Job Discussion Forums

[Latvietis]

Hey everyone,

Wanted to know how easy/difficult it is to land a university position in Thailand. Given my situation, minimal hours are essential, as is the work permit and stipend for accommodation. Lower salaries are fine with me. These positions sound perfectly tailored to what I'm looking for, but are they easily attainable? Should I show up in Bangkok in person to apply or email resume's beforehand?
I have two Masters degrees (History and International Peacekeeping), 3 years teaching experience abroad, and TEFL certification.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!

[EFL Educator]

Hello there,

Yes university positions are attainable.....just choose which university or college you wish to apply to and send off your resume. Agreed salaries are very low at most Thai universities but hours are minimal so you will have a lot of time to do other part time teaching elsewhere. I expect you will find most (if not all) university teaching jobs in Bangkok. You might also check out ajarn.com for vacancies. Good luck!

[JosephP]

[sojourner]

OP,

If you are looking for a reasonably easy uni job, and have trouble in landing one in Thailand, you might want to consider China.

Many threads to this forum have mentioned that to get a job in Thailand it's better to be there, going from door to door, and being available for a face-to-face interview.With respect to China, one normally applies outside of China - the process merely involves emailing one's resume + academic certificates + references to the uni, followed by a short phone interview .

Yes, Thailand is a much nicer place than China; but, you need to consider a few things.Another poster mentioned that in Thai unis, the teaching load is not too heavy.However, other threads have mentioned that in Thai unis one is required to remain on campus after classes.The teaching loads are also very light in China, but one normally is not required to hang about the place after finishing his/her teaching duties.

It would appear that the uni salaries in both countries are roughly the same. However, in Thailand it would seem, that unis normally don't provide any rent-free accommodation or airfare reimbursement.These are things that Chinese unis normally provide.

In my current job, I teach for only a total of 10.5 hours per week,just three days pw ( have Monday morning, and all-day Wednesday, Friday and weekends free), along with a rent-free-flat, free utilities and an airfare reimbursement of 10 K RMB. Also, the cost of living, esp with respect to eating out and buying beer, is below that of Thailand.

Something else to ponder.With your academic qualifications, you might be asked to teach interesting subjects such as Western Culture, English-Speaking Societies and Newspaper-Magazine Reading, not just the more usual Oral English.During my time in China, I've taught all of those subjects, as well as Intercultural Communication, Business English, Management and Marketing.One good thing about teaching in the Chinese uni sector is that one , normally, is given a lot of freedom in what/how you teach ( Although you are not expected to raise certain "controversial" issues in class !)

I hope that you can find a good uni job in Thaland.Otherwise, consider China.

Good luck !

Peter

PS: Did you eventually get a job through Westgate ( in Japan) ? If so, how did it turn out ?

[Spelunker]

Not good at the moment because of the visa troubles. Lots are leaving and vowing to never come back. Also the low pay and rising inflation makes it no longer worth it, imho But each to their own. Is this no accomodation thing at public schools everywhere in thailand? Renting is a hassle!!

[sojourner]

OP,

I'm attaching an earlier thread in which I made a contribution : http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=85821&highlight= . Take note of the post made by "PattyFlipper" ( 7th December 2010) re the attitudes of many Thai employers ( including unis), and the unlikelihood of finding a job with very short hours/long vacations in Thailand. Do a check of earlier posts by "PattyFlipper" re the attitudes of Thai employers.

Peter

[Latvietis]

Thanks everyone for the insight, nice to have advice from those in the know...

Unfortunately, China is not an option at the moment - for reasons that don't need mentioning, I will be based in Bangkok for the foreseeable future regardless...

1) Bangkok uni's - You teach 10-15 classes per day, but there seems to be disagreement on whether you have to STAY on campus for the entire day, or you can leave? Any consensus on this issue?
2) Is there a "peak" hiring season for uni's? Should I be emailing my credentials several months in advance or is last minute hiring more common place?

Again, thanks to all for your contributions...

[JosephP]

[Latvietis]

Geez, sorry typo! 10-15 class per WEEK

[Spelunker]

Any apartment included in this ?

[RiverMystic]

[EFL Educator]

Hello there,

I would recommend Thammasat University in North Bangkok Khlong Luang area...it's on Rangsit Road...they offer a good package. Assumption College is also a nice place to work in central Bangkok,,,and wages are better too. Good luck!

[Latvietis]

Any recommendations on best times to apply for university positions? Would I be correct in assuming that jobs (uni's) are hard to come by in the middle of the semester??

[JosephP]

[Solar Strength]