I have been teaching at an international school in Bangkok since October 2013 but have not yet been on the Thai Culture Course. The school organise my work permit and visa renewal, and this is coming up next month. I am getting worried that the fact that I haven't done the culture course is going to be an obstacle to renewing my paperwork. Can anyone advise please?

You don't need it. It's only required for tct waiver. Private schools no worries.

You don't need it. It's only required for tct waiver. Private schools no worries.

The culture course is mandatory for the teacher license and for the next provisional teaching permit. The TCT requirements apply to any school, government, private or international, that are basic education schools according to the National Education Act AD 1999 or BE 2542.

My understanding is that you will need one for an international school, but seeing as you more than likely have an educational credential they'll give you a waiver again. Culture courses are up and running again so see if your employer can send you to one sometime during your next contract.

...if they are not worried...you should not be..unless they do not plan on renewing

Hello,

I've been teaching at a private school on my 1st waiver now.

I'm actually thinking of moving to another school next year,

when I'll still have 1 year left on my 1st waiver.

Will it be possible for me to cancel my 1st waiver and get the

2nd waiver from TCT when I've landed a new job with a new

school next year? Will there be any other requirements for my

2nd waiver? Will I have to do the Thai Culture Course for it?

Thank you.

Edited October 25, 201510 yr by Too

I certainly don't envy anyone having to do that course. It was the worst educational experience of my life, totally soul destroying. The lecturers didn't know their subject and they taught ethics as if they were a Thai creation. Couldn't fault the food though

I certainly don't envy anyone having to do that course. It was the worst educational experience of my life, totally soul destroying. The lecturers didn't know their subject and they taught ethics as if they were a Thai creation. Couldn't fault the food though

Stop bashing, please. My first ( and that one isn't worth the paper it's written on ) Thai Culture Awareness Course was paid by an agency.

A whole weekend in a nice hotel with two pools, a gym, finest food and a lot of alcohol wasn't that bad.

One "professor" couldn't make it on Sunday, so his replacement explained the difference between Somtham Laos & Thai style.

The one waitress was from Sisaket and really hot and lonely.

Sad was that the one female agency employee landed in the pool, having her very expensive cell phone in her pocket.

You could learn how to speak Welsh and it was great fun to see the River Kwai and so many foreign Kwais at the hotel.

One couldn't make it and I had a whole room only for me. Took a few years to find out that this course is in no way accredited by the TCT.

But I have to say that some foreigners do need something like a Thai culture orientation course when you see how some people here behave.

WE've all learned a lot, the agency must have paid a lot and most of the "teachers" must have had terrible hangovers.

You don't need it. It's only required for tct waiver. Private schools no worries.

The culture course is mandatory for the teacher license and for the next provisional teaching permit. The TCT requirements apply to any school, government, private or international, that are basic education schools according to the National Education Act AD 1999 or BE 2542.

I stand corrected

Thank you all for your replies. In the end I got a second two year waiver as, apparently, the cultural course has been suspended since April as they wanted to make some changes. As I have been living in Thailand for 10 years and am married to a Thai, I don't expect to learn anything from the course - we're not really supposed to- it was a clever wheeze a few years ago by the education department to make another handsome profit at the expense of education and educators from the fees involved - but it's an occupational hazard and I'm going to have to do it at some point.

lostinisaan: Your post is somewhat confusing, though quite amusing. I'm not quite sure what learning Welsh has got to do with it. I am a Welsh speaker but I don't think the Welsh language is going to be considered a great asset by the Thai authorities...

lostinisaan: Your post is somewhat confusing, though quite amusing. I'm not quite sure what learning Welsh has got to do with it. I am a Welsh speaker but I don't think the Welsh language is going to be considered a great asset by the Thai authorities...

Don't worry. Lostinisaan is German.

Edited November 3, 201510 yr by aidenai

lostinisaan: Your post is somewhat confusing, though quite amusing. I'm not quite sure what learning Welsh has got to do with it. I am a Welsh speaker but I don't think the Welsh language is going to be considered a great asset by the Thai authorities...

Don't worry. Lostinisaan is German.

Thanks for the flowers.

Thank you all for your replies. In the end I got a second two year waiver as, apparently, the cultural course has been suspended since April as they wanted to make some changes. As I have been living in Thailand for 10 years and am married to a Thai, I don't expect to learn anything from the course - we're not really supposed to- it was a clever wheeze a few years ago by the education department to make another handsome profit at the expense of education and educators from the fees involved - but it's an occupational hazard and I'm going to have to do it at some point.

Congrats on your 2nd waiver, which is a great encouragement for us.

Congrats

Has anyone obtained a license without the course? LICENCE

Maybe married or been here since forever?

Thank you all for your replies. In the end I got a second two year waiver as, apparently, the cultural course has been suspended since April as they wanted to make some changes. As I have been living in Thailand for 10 years and am married to a Thai, I don't expect to learn anything from the course - we're not really supposed to- it was a clever wheeze a few years ago by the education department to make another handsome profit at the expense of education and educators from the fees involved - but it's an occupational hazard and I'm going to have to do it at some point.

Congrats on your 2nd waiver, which is a great encouragement for us.

I have no illusions that they are going to make great changes to the structure of the course - most probably the changes will be to teh fee structure and most importantly who gets them now that the men with guns are in control of the purse strings.

Congrats

Has anyone obtained a license without the course? LICENCE

Maybe married or been here since forever?

I have a full teacher's license and have never taken the course. I've been here forever.

Congrats

Has anyone obtained a license without the course? LICENCE

Maybe married or been here since forever?

I have a full teacher's license and have never taken the course. I've been here forever.

You must have been grandfathered. i.e. Working as a teacher before 2003.

Yes, sort of grandfathered. Although I met all the qualifications, for a variety of reasons which I don't fully understand it took them many, many years to grant the actual license. This was handled by the school, but about 3 years ago, I was asked to supply my transcript again. They had the old one which had actually faded to the point where they couldn't read it any longer. It was submitted in 1997 and it was old when it was given to them.

They were putting other teachers through the same hoops. I have no idea what that was all about, but about 1 and 1/2 years ago (not exactly sure when), all were given a full license.

The Scott and Aidenai

Scott, that was so long ago not pertinent, but thx.

I'm really hoping to avoid that "course".

Edited November 22, 201510 yr by Mencken

I just sat the course this weekend. Color me unimpressed. School paid I do feel rather bad for people who had to travel in, stay in a hotel, and pay for it themselves.

I just sat the course this weekend. Color me unimpressed. School paid I do feel rather bad for people who had to travel in, stay in a hotel, and pay for it themselves.

That indicates that the course is up and running again. Where was the course located Aarontendo? And if you dont mind saying, how much did it cost?

It's being run by four organizations:

Burapaha University (Chonburi)

Far Eastern University (Chiang Mai)

Private School Teachers Association of Thailand (Bangkok)

Institute for the Promotion and Development of Teachers and Edu Personnel (Bangkok)

Course was around 4,500 if I recall. To be honest the visa folks at my school sorted it out so I didn't handle much of that. I did mine here in Bangkok. We had a lot of folks travel in for it, as from what I heard the Chonburi one that was set up recently filled rather fast.

It's being run by four organizations:

Burapaha University (Chonburi)

Far Eastern University (Chiang Mai)

Private School Teachers Association of Thailand (Bangkok)

Institute for the Promotion and Development of Teachers and Edu Personnel (Bangkok)

Course was around 4,500 if I recall. To be honest the visa folks at my school sorted it out so I didn't handle much of that. I did mine here in Bangkok. We had a lot of folks travel in for it, as from what I heard the Chonburi one that was set up recently filled rather fast.

Our 'visa folks' are completely inept, which is the reason I'm trying to sort it out for myself. As I live in Bangkok, I guess the 'Private Teachers Association of Thailand' are the body to contact.

To Arrontendo:

Which organization organized the course you attended. Can you provide contact information for them ? Thank you.