Farang/ newbie preparing for Thailand...

[sunsetdreaming]

I finish my English degree this summer (UK) 2017. I've been reading up a lot about Thailand, culture, life, integration etc and love the idea. I've been looking at teaching English... there are a lot of TEFL/TESOL/CELTA etc qualifications and companies to choose from. 

 

One that has caught my eye is 'TEFL HEAVEN', they offer guaranteed jobs to students with a degree? Though they give you a 3-week training course - TEFL - it is not accredited or is done so internally I believe.

 

Another is 'I-to-I Tefl'... with them, I could either do the internship same as above, but with the added bonus of the qualification being accredited or I could do an online TEFL with them, plus 20-hour classroom training and apply for teaching jobs myself in Thailand.

 

Ultimately, my question is this... How did all you wonderful people end up in Thailand? specifically, those teaching. Was it difficult to get a job offer? especially applying from the UK?

 

Additionally, I have a partner, he doesn't have a degree... I think he would have to do visa runs... are these still common? I think a degree is required to teach in Thailand, however, without one, you can teach part time? I'm unsure on this.

 

If anybody could take the time to reply, I'd, of course, be hugely grateful. 

 

David

[muzmurray]

Just to answer a couple of your points.

Any accreditation that a TEFL course has is worthless, if it is a recognised course that you want then do the CELTA preferably with the young learners module.

Applying for normal jobs whilst in UK is pointless, the schools want to see you and normally want you to start ASAP. (Hiring seasons are Oct and March generally).

It is possible to work without a degree in a language centre, but highly doubtful that your partner would get a work permit for part-time work.

Doing visa runs and border hops is viable for maybe 18 months, but will become onerous and expensive.

I am just guessing but I think that you are a same sex couple and Thailand does not acknowledge these, even if you were married, so your partner will not be able to "piggy-back" your extensions of stay.

Best option visa wise, is that you both apply for a Multi-Entry Tourist Visa, (METV) while you are still in your home country, this will give you nearly 9 months stay if used correctly. But do not apply for it too early, try to get it the week before you come as this will maximize the length of time you can use it.

[ifjsrussell]

Firstly (speaking as a teacher working in a Government school in Phuket). A CELTA qualification is certainly one of the most internationally accepted qualifications, and if you can afford to do one then it's a good choice. However for teaching here in Thailand as long as you take a 120 hour TEFL course that includes real class room teaching practice you will have no trouble at all satisfying the educational criteria for teaching in a government school and getting the necessary work permit and visa. Finding a job is easy, but do it from within Thailand. Expect a salary of around 30,000 baht on average. For you and your partner to live comfortably on this income will be difficult unless you don't mind going without any western style luxuries. For your partner I'd suggest looking at registering at a language school to learn Thai to get an ED visa. Single entry tourist visas are also an option these give up to 90 days stay (including the 30 day extension) before doing a visa run. This option is feasible for a year or so before becoming problematic. The multi entry visa METV I would suggest is virtually impossible to get (look up the requirements they are very onerous)

Hope that helps

[muzmurray]

10 minutes ago, ifjsrussell said:

Firstly (speaking as a teacher working in a Government school in Phuket). A CELTA qualification is certainly one of the most internationally accepted qualifications, and if you can afford to do one then it's a good choice. However for teaching here in Thailand as long as you take a 120 hour TEFL course that includes real class room teaching practice you will have no trouble at all satisfying the educational criteria for teaching in a government school and getting the necessary work permit and visa. Finding a job is easy, but do it from within Thailand. Expect a salary of around 30,000 baht on average. For you and your partner to live comfortably on this income will be difficult unless you don't mind going without any western style luxuries. For your partner I'd suggest looking at registering at a language school to learn Thai to get an ED visa. Single entry tourist visas are also an option these give up to 90 days stay (including the 30 day extension) before doing a visa run. This option is feasible for a year or so before becoming problematic. The multi entry visa METV I would suggest is virtually impossible to get (look up the requirements they are very onerous)

Hope that helps

 

Just to clarify a little, there is absolutely NO need for a TEFL/CELTA to obtain a visa/extension of stay or work permit.

[ifjsrussell]

In order to get a job teaching in a government school unless you have some form of teaching degree (BEd PGCE for UK) you certainly do need some additional teaching certification. CELTA/TEFL satisfies the requirement. That's my understanding and has been the written requirement in all jobs I have seen advertised.

. Do yo mean once you have a job it's not a requirement for visa and work permit? Well yes that may be true, but not helpful, as you do need one to be offered the job in the first place.

[ubonjoe]

Since the primary part of the topic is about qualifications to teach here I am moving this to the teaching in Thailand forum.

 

Since you partner will not qualify for an extension as your dependent they should try to get a multiple entry tourist visa ( METV) to start with. The METV will allow unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date of issue. By doing an entry just before the visa expires and getting a 30 day extension it is possible get a total stay of about 9 months. After that they could get single entry tourist visa from nearby consulates that will allow a total stay of 90 days.

[muzmurray]

13 minutes ago, ifjsrussell said:

In order to get a job teaching in a government school unless you have some form of teaching degree (BEd PGCE for UK) you certainly do need some additional teaching certification. CELTA/TEFL satisfies the requirement. That's my understanding and has been the written requirement in all jobs I have seen advertised.

. Do yo mean once you have a job it's not a requirement for visa and work permit? Well yes that may be true, but not helpful, as you do need one to be offered the job in the first place.

 

There are many schools that will hire a degree holder without a TEFL, it is only a requirement if the school wants it, and many many do not.

Your understanding is wrong, do not confuse what you read on a job advert with what the school will actually accept.

 

[puchooay]

There is absolutely no requirement for TEFL/CELTA or any other qualification. I have never seen a government school turn someone away because they don't have one.

 

In fact I only know of one teacher that actually has one.

[muzmurray]

23 minutes ago, ifjsrussell said:

In order to get a job teaching in a government school unless you have some form of teaching degree (BEd PGCE for UK) you certainly do need some additional teaching certification. CELTA/TEFL satisfies the requirement. That's my understanding and has been the written requirement in all jobs I have seen advertised.

. Do yo mean once you have a job it's not a requirement for visa and work permit? Well yes that may be true, but not helpful, as you do need one to be offered the job in the first place.

 

"Firstly (speaking as a teacher working in a Government school in Phuket)"

 

You should also not be on a "retirement visa/Non-OA"  ;-)

[ifjsrussell]

 

"Firstly (speaking as a teacher working in a Government school in Phuket)"

 

You should also not be on a "retirement visa/Non-OA"  ;-)

With respect what are you talking about? No one mentioned a retirement visa. Not that it is any of your business I have a Non B visa with extension and a work permit.

I shall leave the conversation now and let you regulars carry on giving out odd advice. For the record having some form of teaching qualification is the official ministry requirement

[muzmurray]

1 hour ago, ifjsrussell said:

 

With respect what are you talking about? No one mentioned a retirement visa. Not that it is any of your business I have a Non B visa with extension and a work permit.

I shall leave the conversation now and let you regulars carry on giving out odd advice. For the record having some form of teaching qualification is the official ministry requirement

 

 

Yes, you did back in March, when you said you were going to get a retirement visa :-)

 

You can not have a visa and an extension of stay, it is one or the other  :-)

 

Please stop giving incorrect info, there is no requirement for any form of teaching qualification to get a waiver from TCT.

[chowny77]

A TEFL was good back in 2005 without the need for a degree but it gave people the experience of what a classroom environment would be like. It is now kind of redundant. Now there is CELTA which is just an add on of doing a TEFL. The schools themselves do not really care if you have a degree or not, it's immigration for the Non B extension and the TCT for issuing a waiver. If I were you I would not waste your money on doing a TEFL or CELTA course unless you really want to try it to see if you can stand up in front of a class and teach. You have a degree and that will be enough and you can apply from your home country but when you arrive what they said over skype may not be what the deal will be when you arrive in person. Your partner I presume will know how to converse and has the basic ability in English..........of course he does. So he should have no problem getting a job in a private language center or he could enroll to learn Thai, but make sure it is a recognised language school, otherwise he would have problems with getting the ED-visa. At the end of the day if you can get a few years of a Thailand experience good for you and go for it!!

 

[nausea]

You need a degree and an accredited TEFL course to get a good job in Thailand (c.50, 000 baht). Without you're probably gonna end up on 30, 000. 50, 000 allows you a few luxuries, 30, 000 is survival level. If you have any ambitions to buy a house or start a family come to Thailand for a couple of years then go home. Nobody comes to Thailand to make a career. It's an elephants' graveyard. 

 

[muzmurray]

3 hours ago, nausea said:

You need a degree and an accredited TEFL course to get a good job in Thailand (c.50, 000 baht). Without you're probably gonna end up on 30, 000. 50, 000 allows you a few luxuries, 30, 000 is survival level. If you have any ambitions to buy a house or start a family come to Thailand for a couple of years then go home. Nobody comes to Thailand to make a career. It's an elephants' graveyard. 

 

 

No you don't and any accreditation of a TEFL course is at best only valid in the issuing country.

[fireplay]

,z

[Loaded]

I'm always amazed at the number of people suggesting it's better to step into the classroom without any classroom training. A TEFL isn't a legal requirement, but a good training course will make teaching so much more enjoyable and satisfying. There's high turnover of people without any training arriving on a Sunday, starting work on Monday and leaving on Tuesday.

 

 

[otherstuff1957]

There are two levels of "legal requirements" needed to teach in Thailand.  A Tefl certificate of any kind is not needed to meet either of those levels, but would be a good idea in terms of preparing yourself to teach.

 

Level 1:  A 4 year degree in any subject and completing the Thai culture course will get you a 2 - year waiver, which is permission for an unlicensed teacher to teach in Thailand.  This waiver is good for one school only, so if you change schools you must get a new waiver for that school.  In theory, only 2 waivers will be issued to an individual, but due to the rather random decision making at the TCT (Teacher's council of Thailand), that might be 1 waiver or 3!

 

Level 2:  A current teaching license from your home country or an MEd/Post Grad Dip/PGCE in Teaching from a university that is recognized by the Thai MOE.  The Thai MOE seems to recognize most overseas accreditation, but not all courses offered in Thailand seem to be accepted!   These are the requirements to get a 'real' teaching license in Thailand that is good for 5 years and will be accepted at every school.

 

So, if you are just planning to come here and have fun for a year or two, get a CELTA with the young learners module, which will give you a rough idea of what to expect in the classroom, and apply for a waiver.

 

If you are serious about coming here long term, get your teaching license in your home country, work for a couple of years there and then you can get a real jog at an International School here.

[TEFLKrabi]

A TEFL is certainly worth is as long as it gives real classroom experience with feedback. If you plan to stay here then consider CELTA in the future. Any degree plus a 100+ hour TEFL will prepare you. Good luck. It can be a really fun life.

[Michael8511]

On September 3, 2016 at 8:29 PM, ubonjoe said:

Since the primary part of the topic is about qualifications to teach here I am moving this to the teaching in Thailand forum.

 

Since you partner will not qualify for an extension as your dependent they should try to get a multiple entry tourist visa ( METV) to start with. The METV will allow unlimited 60 day entries for 6 months from the date of issue. By doing an entry just before the visa expires and getting a 30 day extension it is possible get a total stay of about 9 months. After that they could get single entry tourist visa from nearby consulates that will allow a total stay of 90 days.

There is no date of issue on my METV it's only a enter before date that is 1 year from the date I picked up my visa. So my enter before date on the visa is August 1/2017. It say here that anytime before your enter before date you can enter as many times you like. What date should I go by?

[BlindMagician]

Aim "high", for the higher end quality international schools, not the 110% Thai traditional schools.

Consider seriously your career track and motivation.

 

Otherwise, you might just have a poor existence free long holiday, but no substantial valued track record, and fall on the scrap heap of life as "oh, he is one of those type of English teachers is he".

 

But as I'm not an English teacher, I'll let those guys and gals fill you in.

 

Best of luck.

[bark]

On 4/9/2559 at 11:11 AM, muzmurray said:

 

Yes, you did back in March, when you said you were going to get a retirement visa :-)

 

You can not have a visa and an extension of stay, it is one or the other  :-)

 

Please stop giving incorrect info, there is no requirement for any form of teaching qualification to get a waiver from TCT.

Sorry to get between this fight; but how can you remember, something from March ?

Good memory dude.

[bark]

7 hours ago, Loaded said:

I'm always amazed at the number of people suggesting it's better to step into the classroom without any classroom training. A TEFL isn't a legal requirement, but a good training course will make teaching so much more enjoyable and satisfying. There's high turnover of people without any training arriving on a Sunday, starting work on Monday and leaving on Tuesday.

 

 

This explains why Thai kids are below, most of the world, education wise.

This is like the Uk sending prisoners to Australia 100 + years ago.

No offense to today's Aussie. Great country, good people. 

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Michael8511 said:

There is no date of issue on my METV it's only a enter before date that is 1 year from the date I picked up my visa. So my enter before date on the visa is August 1/2017. It say here that anytime before your enter before date you can enter as many times you like. What date should I go by?

Are you sure the issued a Tourist Visa because the new multiple entry Tourist Visa is only valid for 6 months? The 'enter before' date should be 6 months from the date the visa is issued.

Multiple Entry Non Immigrant Visas are valid for 1 year so maybe that's what you've got.

 

If you've been issued with a METV that's valid for 1 year I suggest you contact the Embassy/Consulate that issued it to check if it was a mistake. If it was a mistake I have no idea where you stand.

 

If you post a picture of the visa someone can confirm what you have.

[csabo]

Google ajarnforum

[Rod Gold]

Forget everything you have heard and read about Thailand.  Your real education begins when entering the country and will continue until either you die or move on.  Good Luck, try to go with the flow of things, do not equate everything that annoys you to your home country, count your change, and protect your ass-ets. 

[pbeieio]

Stop calling yourself a "farang"  then you won't come across  as ignorant and stupid!!! 

[mankondang]

Quote

 

" Another brick in the Wall...."

[Suradit69]

On 9/4/2016 at 9:12 AM, ifjsrussell said:

 

With respect what are you talking about? No one mentioned a retirement visa. Not that it is any of your business I have a Non B visa with extension and a work permit.

I shall leave the conversation now and let you regulars carry on giving out odd advice. For the record having some form of teaching qualification is the official ministry requirement

 

 

"... I have a Non B visa with extension and a work permit. "

 

You either are either here on a visa entry or you have an extension of stay, you can't have it both ways. An extension is an extension of your permission to stay, it is not an extension of a visa.

 

Makes one wonder how credible your information about teaching requirements is.

[manxninja]

How many have actually got a degree?

 

I taught English for a number of years, without any qualifications at a local school. When i left the income was 40,000 per year. (baht).

 

Its not qualifications that count, you cant teach how to be a teacher, its there or it is not.

 

My tip is keep yourself to yourself and dont let on to other regarding qualifications ect.

 

Enjoy the country and all the best.

[how241]

Good Luck !