Expat: Private teaching at home

[Tara1948]

I'm an expat living in Thailand with a retirement visa and would like to teach English to a child at home? Do I need a work permit? I was told that I'm allowed to teach up to 5 pupils at home without a work permit, is that correct?

[Lite Beer]

You need a work permit which you will not get with retirement status.

[zeichen]

You need a work permit to do any work. You cannot get a work permit on a retirement visa. Finally, there is no legal way even with a work permit to teach students privately in your home. A work permit only permits you to legally work for the company/schools/agency. You cannot do outside work. You would need to register a business language school have separate rooms for teaching.

All in all it is pretty sketchy to teach students in one's home. Don't do it, especially without other people in the house.

Protect yourself at all times.

[lostinisaan]

Dear Op. I;m sorry, but I've never ever heard that anybody had a problem when tutoring some kids. If you decide to teach them at your place, I don't think that you'll face any problems.

BTW, it's a nice opportunity when retired. Just give it a try, don't upset anybody and you'll be fine. The laws in this country also say that you need to have a driver's license.

But why do most Thais don't even have one and just pay 200 baht, when they get caught?

Litebeer and Zeichen,. have you ever heard about a retired guy, who got busted tutoring some kids privately and got deported, or anything similar?

[brewsterbudgen]

Every teacher I know teaches "privates". Don't draw attention to yourself (e.g. advertise) and don't piss off any parents and you should be able to stay under the radar.

[rajyindee]

You need a work permit to do any work. You cannot get a work permit on a retirement visa.

Generally speaking - true. But some folk manage it.

[zeichen]

Again forum rules prohibits discussing or encouraging illegal behavior. The OP was asking about the legal way and stated there isn't one.

However you are right. In the 15 years that I have lived and worked here I have only met a few people that have been hassled.

I will definitely stand by my comments of never teaching in your own home especially if there isn't a special room just for studying and there are other adults in the house with you. There have been a few huge and very publicized stories some were true some were later proven false. True or false accusations ruin your career for life.

I will never work for a school that doesn't have CCTV in the classrooms. It is a valuable tool.

Personally, I would leave teaching to professionals but since there are so few and mostly cowboys, you wouldn't be doing any more harm than many others.

[Suradit69]

Dear Op. I;m sorry, but I've never ever heard that anybody had a problem when tutoring some kids. If you decide to teach them at your place, I don't think that you'll face any problems.

BTW, it's a nice opportunity when retired. Just give it a try, don't upset anybody and you'll be fine. The laws in this country also say that you need to have a driver's license.

But why do most Thais don't even have one and just pay 200 baht, when they get caught?

Litebeer and Zeichen,. have you ever heard about a retired guy, who got busted tutoring some kids privately and got deported, or anything similar?

"Litebeer and Zeichen,. have you ever heard about a retired guy, who got busted tutoring some kids privately and got deported, or anything similar?"

Plenty of old guys get "busted" for finding an excuse to lure children into their homes. If you want to do this (illegally), at least do it at the kid's home where your "tutoring skills" are easily observed.

[lostinisaan]

Dear Op. I;m sorry, but I've never ever heard that anybody had a problem when tutoring some kids. If you decide to teach them at your place, I don't think that you'll face any problems.

BTW, it's a nice opportunity when retired. Just give it a try, don't upset anybody and you'll be fine. The laws in this country also say that you need to have a driver's license.

But why do most Thais don't even have one and just pay 200 baht, when they get caught?

Litebeer and Zeichen,. have you ever heard about a retired guy, who got busted tutoring some kids privately and got deported, or anything similar?

"Litebeer and Zeichen,. have you ever heard about a retired guy, who got busted tutoring some kids privately and got deported, or anything similar?"

Plenty of old guys get "busted" for finding an excuse to lure children into their homes. If you want to do this (illegally), at least do it at the kid's home where your "tutoring skills" are easily observed.

When I tutor at home, I always make sure that my wife's around. Sorry, didn't really think of so many child molesters.

You really scared the shit out of me with your post that "plenty of old guys get busted for finding an excuse to lure children into their homes".

So, only older guys lure children into their houses? Can you back this up, please?

Unfortunately,, I do have a work permit for a particular school. But that doesn't include some "extra tutoring." So I'm also tutoring illegally.-

.

Edited October 5, 2014 by lostinisaan

[umbanda]

Monks at my temple asked if I can teach English to them.........for free...I am not a native speaker...but I said yes and was ready to do it...one time a week. Before my first class....village's people started coming to my house to ask me about teaching also to them because they heard about......I rushed to the immigration office asking for advice. Answer....I am on a retirement extension..I cannot do it without changing and getting a WP. I send an e-mail to the Labor Dept asking about..no response. I am not teaching at the temple, in my house, anywhere....no way. Sorry.

Edited October 5, 2014 by umbanda

[lostinisaan]

Monks at my temple asked if I can teach English to them.........for free...I am not a native speaker...but I said yes and was ready to do it...one time a week. Before my first class....village's people started coming to my house to ask me about teaching also to them because they heard about......I rushed to the immigration office asking for advice. Answer....I am on a retirement extension..I cannot do it without changing and getting a WP. I send an e-mail to the Labor Dept asking about..no response. I am not teaching at the temple, in my house, anywhere....no way. Sorry.

What else would an Immigration officer tell you? C'mon, that sounds like waking up sleeping dogs.

I taught so many teachers, ordinary folks in my wife's village. One of them was a Sergeant Major of the RTP.

Do you really think you'd get problems teaching these monks once a week? Most people at the DOL don't speak, read, or write in English.

And even if you'd take a Thai person to them, they'd have to tell you that you're not allowed doing so, as there're certain regulations they have to follow. Of course would they say no.

They also have their laws, but would they do something, even when somebody would tell them that you teach some monks?

Yes, you certainly need a work permit to tutor, or teach English, but this is Thailand.

I held a three day seminar, for the whole staff of our educational area xx office, my school belongs to. In the end , it was also illegally.

I taught the whole staff of the tourist police within school hours, when I had time off. It was illegal.................

The staff of a bank, located in the same town where I'm teaching at a primary school wants me to teach them English.

I'll do it without even thinking about doing something illegally. Just don't upset Thais who're running a language school and you'll be fine.

BTW, is there anybody out there who knows of a guy who got caught tutoring "illegally"?

Edited October 5, 2014 by lostinisaan

[brianp0803]

Completely legal you can't do even volunteer work without a work permit

Legally can not tutor outside what is listed on your work permit.

What is commonly practiced is very different.

My first job in Thailand I was sent to young teenage girls home to teach English.

Every time the parents welcomed me and took me to the daughter's room with the air conditioning on and never returned until the lesson was over.

Never a problem but I would never do again

[Scott]

I knew a teacher who was employed by a school. He was illegal -- no degree, no work permit, no teacher's license, worked on a Tourist visa. He also tutored some of the children at the school, including the daughter of someone who worked for immigration!

[F4UCorsair]

Every teacher I know teaches "privates". Don't draw attention to yourself (e.g. advertise) and don't piss off any parents and you should be able to stay under the radar.

The OP will inevitably 'pi $$ off parents', real or perceived, and he'll be retired in Cambodia. Not worth the risk in my opinion.

[laolover88]

I have 'conversations' with monks. Very mutually instructive.

[Moonlover]

Nothing wrong with 'talking to people' and throwing in the odd correction here and there. I used do this when I was staying in China. I'm sure even a professional language teacher would agree, the best way to learn a language is to use it. It was good fun and I 'earned' the occasional dinner as a treat. I'm sure one doesn't need a work permit to have a 'friendly chat'.

[srn89]

Not allowed to work either paid or unpaid is the ruling

[Robert2006]

Monks at my temple asked if I can teach English to them.........for free...I am not a native speaker...but I said yes and was ready to do it...one time a week. Before my first class....village's people started coming to my house to ask me about teaching also to them because they heard about......I rushed to the immigration office asking for advice. Answer....I am on a retirement extension..I cannot do it without changing and getting a WP. I send an e-mail to the Labor Dept asking about..no response. I am not teaching at the temple, in my house, anywhere....no way. Sorry.

The rules are the rules; you didn’t think you were going to be “allowed” to help some people learn English did you? You forgot that you must consent being “extorted” first. It's more than fair, just pay the cost and use your time to get a work permit then you can help these people learn. There are expenses to pay, income must be generated for the administration, it doesn’t matter that you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart for free. The government crafted these rules to "protect the people" from this type of “evil” activity, these rules exist for the good of the people.

It's absurd; if it wasn’t so sad it would be funny.

[mikehock]

I'm an expat living in Thailand with a retirement visa and would like to teach English to a child at home? Do I need a work permit? I was told that I'm allowed to teach up to 5 pupils at home without a work permit, is that correct?

So you're a retired english language teacher.

Oh .... youre just a nice guy who speaks english and thinks that automatically makes you qualified to teach.

Well.firstly ...yes ..without a work permit its illegal. ....if you want to break the law...and get caught. ..there are consequences..

you may regret it

And secondly ...leave teaching to professionals..

You want to help..find the child a good english teacher.

[tezzainthailand]

A good option is to approach local schools and offer your teaching services voluntarily. Primary (Pratom) schools are preferable to High (Matayom) schools. Having taught in Issan for example, I found the best age group to teach are the 8-13 year age group. The kids in that age group like to have fun, so make fun the key ingredient of your lessons, if you have a theatrical inclination then give them a song and dance lesson, they will go crazy at that and love you for it. Under 8 kids are okay but you will probably be given very simple lessons ('a' for apple, 'b' for bear, 'c' for cat)that are not exciting if you are someone who likes a challenge. The 14 and over age group can be bored (you know what teenagers are like), often rude, turn up late, but the better students in that age group are usually found in the /1 classes (1/1, 2/1, 3/1 etc.) and usually the experience of teaching this group is an enjoyable one. You can still win over the other classes of bored and rude students, but you will need a lesson out of left field to win them over. I gave a class on a dramatic theme, a 'bank robbery', it was a gamble but the students normally bored out of their brains loved it and happily came up to the front of the class to act the various parts (police, robbers, etc.).

Now once you have established yourself as a teacher of quality go for home tutoring, but do it discreetly, 6-8 students maximum, two week nights, 90 minutes maximum, give a free 1 hour lesson and free feed every second Saturday morning. Win over the students and their parents. It can be done, work permit or not. Chok-dii!

[lostinisaan]

Now once you have established yourself as a teacher of quality go for home tutoring, but do it discreetly, 6-8 students maximum, two week nights, 90 minutes maximum, give a free 1 hour lesson and free feed every second Saturday morning. Win over the students and their parents. It can be done, work permit or not. Chok-dii!

​Oh my god. How theatrical that sounds. "Two week nights," 90 minutes maximum", and "free feed every second Saturday morning."

You really sound like the founder of a new religious group. Hare Krishna.

[Strangebrew]

Look if you think teaching is not work then do it you will find out soon enough. Maybe you better teach yourself english this has been going on here for long time. If you work you need work permit. if your on retirement status then you can't work understand? Simple Black and white.

[lostinisaan]

Look if you think teaching is not work then do it you will find out soon enough. Maybe you better teach yourself english this has been going on here for long time. If you work you need work permit. if your on retirement status then you can't work understand? Simple Black and white.

Have you really read the posts., especially the # 13? You're just another keyboard warrior, posting opinions without knowing too much about it.

Which sounds strange, Brew.-

BTW, it'a a colorful world.

Edited October 7, 2014 by lostinisaan

[Tara1948]

Thank you all very much for your different comments. As it happens I am a retired English language teacher and all I wanted to do was help a small child with his homework. My husband read your answers and has strictly forbidden me to do anything at all. So pls stop your comments now and everybody is happy but the child.

[alanferdi]

Every teacher I know teaches "privates". Don't draw attention to yourself (e.g. advertise) and don't piss off any parents and you should be able to stay under the radar.

The OP will inevitably 'pi $$ off parents', real or perceived, and he'll be retired in Cambodia. Not worth the risk in my opinion.

LTDS - all this fuss about work permits for a good gesture from a fellow human being and being penalised!!!!

It tells a lot about the system and their attitude to non Thais - you have the right to remain (in the country) and the right to shut up. So put your rational charity contribution to the next generation.... - LET them die Stupid!!!! educated under the umbrella...sssssssssh dont ask questions simply follow! yeah if you are here to retire...forget about hobbies and rational integration into a society.... stay silent stay at home and simply follow for those on the drink... fill up your fridge and those with skills forget your sill imaginative efforts to help people. This country does not promote that... they want you to sponsor someone to do nothing for the cause and get paid.

[petedk]

Your work permit allows you to teach at the place stated (usually your school). Any teaching outside that area is considered illegal.

My university sends me to companies to teach as it is more convenient for the staff of the company to study on their own premises than to come to my university. Strictly speaking this is illegal.

I also do work for a few other universities. (again illegal)

I have also taught a group of policemen (illegal)

I think that the authorities (immigration or whatever) seem to close a blind eye to English teachers as long as we don't make problems.

However, like everything else in Thailand this could change tomorrow, so for now I'd say teaching at home is Ok.

[brianp0803]

Were you planning to teach for money or because you have free time and enjoy teaching?

As stated before it is illegal to do any work(even volunteer ) without work permit.

All those teachers you see tutoring in coffee shops and MacDonald are working illegally.

Most teachers I know tutor atudents illegally after school.

The previous poster mentioned illegally teaching police.

Some teachers have part time job at language schools after school and weekend. Also illegal.

Thai people don't think about us legally needing work permits. They just want to learn.

Rumor is most language school teachers are part time and no work permit and working illegal.

Teaching 5 students in your home starts to look like a small school and may be problem. Maybe you were told under 5 students didn't need a business license.

Not encouraging illegal activities but mentioning common activities I observe in Bkk.

Issan is probably more casual.