Yet another bod wanting t teach English in Thailand post, help really appreciated though please guys

[ldb123]

Hi there,

I have been trawling the forum for some time now and im getting a little closer to having to make a decision about my future but havent found the answers so i hope you wont mind me asking your valuable opinions please.

I, like many others want to come to Thailand to teach English, i am aware i need a BA to do this, although i have read that it will soon need to be a B.Ed, is this correct?

What my quandary is, do i go for the English BA which is £5500 and possibly struggle as i dont find it particularly interesting but am aware it may help me when im out there or do i go for BA History, which i will find more interesting but it is £12500, both of these are through The University of London and are online degree's, id also like to know if that University is recognised out there.

Either way i go i intend moving out in 3-4 years time depending on how long it takes me to get the degree and aim to stay out there indefinatley, 10, 15, 20 years +

im aware it may be down to individuals taste but welcome any comments.

Thanks for your time,

Lee

[jdinasia]

There's honestly no telling what the situation will be in 3-4 years.

[ldb123]

if it means i've got to get a B.Ed then i don't think i've got it in me where as a BA might just about be

[jdinasia]

I would not plan on moving here in 4 years with just a BA. In today's market the BA in English would be a better choice.

[ldb123]

crikey, they really are stiffening up the criteria then

[jdinasia]

crikey, they really are stiffening up the criteria then

Nobody really knows what is happening this year much less in 4 more years.

I don't work for an OBEC school (my school is far more exclusive - only 1 in 200 students who apply are accepted) and submitted zero academic credentials. I got my annual extension in less than 20 minutes from immigration.

Most teachers work for OBEC schools and have more hoops to jump through.

[Mencken]

This is all just pie in the sky. It is very possible that no jobs will exist for westerners in four years. Between the toughening, vague, expensive and ridiculous standards to Skype and technology to ASEAN and an onslaught of Filipino workers willing to live here indefinitely at 15k a year (four yrs from now).

You'd really do yourself a disservice by: obtaining a BA in English, planning a "career" in the dodgy intl business of TEFL, moving to Thailand to persue any sort of job.

It is questionable whether a person would ever see a return on their TEFL cert let slone their degree in pursuing such folly.

You would be better off managing a McDonald's as a career choice.

The people that are in this gig, by and large fell into it. Thete is such a low barrier to entry that people who csnnot even score 700 on aTOEIC are hired here.

Then there in the hassles with the unscrupulous schools snd sketchy agencies and the dodgy head teachers. If you field all that and still find yourself actually pocketing the princely 30k promised, you then must deal with the two waivers rule.

But hey, good luck with it.

[elVagabundo]

PLEASE do NOT spend a very large sum of money and 3-4 years of your life to become a teacher in Thailand....

1) Most people who teach here do so for a short while and then move on. It is not something many people make a real career out of.

2) As other posters have already stated, it will take a very long time just to even make your money back.

3) Unless you have already spent time here teaching, you really have no idea what you are getting yourself into. Why spend years and $$$ on something you don't even know if you will like???? Get a degree in something that interests you, something that you might be able to turn into a career where you are from.... Thailand should really be more of a vacation, gap year, or last resort...

4) It really doesn't matter what your degree is in to teach here. All that matters is that you have one. If you really are determined to do this, follow your interests and study history anyways... it won't matter too much what your undergraduate degree is in.

5) I don't know how old you are, but I know that my interests going into University were TOTALLY different from those when I graduated. Don't base your future off of something you MIGHT be interested in doing.

I guess I'm just trying to say that you should follow your heart, but make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground.

Definitely spend some time in Thailand (and do some work here too!) before you make a decision like this. After some time, it could turn out that you hate teaching... or it could be that you love teaching, but that you don't like teaching in Thailand... Lots of possibilities...

Edited March 14, 2015 by elVagabundo

[ldb123]

Wow! Thanks for your replies.

Why is it so bad being a teacher in Thailand, ive heard theres corruption etc but is it really that bad? Fyi im 40 next month, i thought if i teach abroad for the next 15 years i cant rent my flat out the proceeds of which go into a bond and when i hit 55 i can either quit or just teach part-time and take it easy..

It was kinda like my retirement plan.. but sounds like i might have to re-think it?!?