Coming to the end of the visa run - local language schools may suffer most

[JockPieandBeans]

 

Am I missing something here?  This guy has been working illeagaly for 5 years, and abusing the immigration system in a foriegn country. I don't think it is appropriate to trivialise this kind of law breaking and portray this guy as some kind of victim because he now considers Thailand 'his home'. If he pulled that kind of move in another country and got caught, he'd be detained, deported and blacklisted in a instant - why should we regard Thailand as being any different? Laws are laws, and foriegners should  respect the laws of a foriegn country, and not seek sympathy if they do break the law and get caught.

 

, theres 500,000 folk "missing" in the UK...........

 

 

That's a guesstimate.

 

Much like the original 45000 passports that were held up.

 

[garyinhuahin]

Thai schools want farang teachers for teaching English and other languages because they cannot find qualified Thai people for teaching foreign languages. They want to emplay foreigners but do not provide the necessary work permit. This is illegal, responsibility of the employer to get a work permit for his employee. It is not only illegal in Thailand, it is illegal in every Western country. So the police must fine the schools, not the employees.

The actual situation will result in a sharp drop of foreign teachers in Thailand when this continues like it is at the moment. 

 

I know a goodly number of qualified Thais, more fluent in English than the average Texan. They don't teach English because the pay is too low. Underqualified farang English teachers are the functional equivalent of Burmese labor. Cheap and willing.
 

[paz]

"it could be local language schools that end up suffering most ..."

 

The one's who end up suffering the most will be those who have, in most cases knowingly, gamed the system to their own benefit.

 

With a few hundred baht investment, the language schools can be transformed into travel agencies or Ramen noodle shops. 

 

I stopped reading this at the third line. Very effective writing, thank you for sharing your views.

[transam]

Thailand needs more properly qualified English language teachers, but tightening up visa laws won't achieve this.

To get good teachers you need to pay an attractive salary, minimum of 60,000 but ideally 100,000 plus.

Obviously the majority of schools and language centers can't afford this so we end up with the demand being filled by a load of backpackers running visa scams who teach to extend their holidays. This doesn't help Thai students, or genuine teachers who may lack qualifications but have a lot of experience or natural talent for teaching.

I would like to see the Thai government make a distinction between 'teachers' who need to be fully qualified and 'conversation practice native speakers' who don't need qualifications so much as a good attitude and enthusiasm, and to provide two work permit paths for these separate roles.

Give people a legal path to provide a service which is obviously in demand in Thailand.

It would be great if the one year work permit could be attached to the teacher not the school too, so that teachers could move jobs without having to restart the work permit process. The cost benefit analysis if whether to go ahead with a work permit application would then be more up to the teacher than the school.

I'd also love to see the Thai government do something similar to Japan's JET scheme, actively recruiting teachers at graduate fairs in the west and offering training in exchange for placement in a rural school for one or two years. The mindset should be attracting the best, not legislating to remove the dregs.

I also think that the native speaker requirement is given to much importance. Teaching ability and actual English fluency should be the key factors, not where someone was born.

 

I know two Thai retired teachers, who cannot talk to me in conversation....
 

[aidenai]

Is there a link to the original post of Spectrum? 

[HUAHIN62]

 

I am here from many years and I've spent a lot of money to do all the paperwork to stay here legally with a work permit, over 100k per year in taxes, fees, accounting, fly to KL every 3 months, then, they told me that they will not renew my work permit until I hire 4 Thai nationals, what a joke I work two hours a day, I certainly not have work for four thai people, in the meantime I bring about 150k of fresh money every month in the country. So technicaly there is no solution for me as I not really work in thailand, I just answer to the phone and write a few emails a day, I manage a company in Europa. I got my WP refused, I was cheated by my accountant not paying my taxes and not doing the job, I went to 5 different accountant to compare and 4 on 5 was no serious, constantly hiding fees or lying. Staying here legally is a nightmare. Alternatively Elitecard light is 500k upfront, but will I have the right to work here ?

There is no need to fly to KL every 90 days if you have a WP, you just do your 90 day report. You can't get a WP without employing 4 Thai's first (FORMING A COMPANY ETC ETC) and thats been the case for many years so how come they didn't want to renew your WP, because to have the WP in the first place you had to employ the Thai's? I say BS!!!!
 

 
Well I am going to correct you on the forst part of your post, having a WP doesnt entitle someone to do 90 day reports, only being granted the extension of stay allows you to do 90 day reports someone can be on a WP and still have to visa run because someone doesnt qualify for the extension 
 
eg... somone can form a company, employ 4 Thai's and qualify for the WP, but for typically the first 2 years the WP holder will have to "visa run" every 90 days because the company hasnt been in business long enough to submit the audited books and tax returns need for the extension
 
now I am not saying the above is true in the case of "metrox"  as you do need 4 Thai "employees" to form a Ltd company to get the WP, I suspect his "employee's" are ghost employees and there has been no taxes/SS paid for them and thats the reason the WP renewal has been refused 
 
 

sorry but if you use the correct visa non im B you dont need any extensions only 90 day reports and annual renewals. If he entered on a tourist visa how can he apply for a WP? Even if he got a WP on another visa he can apply for a non im B the 1st time he was in KL.

As to the 4 Thai employees, how do you setup a company to get a WP and dont know about the requirements. The info is on TV and on the net. To setup a company he had to use a laywer that would have told him what to do. To complain about laws and regulations thats common knowledge and with info available on the net, is useless.

[JockPieandBeans]

 

 

I would like to see the Thai government make a distinction between 'teachers' who need to be fully qualified and 'conversation practice native speakers' who don't need qualifications so much as a good attitude and enthusiasm, and to provide two work permit paths for these separate roles.

 

I am sure that there is plenty of retired native English speakers who would provide this service free of charge, if they were allowed to.

 

Why would you provide a path and WP's for unqualified people ?

[Equalizer]

 

Thai schools want farang teachers for teaching English and other languages because they cannot find qualified Thai people for teaching foreign languages. They want to emplay foreigners but do not provide the necessary work permit. This is illegal, responsibility of the employer to get a work permit for his employee. It is not only illegal in Thailand, it is illegal in every Western country. So the police must fine the schools, not the employees.

The actual situation will result in a sharp drop of foreign teachers in Thailand when this continues like it is at the moment. 

 

I know a goodly number of qualified Thais, more fluent in English than the average Texan. They don't teach English because the pay is too low. Underqualified farang English teachers are the functional equivalent of Burmese labor. Cheap and willing.
 

 

Define under qualified farang. It is silly to think you would need the same qualification as a teacher applying for a job as a teacher in the UK. There you will be teaching a multitude of subjects, here you are basically being paid to teach kids to read and write English.   

[atyclb]

"EF English Proficiency Index, the world’s largest report of its kind, ranked Thailand 55th — ahead of only Panama, Kazakhstan"

 

I doubt the validity of this index since it is quite clear Borat speaks better English than most Thais.

 

 

Great success

[finnomick]

Thailand being the hub of u-turns will probably issue another statement very shortly : The end of out - in visa runs EXCEPT for teachers.....

[bangkoken]

When I came to teach at Payap University in Chiang Mai in 1989 I had to sign a 2 year contract. They sent me the proper paperwork for the non-Imm multiple entry visa and I moved to Chiang Mi. They helped me find a house to rent, took care of my work permit, gave me free Thai language lessons, Free Lanna Thai culture and history classes. They paid my expense when I had to leave every 90 days and reenter with a letter stating they guaranteed me while in Thailand for the first year and gave me the proper paperwork to get my second non imm multi entry visa and took care of everything again.

 

I am now on a retirement visa and visit the University often. They just offered me a teaching job again but I like the retirement visa so cannot teach. They should allow qualified English teachers to work with a retirement visa. Lots of us retired teachers living here and we would be dedicated long time employees. What a shame.

I'm in the same position you are. I loved teaching,had plenty to offer my students in experience and ability. I possess a PHD in Law and certainly qualified to teach. Like you, I have a retirement visa and would love to return to the teaching ranks but as you say the visa rules that apply prevent.

[atyclb]

Thailand needs more properly qualified English language teachers, but tightening up visa laws won't achieve this.

To get good teachers you need to pay an attractive salary, minimum of 60,000 but ideally 100,000 plus.

Obviously the majority of schools and language centers can't afford this so we end up with the demand being filled by a load of backpackers running visa scams who teach to extend their holidays. This doesn't help Thai students, or genuine teachers who may lack qualifications but have a lot of experience or natural talent for teaching.

I would like to see the Thai government make a distinction between 'teachers' who need to be fully qualified and 'conversation practice native speakers' who don't need qualifications so much as a good attitude and enthusiasm, and to provide two work permit paths for these separate roles.

Give people a legal path to provide a service which is obviously in demand in Thailand.

It would be great if the one year work permit could be attached to the teacher not the school too, so that teachers could move jobs without having to restart the work permit process. The cost benefit analysis if whether to go ahead with a work permit application would then be more up to the teacher than the school.

I'd also love to see the Thai government do something similar to Japan's JET scheme, actively recruiting teachers at graduate fairs in the west and offering training in exchange for placement in a rural school for one or two years. The mindset should be attracting the best, not legislating to remove the dregs.

I also think that the native speaker requirement is given to much importance. Teaching ability and actual English fluency should be the key factors, not where someone was born.

 

 

IMO it doesnt take a university degree or a degree in education to be a decent esl teacher. (near)native english speakers can do it perfectly well. many a "backpacker" can be quite capable of teaching english. many backpackers are university students at undergrad, grad and grad levels.

 

Th idea of thai gov holding a teachers fair in the west is astonishing. low probability as such an event would say they endorse the fact that non thai's can be capable and qualified.  While seoul national university / korea recruits non korean nobel laureates, thailand sticks to the xenophobic feudal past and saving face despite counter-productivity and ultimately self defeating.

 

enforcing laws to improve quality will not work in the case of these english teachers.

[wilcopops]

I have said time and again that Thailand needs to reassess they policy and regulations regarding the setting up of language schools.
The situation has lead to small businesses mostly run by Thais only employing teachers without supplying them with the necessary papers.

What needs to happen is a change thatnballows foreigners to set up schools withoutbthge need to employ 4 Thai people to every one foreigner.
Even Thai owned schools have problems with this as it requires arbitrary proof of capital for each foreigner employed.
The results sarere there for all to see.....Thailand fares badly in EL abilities compared to the most humble of its neighbours.
It seems too that the current government wants to "crackdown" on foreigners in general or just those braking the laws....either wayway....regardless of whether they target labourers or skilled workers it is a policy that may present many pitfalls Edited August 3, 2014 by wilcopops

[ColdSingha]

Thailand being the hub of u-turns will probably issue another statement very shortly : The end of out - in visa runs EXCEPT for teachers.....

then new business spring up everywhere.. "spend 4 hours a week teaching english, get paid & 1-10 year visa" :)

[korythompson]

"The school will negotiate a monthly salary directly with the teacher, usually between 35,000 and 45,000 baht, and First Study Service will claim a small service fee."

 

That is already three times the Thai average salary, 12800 baht. Legit teachers could demand 60000-70000 or go elsewhere. Even that is below the starting salaries in the UK or USA. Very few Thai schools could afford to pay it. Even expat schools would not hire because of the decreasing number of expats. Add to that the military junta, the number of foreign teachers will soon be down drastically.

 

This is exactly correct.  I am an English teacher in Thailand.  I used to do border hops (30 days) because my school kept promising a non-b visa.  So I figured what's the point of a tourist visa.  I am not a tourist, yet I can legally be in Thailand with a Border hop every 30 days.  Sure, a nuisance.  And after 7 I was getting real tired of it.  I started pressuring the agency/school to perform as agreed, get me a darn non-b.  Yes, I was aware that I had to get a tourist to then a get a non-b.  But I saw no reason to do that until the non-b was reasonably close.

Then THAILAND decided to change everything.  Of course, they could have just insisted that school get legal.  But that may only address one segment.  Anyway, the point is, border hops (30) were no longer doable--I had 7, back to back.  And I was not going to risk being locked out.  I have a condo, my possessions in Thailand--so yeah, no thank you.  So, like the person above said, I am opting to teach in China.  I'M LEAVING.  Can't depend on the Government to let me stay, can't depend on the school/agency to do their job.  I am stuck in the middle.  I came here to perfectly legal.  Every month I did the 30 day run so I would be legal.  Yes, I working illegal, but again, out of my control.  That is dependent on the agency/school.   I can't get the work permit if I wanted to.

So, just like the previous poster said, everyone will just leave (that is native speaking).  They won't put up with the stupidity of it all.  Thailand will drop from 55th to 155th (assuming there were even that many.

Worse, Thailand will not have the revenues they used to get.  People will just choose to go somewhere else.  There are plenty of places to get a decent, cheap massage, and there other places to see white sand beaches.

[PJcm]

As a resident in Thailand since 1977 I will tell all you young people go North, go East don't bother with this country it has lost all it's charm and you can get Visas in China, Cambodia and Burma so much easier.  One Man told me in Cambodia you can renew your yearly visa at a 7/11 I don''t know if that is true by why bother go and have your adventure in a more accepting place.

[canarysun]

Hello Viewers!!

Well i think its absolutely fantastic that at last they have stopped " The Visa Runs " They were totally unnecessary anyway! ridiculously overpriced and dangerous too! These minivans were overpriced " death traps " and mainly for the type of tourist who needed someone to " hold there hand ". ( The train to the Cambodian border is only about 43 baht - so much safer and so much cheaper too! ) 

I think it's " Great News " !! ( well done ) 

 

Farang Jaidee 

[casualbiker]

Am I missing something here?  This guy has been working illeagaly for 5 years, and abusing the immigration system in a foriegn country. I don't think it is appropriate to trivialise this kind of law breaking and portray this guy as some kind of victim because he now considers Thailand 'his home'. If he pulled that kind of move in another country and got caught, he'd be detained, deported and blacklisted in a instant - why should we regard Thailand as being any different? Laws are laws, and foriegners should  respect the laws of a foriegn country, and not seek sympathy if they do break the law and get caught.

But then probably the company he works for in the West would be penalized too.

A teacher CANNOT get a work permit here in Thailand if the school doesn't give them the correct paperwork. It's the schools responsibility to get a work permit for it's workers.

Question :
So is it just the teachers fault?

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[senti]

 

It is time that Thai kicked out all the low end farangs skiving off the country. good riddance to them

Behonset, you have your head where the sun never shines ! Have you seen the hundreds of thousands of indian and middle eastern lowlife that the tourism authorities seem to think is a good idea to attract ? I personally see nothing wrong with an english speaker doing a few teaching jobs here to try and make ends meet. Far better this than an english teaching school nearby where I could not even understand the english spoken by the thai national english teacher. Think of the end result, a double bonus, the thais learn how to speak english correctly and the farang has a little more spending money. Shame on you !

 

 

Right.

 

It seems that quite many people don't seem to realize that one can't teach a language just because he/she speaks it.

 

I am tired, sooo tired, of all those 'teachers' who think they are qualified to teach a language just because they are native English speakers. Reason why noone will cry for all these 'teachers' is because they are completely useless and incompetent as 'teachers'.

 

My wife speaks basic English and wanted to learn more.

 

Out of 8 'teachers' that she went through over the course of a year (some 'private' ones, some in language schools) only teacher from British Council (one around Silom, if I remember correctly) was actually worth something. Hell, he was an amazing teacher, that had structured classes and was actually doing real teaching and she really was excited about those classes.

 

All the others - every single one of them - had no books and/or no plans, they wanted to teach my wife English by "talking to her". Never mind the grammar and all that other funny stuff. None of them were qualified to be a teacher, although they lied about that in ads (and even through 'word of mouth' advertising/recommendations). They, literally, lied. Then hoped/presumed noone would ask. I am not sure whether teacher in BC was qualified either, but he certainly was completely different league than all the others and was very very competent.

 

I didn't learn my language by talking to my parents or friends. I learned it in school, and proper/qualified teacher was involved in that process.

 

Seems such concept is unknown to many English 'teachers' in Thailand.

 

So yeah, I will be happy if they go away.

[korythompson]

 

It is time that Thai kicked out all the low end farangs skiving off the country. good riddance to them

and its the farangs fault that Thai schools won't do the necessary paperwork to get work permits? I don't think so ....

 

And its the Farang's fault that the Thai student are not held accountable for anything? The whole NO FAIL any STUDENT CONCEPT.  What an idiotic joke.  If you send a message to the students you can't fail, and then no attendance is required, students walk into class at all hours (40 minutes late for example), and a score of 30 out of 100 on a test is recorded as an 85%, it's no wonder there is illiteracy.  Stupid begets stupid.  Wake up Thailand!  And now you think you will fix it by getting rid of those who are trying to help?  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Edited August 3, 2014 by korythompson

[seancbk]

Who or what is  Spectrum Agencies who apparently wrote this piece ?

 

It is Spectrum & Agencies.

 

Agencies refers to the articles content having been sourced from multiple news agencies (eg Agence France-Presse, Reuters, etc)

 

Spectrum is a news aggregator.

Edited August 3, 2014 by seancbk

[senti]

 

When I came to teach at Payap University in Chiang Mai in 1989 I had to sign a 2 year contract. They sent me the proper paperwork for the non-Imm multiple entry visa and I moved to Chiang Mi. They helped me find a house to rent, took care of my work permit, gave me free Thai language lessons, Free Lanna Thai culture and history classes. They paid my expense when I had to leave every 90 days and reenter with a letter stating they guaranteed me while in Thailand for the first year and gave me the proper paperwork to get my second non imm multi entry visa and took care of everything again.

 

I am now on a retirement visa and visit the University often. They just offered me a teaching job again but I like the retirement visa so cannot teach. They should allow qualified English teachers to work with a retirement visa. Lots of us retired teachers living here and we would be dedicated long time employees. What a shame.

I'm in the same position you are. I loved teaching,had plenty to offer my students in experience and ability. I possess a PHD in Law and certainly qualified to teach. Like you, I have a retirement visa and would love to return to the teaching ranks but as you say the visa rules that apply prevent.

 

 

You think you are qualified to teach what, exactly, because you have a PhD in Law?

 

I hope the answer is not "English language".

[simondan]

I would love to work here legally teaching English, but I'm on a retirement visa, and I am very aware of the numbers of illegal English teachers here. Given this crackdown, wouldn't it be a good idea to provide work permits to those of us on NON-IMM (ED or Retirement) visas, and perhaps also subsidise students who wish to learn. We could clear up the English language problems easily in a year and then Thailand would not be an embarrassment within the ASEAN/AEC. Or is that all too easy?

'We could clear up the English language problems easily in a year'
Are you serious?? Really? A year?
And easily too!
Can I have some of what you've been smoking?

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[GAZZPA]

"it could be local language schools that end up suffering most ..."

 

The one's who end up suffering the most will be those who have, in most cases knowingly, gamed the system to their own benefit.

 

With a few hundred baht investment, the language schools can be transformed into travel agencies or Ramen noodle shops. The visa run buses can be used to take people to Pattaya Beach or to pet drugged tigers. The cadre of English teachers can flip burgers or clean toilets back in their home countries. The economy will continue to rebound and displaced Thai workers will find employment producing more cars or more hard-drives. The better language schools will need to assist qualified native speakers to get proper documentation and end up charging more for their services. Bus loads of tourists will still arrive and some of them will get it in their heads that this would be a great place to have a holiday home and/or retire.

 

These prophets of doom have no idea how resilient the local economy and the people are. Just because layabouts in the nanny states  are on the dole in ever increasing numbers when some hiccup occurs in those economies, it's assumed everyone is going to roll over and die  here if  skint farangs on over-stay are rooted out and otherwise unemployable border runners (aka economic refugees) have to become a burden to some other country.

 

This author's father probably predicted that the doom and gloom for the buggy whip manufacturers when the horse and carriage were replaced by the automobile would bring the world economy to its knees.

 

Even in good times and even in the best economies in the developed world, small business have a high attrition rate. Life goes on. Culling the losers makes the survivors stronger.

 

 

Why are you using such an offensive tone on this issue? There are many decent and legitimate teachers here earning less then their potential teaching English to the natives.

 

Thailand has made this problem for itself. It is very well documented that the official business language for the new Asean region will be English and Thailand is way behind many other countries and actually scores very low in its English language skills. This is a serious handicap for Thailand as businesses that want good, International people to represent their companies may find a skills shortage in Thailand and will likely employ elsewhere such as the Philippines where English language skills are much higher. You say culling the losers makes survivors stronger, well you may be right and at the moment Thailand looks to be a likely loser. - Cheaper labour in neighbouring countries, easier laws for investment and better language skills,, doesn't look great for LOS does it.

 

People who do use the visa run system are not breaking the law by the way. They are only breaking the law IF thy work in Thailand on a tourist visa. However as I sad before the schools employment methods don't accommodate following the law in many cases. So, what do English teachers do? I am fairly sure that anyone teaching English wold much father have a  legitimate visa organised by their employer then have to keep playing games on visa runs.

 

So, in the scenario of teachers Thailand could tackle this problem in a different way. Maybe they could offer an amnesty for all teachers who are employed on a tourist visa to apply for a work permit with no penalties,, and maybe even offer the schools a reduced rate to process teacher applications for say a 1 -3 month period. This would solve the working issue very quickly. After which they can slowly enforce the "quality" side of the teaching to improve standards. There are many other things they can do to try and find a solution to this problem, after all there are not enough locals with the skills to improve the countries English language skills.

 

So, as I said Thailand created this whole scenario themselves, it wasn't foreigners necessarily looking for loopholes in the system, it is just the way it has been for so very long. Suddenly the current Junta wants to wave a magic wand, fix everything and send a message to everyone without really thinking the consequences through or at the very least looking at alternative solutions.

 

I have seen so many mixed messages on this topic of visas over the last week it looks to me like even the junta is unsure what to do really. Firstly it was a hammer approach, 24 hour reporting, carrying your original passport, then it was no thats wrong, don't worry, and now its the school teachers being attacked,,

 

So, for all of the teachers out there who are working for crap salary, good luck to you. Hope that the current administration does see sense and create an scenario that benefits everyone, including Thailand.

[retarius]

Who wants to work for 35-45000 a month? With a degree? Not me that's for sure.

[jimpthai]

Am I missing something here?  This guy has been working illeagaly for 5 years, and abusing the immigration system in a foriegn country. I don't think it is appropriate to trivialise this kind of law breaking and portray this guy as some kind of victim because he now considers Thailand 'his home'. If he pulled that kind of move in another country and got caught, he'd be detained, deported and blacklisted in a instant - why should we regard Thailand as being any different? Laws are laws, and foriegners should  respect the laws of a foriegn country, and not seek sympathy if they do break the law and get caught.

 

"Laws are laws!"  That is and has always been one of the most infantile, narrow-minded, self-righteous, and dangerous decrees the world has known!  There is such a thing as de facto law! If the bending of a written law is tolerated, moreover encouraged by the government, as has been the case for decades in the matter of misuse of tourist visas, then it becomes an accepted mode of operation, regardless of what the written law says. Many of Thailand's immigration regulations are unworkable if enforced to the letter of the law. The are so many "catch-22s" it's ridiculous. But that is the way it has been because that has been the way it has been.  Those who have been following a previously accepted process should not be abruptly prosecuted or persecuted by the almighty TV senior members, who happen qualify for accepted long-term visas just because of their age, marital status, or financial position. At this moment in my life I'm not hurt by these sudden changes, as I am a qualified teacher with a degree in English education. I'm lucky enough to work for a legit agency who does the pile of paperwork every year to keep my "non-B work visa" intact. However, I know many who are better teachers than I am, who do not qualify under the letter of the law to get a non-B visa, so are using the border-run method of staying in Thailand to be of service while enjoying life in "the land of smiles". And I sympathise most for those (under 55) who love Thailand and therefore choose to split their time between Thailand and their homeland. 

Edited August 3, 2014 by jimpthai

[PJcm]

 

 

It is time that Thai kicked out all the low end farangs skiving off the country. good riddance to them

Behonset, you have your head where the sun never shines ! Have you seen the hundreds of thousands of indian and middle eastern lowlife that the tourism authorities seem to think is a good idea to attract ? I personally see nothing wrong with an english speaker doing a few teaching jobs here to try and make ends meet. Far better this than an english teaching school nearby where I could not even understand the english spoken by the thai national english teacher. Think of the end result, a double bonus, the thais learn how to speak english correctly and the farang has a little more spending money. Shame on you !

 

 

Right.

 

It seems that quite many people don't seem to realize that one can't teach a language just because he/she speaks it.

 

I am tired, sooo tired, of all those 'teachers' who think they are qualified to teach a language just because they are native English speakers. Reason why noone will cry for all these 'teachers' is because they are completely useless and incompetent as 'teachers'.

 

My wife speaks basic English and wanted to learn more.

 

Out of 8 'teachers' that she went through over the course of a year (some 'private' ones, some in language schools) only teacher from British Council (one around Silom, if I remember correctly) was actually worth something. Hell, he was an amazing teacher, that had structured classes and was actually doing real teaching and she really was excited about those classes.

 

All the others - every single one of them - had no books and/or no plans, they wanted to teach my wife English by "talking to her". Never mind the grammar and all that other funny stuff. None of them were qualified to be a teacher, although they lied about that in ads (and even through 'word of mouth' advertising/recommendations). They, literally, lied. Then hoped/presumed noone would ask. I am not sure whether teacher in BC was qualified either, but he certainly was completely different league than all the others and was very very competent.

 

I didn't learn my language by talking to my parents or friends. I learned it in school, and proper/qualified teacher was involved in that process.

 

Seems such concept is unknown to many English 'teachers' in Thailand.

 

So yeah, I will be happy if they go away.

 

You did learn your language at your mother's knee, you heard the nursery rhymes the songs the books that were read to you, that gave you the basics and why you're a native speaker.  150 years ago few people could read or write but they could speak their native tongue.  That said glad you found a competent teacher and I agree that teaching a language to a non native speaker requires training and skill. not the ability to speak it.

[RaysFan]

I never understand why so many people are so happy to see these articles... happy about them cracking down on visas... happy all the internet workers will be gone... happy all the "terrible non-degree" teachers will be gone... Why does it make you so happy? So many people marry a Thai bar girl, after they got a divorce and then they hate all farang... They hate that other farang are in "their" country... Get off your high horses.

 

As for teachers... They are not teaching college physics, chemical engineering or rocket science illegally. They are native English teachers teaching extremely basic English to kids. Do you guys really hate them that much? Someone please please please please explain to me how someone with a BS degree in art history, political science, history, engineering, business.... or countless other fields is better at teaching extremely basic English to kids than another native speaker. 

 

Its the personality that matters when teaching foreign kids English, not your level of education. 

Edited August 3, 2014 by KennyN

[DP25]

I also think that the native speaker requirement is given to much importance. Teaching ability and actual English fluency should be the key factors, not where someone was born.

Very few Thais are capable of evaluating whether a non native speaker is fluent in English. Most public schools in Thailand don't have anyone remotely qualified to do so. Most Thai English teachers speak English at a very basic level, many can not hold even a basic conversation, they have no way to assess the English ability of a foreigner.

[GAZZPA]

 

 

It is time that Thai kicked out all the low end farangs skiving off the country. good riddance to them

Behonset, you have your head where the sun never shines ! Have you seen the hundreds of thousands of indian and middle eastern lowlife that the tourism authorities seem to think is a good idea to attract ? I personally see nothing wrong with an english speaker doing a few teaching jobs here to try and make ends meet. Far better this than an english teaching school nearby where I could not even understand the english spoken by the thai national english teacher. Think of the end result, a double bonus, the thais learn how to speak english correctly and the farang has a little more spending money. Shame on you !

 

 

Right.

 

It seems that quite many people don't seem to realize that one can't teach a language just because he/she speaks it.

 

I am tired, sooo tired, of all those 'teachers' who think they are qualified to teach a language just because they are native English speakers. Reason why noone will cry for all these 'teachers' is because they are completely useless and incompetent as 'teachers'.

 

My wife speaks basic English and wanted to learn more.

 

Out of 8 'teachers' that she went through over the course of a year (some 'private' ones, some in language schools) only teacher from British Council (one around Silom, if I remember correctly) was actually worth something. Hell, he was an amazing teacher, that had structured classes and was actually doing real teaching and she really was excited about those classes.

 

All the others - every single one of them - had no books and/or no plans, they wanted to teach my wife English by "talking to her". Never mind the grammar and all that other funny stuff. None of them were qualified to be a teacher, although they lied about that in ads (and even through 'word of mouth' advertising/recommendations). They, literally, lied. Then hoped/presumed noone would ask. I am not sure whether teacher in BC was qualified either, but he certainly was completely different league than all the others and was very very competent.

 

I didn't learn my language by talking to my parents or friends. I learned it in school, and proper/qualified teacher was involved in that process.

 

Seems such concept is unknown to many English 'teachers' in Thailand.

 

So yeah, I will be happy if they go away.

 

Ok, fair point. there are probably a lot of crap people teaching English.

 

But, there will also be a lot of good ones and right now Thailand will lose those if its not careful at a time (with the Asean approaching) when it needs to urgently improve its English standards. So, better they legitimise what exists now and keep something rather then encourage mass migration and lose everything.. A level of quality control can be introduced once this side of it is fixed so that they can keep the good teachers they have.