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Teaching in Bangkok.....Questions?

 
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Hale



Joined: 20 Apr 2012
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:04 pm    Post subject: Teaching in Bangkok.....Questions? Reply with quote

Ok so I have a year until my PGCE starts in London..
The weather and job prospects are currently horrible here so I am thinking about a flight to Bangkok in mid September. (as I was told that's the best time to come and look?)

My Questions are...

When does the new term start 1st of November? That mean's I'll be there 6 weeks without work.
Best way to look for a job? Get a list of schools, hire a taxi, dress formally, smile and bring my CV?
If I get accepted how long will my contract be for....I can't do a full year since I have to return to do a PGCE.....Can I break the contract....yes I know it's morally wrong....or just work until April perhaps?
Also I have an interview for my PGCE probably in January...Will the school give me a week off to attend?

If anyone has any advice....I would appreciate it thanks Wink
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plumpy nut



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:04 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching in Bangkok.....Questions? Reply with quote

Hale wrote:
Ok so I have a year until my PGCE starts in London..
The weather and job prospects are currently horrible here so I am thinking about a flight to Bangkok in mid September. (as I was told that's the best time to come and look?)

My Questions are...

When does the new term start 1st of November? That mean's I'll be there 6 weeks without work.
Best way to look for a job? Get a list of schools, hire a taxi, dress formally, smile and bring my CV?


That will work, or you can go to places like ECC or Berlitz and apply there
Hale wrote:
If I get accepted how long will my contract be for....


I assume 1 year.

Hale wrote:
I can't do a full year since I have to return to do a PGCE.....Can I break the contract....yes I know it's morally wrong


It's not morally wrong in Thailand. They will break your contract at the slightest inconvenience as you just might find out.

Hale wrote:
Also I have an interview for my PGCE probably in January...Will the school give me a week off to attend?


Most likely yes, although you might come back to find that your job is taken by someone else, or they might give you the yes and terminate you the day before you set out for your interview. Contracts or counting on somebody means nothing in Thailand.
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Hale



Joined: 20 Apr 2012
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice to see all the positive aspects of Bangkok Laughing
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Hale



Joined: 20 Apr 2012
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's great getting such good advice from burnt out disillusioned teachers in Thailand......Won't be long until I am one and I can offer my services Laughing
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lightchina



Joined: 07 Jan 2012
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:29 pm    Post subject: Teaching in Thailand Reply with quote

I was interested in teaching in Thailand. It seems you must come to the country to receive positions.

How long does it take to receive an assignment?
How many nights of accomodations will you need to prepare for?
Is transportation on your own to these schools?
Are the students in Thailand interested in learning English?
When is the best time to come to Thailand for work?

I would appreciate any information.

lightchina Question
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Mr. Kalgukshi
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Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.

PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Frivolous and otherwise inappropriate postings have been deleted. If you have nothing helpful and substantive to offer, then please don't contribute anything. If the inappropriate postings continue, there will be sanctions. These can include permanent banning along with one's ISPs.
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tttompatz



Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:18 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching in Thailand Reply with quote

lightchina wrote:
I was interested in teaching in Thailand. It seems you must come to the country to receive positions.

1) How long does it take to receive an assignment?
2) How many nights of accommodations will you need to prepare for?
3) Is transportation on your own to these schools?
4) Are the students in Thailand interested in learning English?
5) When is the best time to come to Thailand for work?

I would appreciate any information.

lightchina Question


1) IF you have a degree and a passport from an anglophone country it only takes a week or 2 to get a job.

If you do not have a degree it will depend a lot more on you, your English skills and your ability to impress since you won't get legal work anyway. (The degree is a requirement for the visa and work permit).

If you do not have a passport from an anglophone country then you also need a TOEIC score of 600+ or an IELTS score of 5.5+.

2) Plan on paying for your own accommodation. Typically, schools do NOT supply housing.

3) Yes.

4) In your average language academy = no.
In your average government school = no.
In a bilingual or EP program = maybe but it is not the top of their priority list.

5) Mid April to mid May is the period with the largest number of jobs on offer and fewest number of applicants to compete against.
Dec - Feb is the worst time with the least number of jobs on offer and the largest number of applicants (typically backpackers looking to extend their stay in the sun).

.
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time to teach



Joined: 03 Feb 2011
Posts: 73
Location: Bangkok

PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 12:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hale wrote:
It's great getting such good advice from burnt out disillusioned teachers in Thailand......Won't be long until I am one and I can offer my services Laughing

I just finished a short stint in Bangkok and these are my experiences, observations, and recommendations regarding teaching in Bangkok:

I think one of the keys to staying off the burned out and disillusioned teachers� list in Bangkok is trying things out, learning from our mistakes, and finding the right fit for ourselves as teachers.

My wife and I arrived in late May and rented an apartment for three months. Within two days I had a part-time job at a private training center, and within two weeks I was teaching full-time at a government school. I quit my job at the government school after one month without notice and my language school gig after two months with notice. In my 50-something expat�s view, you can quit a job in Bangkok anytime you want, as long as you have a backup plan and it doesn't shoot a fatal hole in your CV.

My plan is to go back to China. Bangkok is a great place to teach for a lot of people, but it isn�t the right place for me. I think Bangkok is better suited for younger teachers who have the energy and drive to pull 40-hour public, private, and government school shifts and moonlight at language schools weeknights and weekends. Bangkok has a lot to offer those looking for fun and adventure in social circles far outside the humdrum daily grind of books and blackboards.

My point is this: you can do well in Bangkok as a teacher, make enough money to enjoy a nice or good life here, but there are pros and cons that most teachers must eventually figure out on their own. This tends to include a bottom line of salary limitations versus living expenses along with a list of other career and lifestyle variables that eventually lead some to stay and grind it out and others to flee for greener pastures. Old bulls like me who aren�t grazing on a pension are often in the later group.

As other veterans here might attest, a PGCE is one of the hottest meal tickets in town to having a bit more power to flourish in Bangkok�s TEFL meadows. And as long as you have enough cash and get-up-and-go to burn on your trips and travels to Thailand you can usually write your own ticket and make up your own rules as you trample or mosey along.
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Eagle Eyes



Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 121
Location: Istanbul

PostPosted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 5:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bangkok has more teachers teaching English than anywhere else in the world...There are plenty oif jobs here to be had..for both qualified and non-qualified TEFL teachers...as long as you're a native speaker you can find a job here. Good luck in your search! Smile
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Dave_1



Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 88

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How many consecutive tourist visas are allowed in Thailand adding up to how many months?
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plumpy nut



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dave_1 wrote:
How many consecutive tourist visas are allowed in Thailand adding up to how many months?


At the Vientienne embassy, around 4 tourist visas is all they'll let you have in your passport before they put a red stamp in it. Once you start having problems at the Vientienne embassy, just start going to the Thai embassy in Savanakhet, Laos. I've never heard of them bothering anybody about tourist visas and it's just as close as Vientienne. There is also a Thai consulate in Penang Malaysia that you won't have trouble getting tourist visas from, however they only issue single entry tourist visas.
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Dave_1



Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 88

PostPosted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

plumpy nut wrote:
Dave_1 wrote:
How many consecutive tourist visas are allowed in Thailand adding up to how many months?


At the Vientienne embassy, around 4 tourist visas is all they'll let you have in your passport before they put a red stamp in it. Once you start having problems at the Vientienne embassy, just start going to the Thai embassy in Savanakhet, Laos. I've never heard of them bothering anybody about tourist visas and it's just as close as Vientienne. There is also a Thai consulate in Penang Malaysia that you won't have trouble getting tourist visas from, however they only issue single entry tourist visas.


thanks very much for your information.
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Pytheas



Joined: 15 Apr 2011
Posts: 13

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:57 am    Post subject: Re: Teaching in Bangkok.....Questions? Reply with quote

Hale wrote:


1. When does the new term start 1st of November? That mean's I'll be there 6 weeks without work.
2. Best way to look for a job? Get a list of schools, hire a taxi, dress formally, smile and bring my CV?
3. If I get accepted how long will my contract be for....I can't do a full year since I have to return to do a PGCE.....Can I break the contract....yes I know it's morally wrong....or just work until April perhaps?
4. Also I have an interview for my PGCE probably in January...Will the school give me a week off to attend?



1. First week of May
2. Word of mouth.
3. Sure, contracts mean nothing in Thailand.
4. Nope, but you just take the time of anyway, if it's an up country school they won't even notice your not turning up for class, no-one else is.
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plumpy nut



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652

PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Teaching in Bangkok.....Questions? Reply with quote

Pytheas wrote:
Hale wrote:


4. Also I have an interview for my PGCE probably in January...Will the school give me a week off to attend?



4. Nope, but you just take the time of anyway, if it's an up country school they won't even notice your not turning up for class, no-one else is.


Really? I don't think so.
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