.

Technical college paying 35k really?

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[brucetefl]

Yes and here is what they told him:

Just play games and get the kids to have fun. We just want them to show up.

[simon43]

Yes and here is what they told him:

Just play games and get the kids to have fun. We just want them to show up.

Do they have any more vacancies???

[brucetefl]

LOL PM me and I will put you in touch with him.

Yes and here is what they told him:

Just play games and get the kids to have fun. We just want them to show up.

Do they have any more vacancies???

[Scott]

Right now there are quite a few openings for teachers. A lot of people have been discouraged by the visa situation and there has been a large exodus of Filipino teachers out of Thailand -- for visa reasons. The Filipinos used to fill in the gaps in a lot of these positions, but that is harder.

I know of a few teachers who have not been able to get the paperwork done in time and left because they were either denied or informed that they would be denied entry because of visa runs.

There are fewer loopholes and they are harder to get through.

[duanebigsby]

I am a qualified teacher. Just looking for some local advice!

You may be asked to show your original degree, not just a copy and some schools even have asked to see transcripts.

You should bring them along. Also you didn't say where you are from, but some schools are picky about what accent you may have.

[ggt]

Glenn had reportedly only lived in Cambodia for about a month, after moving from Bangkok, and had not showed up for (his teaching) classes this week, according to the director of the school where Glenn worked.

Teaching...per se...is not necessarily a dangerous profession in Asia...being careless...about your drinking and carousing...however...can be the death of you...

[Kasset Tak]

The school might not be a problem but there are more than one part of the government that can give you problem!

[Scott]

Make sure you bring your transcript. We cannot get approval without the transcript. I have a teacher who doesn't have the actual degree (he owes money to the University and they won't give the actual degree until he pays), he does have the transcript, however, and on the basis of that he got his approval.

I also long ago lost my actual degree, but I did have a transcript and I got my visa, work permit and a teacher's license based on that-- but that was some years back.

[Benmart]

Why all the negativity and snarky replies?

It is very common for negative, unhappy, dissatisfied and bored people to share their sad existence. This forum provides an annonymous opportunity for the negatives to insult, degrade and belittle strangers without any consequences.

Fortunately, the negatives are in the minority. They make a lot of "noise", are obnoxious, but eventually crawl back into their dark, moist, fowl smelling nests of negativity.

As for "Snarks". They are similar types, but take up less time, make shorter remarks and are sometimes humerous. Of the two types, the snark is less offensive and tastier.

Bon Appetit !

[Benmart]

Glenn had reportedly only lived in Cambodia for about a month, after moving from Bangkok, and had not showed up for (his teaching) classes this week, according to the director of the school where Glenn worked.

Teaching...per se...is not necessarily a dangerous profession in Asia...being careless...about your drinking and carousing...however...can be the death of you...

... as well as not looking four ways before crossing the street, accepting drinks from strangers, touching light fixtures near standing water, taking long distance mini-buses or double decker buses, etc.