Is a Thai culture course certificate still necessary?

[Sunderland]

I have searched online for up-to-date information about this. All I came across was a Filipino website with some vague information about courses being run this year. Having searched online I found that one such course was being run out a Kindergarten school in the middle of a housing estate in eastern Bangkok. 

 

I also discovered that Kurusapa have nothing posted on their Facebook page about the Thai culture course since February 2015 ... yes, 2015. Furthermore, I couldn't find anything up-to-date on their website about the need to do this course.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Kurusapa-Thai-Culture-Training-355665751195131/

 

http://site.ksp.or.th/home.php?site=englishsite

 

There were reports in April of a possible plan to cancel the Thai culture course. I know it was only Bangkok Coconuts' website, but did anything result from this?

 

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/04/04/why-oh-wai-officials-consider-cancelling-thai-course-foreign-teachers

 

 

I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has done the course this year or has been asked for a Thai culture course certificate in order to process a work permit. I actually did the course about 7 or 8 years ago, and it was a waste of time. However, that is not the point here, since I am trying to find out on behalf of a group of fellow teachers who have never done the course.

 

Thank you very much.

[Preacher]

Yes, it is still needed.

 

Look here:

http://site.ksp.or.th/content.php?site=englishsite&SiteMenuID=1888&Action=view&Sys_Page=&Sys_PageSize=&DataID=309

 

Gives a list of approved organisations to give a cultural course.

[BruceMangosteen]

It's not a waste of time if you participate and try to gain some knowledge and insight. I'd estimate about 25 percent were doing this at the course I went to. The remaining were just there to meet the requirement and some even slept and a few men were there in shorts and sandals. Disgusting. Give and you will receive the intended benefits. It should be required along with a drug test and a real background check including interviewing neighbors and University professors at the stated University said applicant attended. These are children we are talking about said teachers being alone with. Would you let foreigners come into your country and hit and abuse your children? Heck no. O O and God Bless the Children, and protect them as well. O O

[Khon Kaen Dave]

When i finished my TEFL,one of the certificates certified that i had been given a short culture course.This was shown on a sheet of the school's paper which was issued alongside my TEFL certificate. In 6 months i was informed that this was not good enough and that 16 universitys were being licensed to carry out 3 day seminars on Thai culture.One was Mahidol University in BKK.A colleague signed up fro one through our school and we went on the course.It was 8,000 baht,but it was well worth it.We were given breakfast and lunch every day and we had good quality lecturers. There was 30 of us.The certificates were sent to the school about a week later,and they were of excellent quality.

We had to take an exam at the end of the course,in the afternoon,of the last day and were informed of our result at 5 pm the same day.Only 6 failed. The course was thorough,even to the point of teach us  how men and ladies should sit and rise to maintain Thai custom.

i would advise the OP to contact Mahidol Uni and ask about the courses,as they are still a teaching requirement.

Warning.

There are still some unscrupulous schools around who will tell you they are qualified and accepted by the authorities to issue Culture certificates.

They are not.A few of my friends tried to get them cheaper through schools,there is one school in Pattaya who advertises the certificates but its a con,be careful.

[smotherb]

1 hour ago, BruceMangosteen said:

It's not a waste of time if you participate and try to gain some knowledge and insight. I'd estimate about 25 percent were doing this at the course I went to. The remaining were just there to meet the requirement and some even slept and a few men were there in shorts and sandals. Disgusting. Give and you will receive the intended benefits. It should be required along with a drug test and a real background check including interviewing neighbors and University professors at the stated University said applicant attended. These are children we are talking about said teachers being alone with. Would you let foreigners come into your country and hit and abuse your children? Heck no. O O and God Bless the Children, and protect them as well. O O

While I agree a Thai cultural course as well as a thorough background check should be a requirement for teachers--although I'd wager there would be plenty of vacancies if those who could not pass the background check would be fired--I do not agree with your disgust at someone attending a class in shorts and sandals. Thai culture is changing, especially in dress-related norms. It's very obvious if you simply look at the apparel worn by locals in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, the PI and most other Asian countries; then compare them with Thailand. I live in Hatyai, hardly the most western-oriented city in Thailand, yet I see wealthy Thai businessmen and women wearing shorts and sandals when out for dinner, shopping, at the movies, etc. I speak at Rotary meetings and Executive MBA classes; and lo and behold, some even wear shorts and sandals there. Long-sleeved shirts, ties and jackets, long pants, socks and full leather shoes, or Wellington boots in the tropics, please?  It took the Brits how many years and how many lives to realize that perhaps red was not the best color for military apparel--and, I believe the Brit military even issued shorts as uniform, did they not? Sure, there is a place for "proper" dress, but proper dress is not always a suit.   

[GanDoonToonPet]

This site has a lot of information:

 

http://www.thailandteaching.asia/forums/qualifications-courses.7/

 

Be aware that you now need a work permit & at least a post graduate diploma in education to take the course.

[lostinisaan]

4 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

This site has a lot of information:

 

http://www.thailandteaching.asia/forums/qualifications-courses.7/

 

Be aware that you now need a work permit & at least a post graduate diploma in education to take the course.

 

               Thanks for sharing.  Indeed a great source for information on this topic.                                                                                     

[muzmurray]

17 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

This site has a lot of information:

 

http://www.thailandteaching.asia/forums/qualifications-courses.7/

 

Be aware that you now need a work permit & at least a post graduate diploma in education to take the course.

 

I can not see any posts on that forum that categorically state the above ?

[allane]

It is true, and there is a post on that forum which gives a reference to a govt, regulation passed a couple of years ago. Dig a little deeper, and you might find it. I can't be bothered trying to do it for you. I am travelling right now, and don't have my diary with me. When I get home on Sun., I will look in my diary, where I think I can easily find it. Then I will post something here. Send me a Private Mail if I forget.

[muzmurray]

Read the "Applicants qualifications" in their brochure and you will see that it is not necessary to have an Education degree.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxhAxVQMoGW4TGh5WGdENnZPSm8/view

[GanDoonToonPet]

24 minutes ago, muzmurray said:

Read the "Applicants qualifications" in their brochure and you will see that it is not necessary to have an Education degree.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxhAxVQMoGW4TGh5WGdENnZPSm8/view

 

Read it again. It clearly states that it is necessary, unless the OP has a teaching licence from abroad or has passed the (now defunct) TCT tests.

 

Quote

Applicant’s Qualifications
1. Be at least 20 years of age,

2. Have documents showing permission to practice the teaching profession from the Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT),

3. Hold a bachelor’s degree in Education or equivalent, or any

other degrees acknowledged by the Teachers Council of Thailand, OR

 

Hold other degrees and a Teaching license from abroad, or a graduate diploma in Education with 1- year course of study, OR

 

Hold other degrees and have passed the teaching profession courses provided by an educational institution certified by TCT, or a higher education institution accredited from the Public Sector or an eligible professional organization. Credit transfer is
not less than 24 credits.

 

4. Have a copy of passport or other documents showing
legal immigration and is still valid to stay in Thailand
not less than 6 months from the day of the training
application.

 

5. Have a copy of work permit in Thailand and is still
valid during the training period.
 

 

Far Eastern University's course has exactly the same requirements in their brochure:

 

http://www.thailandteaching.asia/threads/chiang-mai-thai-culture-course.61792/

[quandow]

I've been teaching in Thailand for five years, I've never taken the course.

[muzmurray]

17 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

Hold a bachelor’s degree in Education or equivalent, or any

other degrees acknowledged by the Teachers Council of Thailand, OR

 

The way I read that is, or any other degree that the TCT says is OK.

[allane]

Further to my Post #9 above:

Only those with a B. Ed. (or equivalent) are admissable to the Thai Culture Course. "Regulation of the Teacher's Council of Thailand, Vol. 131. Part Special (sic.) 149 D, p. 15, Govt. Gazette, August 7, 2014.

I obtained this information from the website referred to in Posts 6 - 8 above.

While I suppose that the TCT is always able to waive this regulation, it is hard to see why they would want to relax it very often, or by very much. Significant and/or frequent relaxation would make a mockery of the idea of professionalization of the Thai teaching force.