Teaching in Thailand as a dual-citizen

[Tai777]

I'm a dual citizen ( Thai-USA) and I was wondering how this changes things if I am trying to teach English.

Obviously I don't need the visa, can I manage to get hired with just an associate's degree?

What kind of licenses do I need?

[thesetat2013]

I have a friend in the same situation as you. She is half thai and half indian. She studied in the USA with a bachelors degree. Every job she applied for as a teacher did not see her as an indian national taught from a western school. All they saw was that she was half thai. Although her english was impeccable she could not get a single offer as a teacher that compared to a foreigners salary. She was told she needed to take the same thai teachers test as all of the other thai teachers. She was hired in this fashion with a temp teachin position or assistant teacher without a license. Holding a thai passport made so visas were not needed. However, durin her jobs she was required to take side courses to show she was preparing herself for a thai teachib license.

I hope this helps you. She is now just teaching at tutoring schools out of shear frustration.

She was also never offered money more than what a normal thai teacher makes. Your best bet would be to hide the fact you are half thai and have a thai passport. Use an agency that doesnt care about your degree. You will get more money and less hassle

Edited July 14, 2015 by thesetat2013

[Tai777]

How about at a private, non-government school? Isn't it easier there?

[Rhys]

They can and will do hire you based on Shades of colors..

[MatteoBassini]

If you look up "Teach English in Thailand" or something along those lines around the internet, the job requirements are "Native English Speaker" and a Bachelor's Degree (in any field). I know, it's stupid to have a Bachelor's degree as a requirement to teach English on 20,000 baht a month but it's an easy and lazy way for employers to do their job.

What that means to me is that if you apply saying (in the resume) you have a Thai citizenship, the school will automatically throw it away because they think a Thai citizen doesn't know how to speak English properly (even if your resume had flawless grammar).

[casualbiker]

I've had several friends who are Thai Americans. They have had no problems teaching here at Western foreign teacher salaries BUT both used their US passports. It makes a difference!

[smotherb]

They can and will do hire you based on Shades of colors..

They will at least try. My wife is a Filipina, but she has US citizenship, graduated from a US high school and college. She teaches at NES wages. However, there have been schools that wanted to pay her Filipino wages. Tell your friend to stick to her guns, rattle her American, and show her US education credentials.

[SlyAnimal]

Without a bachelor degree you're not legally allowed to teach at schools, as you won't be eligible for a Thai teacher's licence.

In saying that, a lot of schools aren't really fussed about teaching licences, and technically take advantage of the grey area of "Assistant teacher" positions.

As for whether they'd give you a job or not, as others have suggested, draw attention to the fact that you're American, as most schools specifically want foreigners because they're foreign.

[tonray]

If you look up "Teach English in Thailand" or something along those lines around the internet, the job requirements are "Native English Speaker" and a Bachelor's Degree (in any field). I know, it's stupid to have a Bachelor's degree as a requirement to teach English on 20,000 baht a month but it's an easy and lazy way for employers to do their job.

What that means to me is that if you apply saying (in the resume) you have a Thai citizenship, the school will automatically throw it away because they think a Thai citizen doesn't know how to speak English properly (even if your resume had flawless grammar).

That 20,000 baht number is bogus and I wish people would stop throwing it about. A NES with a bachelor's degree will make somewhere between 30 and 35 at the low end and 42 at the high end if very fortunate. Nobody is teaching with a Bachelor's degree for 20 K.

[MatteoBassini]

If you look up "Teach English in Thailand" or something along those lines around the internet, the job requirements are "Native English Speaker" and a Bachelor's Degree (in any field). I know, it's stupid to have a Bachelor's degree as a requirement to teach English on 20,000 baht a month but it's an easy and lazy way for employers to do their job.

What that means to me is that if you apply saying (in the resume) you have a Thai citizenship, the school will automatically throw it away because they think a Thai citizen doesn't know how to speak English properly (even if your resume had flawless grammar).

That 20,000 baht number is bogus and I wish people would stop throwing it about. A NES with a bachelor's degree will make somewhere between 30 and 35 at the low end and 42 at the high end if very fortunate. Nobody is teaching with a Bachelor's degree for 20 K.

I went to school here in Thailand and I saw most of my teachers being paid 20,000 a month and they all have bachelor's degrees. So I'm not making anything up.

If you don't believe me, go apply for a school in Pattaya called B.E.S.T Burapha, and if by any chance they're looking for a teacher, your salary will be around 20,000.

Edited July 15, 2015 by MatteoBassini

[nahkit]

I have a friend in the same situation as you. She is half thai and half indian. She studied in the USA with a bachelors degree. Every job she applied for as a teacher did not see her as an indian national taught from a western school. All they saw was that she was half thai. Although her english was impeccable she could not get a single offer as a teacher that compared to a foreigners salary. She was told she needed to take the same thai teachers test as all of the other thai teachers. She was hired in this fashion with a temp teachin position or assistant teacher without a license. Holding a thai passport made so visas were not needed. However, durin her jobs she was required to take side courses to show she was preparing herself for a thai teachib license.

I hope this helps you. She is now just teaching at tutoring schools out of shear frustration.

She was also never offered money more than what a normal thai teacher makes. Your best bet would be to hide the fact you are half thai and have a thai passport. Use an agency that doesnt care about your degree. You will get more money and less hassle

Both of my children (who have dual citizenship) were brought up overseas in the British education system. Both of them have faced the same problems as you describe above, two weeks ago my daughter was told at a job interview that she wasn't "a real farang" and offered 20k a month.

Very frustrating when I personally know several NES teachers with fake papers who are earning 35k a month. I don't hold any grudges against them, they are just getting by whatever way they can.

Not sure how you can hide the fact that you are half-thai when your facial features are Thai and you speak the language.

[Tai777]

Well, I don't look very Thai so that part should be ok for me

[casualbiker]

I have a friend in the same situation as you. She is half thai and half indian. She studied in the USA with a bachelors degree. Every job she applied for as a teacher did not see her as an indian national taught from a western school. All they saw was that she was half thai. Although her english was impeccable she could not get a single offer as a teacher that compared to a foreigners salary. She was told she needed to take the same thai teachers test as all of the other thai teachers. She was hired in this fashion with a temp teachin position or assistant teacher without a license. Holding a thai passport made so visas were not needed. However, durin her jobs she was required to take side courses to show she was preparing herself for a thai teachib license.

I hope this helps you. She is now just teaching at tutoring schools out of shear frustration.

She was also never offered money more than what a normal thai teacher makes. Your best bet would be to hide the fact you are half thai and have a thai passport. Use an agency that doesnt care about your degree. You will get more money and less hassle

Both of my children (who have dual citizenship) were brought up overseas in the British education system. Both of them have faced the same problems as you describe above, two weeks ago my daughter was told at a job interview that she wasn't "a real farang" and offered 20k a month.

Very frustrating when I personally know several NES teachers with fake papers who are earning 35k a month. I don't hold any grudges against them, they are just getting by whatever way they can.

Not sure how you can hide the fact that you are half-thai when your facial features are Thai and you speak the language.

Don't speak the language at the interview and only provide the UK passport! Not really so difficult!

[dean008]

Don't rely on being thai and saying you do not need a work permit, visa.... and then expect to be treated as an NES

[BudRight]

If you look up "Teach English in Thailand" or something along those lines around the internet, the job requirements are "Native English Speaker" and a Bachelor's Degree (in any field). I know, it's stupid to have a Bachelor's degree as a requirement to teach English on 20,000 baht a month but it's an easy and lazy way for employers to do their job.

What that means to me is that if you apply saying (in the resume) you have a Thai citizenship, the school will automatically throw it away because they think a Thai citizen doesn't know how to speak English properly (even if your resume had flawless grammar).

That 20,000 baht number is bogus and I wish people would stop throwing it about. A NES with a bachelor's degree will make somewhere between 30 and 35 at the low end and 42 at the high end if very fortunate. Nobody is teaching with a Bachelor's degree for 20 K.

I went to school here in Thailand and I saw most of my teachers being paid 20,000 a month and they all have bachelor's degrees. So I'm not making anything up.

If you don't believe me, go apply for a school in Pattaya called B.E.S.T Burapha, and if by any chance they're looking for a teacher, your salary will be around 20,000.

I think think no one believes you would find anyone so stupid to work for that. This is half as much as a prison guard in Mexico.

[Tai777]

It may be absurdly low but most Thais I know make less than 20kbaht/mo.

Most Thais I know with BAs make about 9,000-18,000 baht/mo which is absurdly low for someone with a degree

[casualbiker]

It may be absurdly low but most Thais I know make less than 20kbaht/mo.

Most Thais I know with BAs make about 9,000-18,000 baht/mo which is absurdly low for someone with a degree

I don't know that many Thais but the ones that I do know their salaries range from 9,000 baht (unskilled) to 80,000 baht. With most in the 25-35k bracket.

[Loaded]

It may be absurdly low but most Thais I know make less than 20kbaht/mo.

Most Thais I know with BAs make about 9,000-18,000 baht/mo which is absurdly low for someone with a degree

The last democratically elected government made 15,000 THB/month the minimum salary for graduates.

[SlyAnimal]

The last democratically elected government made 15,000 THB/month the minimum salary for graduates.

Graduates working for the government in civil servant positions.

E.g. To the best of my knowledge, the temporary staff at my school (e.g. Annual contracts as opposed to lifetime civil servants), all of whom have bachelor degrees, only receive around 8000 THB per month, or there abouts (From memory the "starting rate" for them is 7900).

They do it though to simply have a job in their hometown, and each year they take the civil servants exam in the hope of being assigned to a school in our province/district as a civil servant. It's difficult applying for our district, but they keep coming back each year, as if they apply for an easier district, it'd mean they'd have to leave their family behind (and probably live in a shack in the sticks for 3+ years while they wait for a transfer).