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jski
Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 9
Location: Seattle
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 Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:48 pm Post subject: Thailand - Good idea? |
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Hello, I recently finished my BA (Econ) and my girlfriend finished her BA (PolSci). We are hoping to head to SE Asia in January 2011, get our TESOL's, and teach for 6 months. I have read enough on the boards etc to know that 6 months is about as short as you can get in terms of teaching contracts. I don't care about low pay, or the conditions that come with low-pay. I've been working my butt off to have an extra 3000USD upon arrival.
My questions are: Is it worth spending the money (1150 USD) to get our TESOL (which includes 1 month accomodation) in terms of helping our chances of finding a job? Will all the visa hassles be worth it for a 6-7 month trip? Would we be better off spending our first month (and the money from not doing a TESOL program) looking for work on the ground in BKK armed with just BA's, a smile and a professional demeanor? Is Thailand the right place to be doing this? I'm open to anywhere in SE Asia.
Any light you can shed would be most appreciated, as the sooner I figure the logistics out, the sooner (and cheaper) I can buy a plane ticket.
Thank you! |
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roguegrafix
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:48 am Post subject: |
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OK other people on this board know more than me and can offer better advice but my initial thoughts are: how much experience have you had teaching? If none or very little, then a TESOL course might be worth it. But your degrees are good enough to get a job -- they're required while a TESOL is not necessarily a requirement (it can depend on the job).
January is a bad time to come. The teaching year for schools and unis finishes in March and then starts again around mid-May. So you'll most likely need to find work in language schools of which I know nothing about.
Good luck. |
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jski
Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 9
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:59 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks RG. If anybody would care to corraborate what RG said I would appreciate it, especially any information about having the TESOL in terms of finding work in private language schools in Bangkok in January. Does what he said hold in terms of not requiring a certification, it being more for me personally to have some basic skills and a little experience? What would anyone else do? |
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NigerianWhisper
Joined: 21 Mar 2009
Posts: 176
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| Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| I pretty much agree with what he has said. Sounds about spot-on. |
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Placebo
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 80
Location: Bangkok
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| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 5:34 am Post subject: |
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Without teaching experience and no TESOL/TEFL/CELTA, it will be extremely difficult to find a decent job in a language school. But since you are not after money, some agencies like JP Teachers will propably set you up with something. It would probably take at least a few weeks though. I'd say, you have much better chances countryside without any teaching qualifications.
Why not do your future students a favor an do a TESOL. You'll enjoy the teaching more if you know what you're doing, and your students will learn more. You'll also have a qualification that might come in handy in the future. Definitely not a waste of money! |
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Porlestone
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 95
Location: Asia
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| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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| How does one go about finding work out in the coutryside or towns and small cities? |
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NigerianWhisper
Joined: 21 Mar 2009
Posts: 176
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| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| By going there. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 1:18 am Post subject: |
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| Porlestone wrote: |
| How does one go about finding work out in the coutryside or towns and small cities? |
Lots of them get posted on places like MOD EDIT . You have to remember that you are off-season for hiring at anything other than a language academy. Most of the mainstream schools do their hiring in March/April for starts in early to mid May.
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KnockoutNed
Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 87
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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You are only going to be here 6 months? If so, there is no way I would drop $1100 on a TEFL course. That money can go a long way over here. You'll probably end up working for a low paying language school but that could happen even if you had the TEFL.
Don't waste your $, trust me on this |
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
You are only going to be here 6 months? If so, there is no way I would drop $1100 on a TEFL course. That money can go a long way over here. You'll probably end up working for a low paying language school but that could happen even if you had the TEFL.
Don't waste your $, trust me on this |
While this advice may seem logical, it is also pretty poor.
1. A decent TEFL course will prepare you for a job that the vast majority of people are not prepared for. I've seen 100's, if not 1000's of adventurous, ambitious 20-somethings with good intentions only to realize that teaching a class of 40 Thai students aged 13 isn't as easy as they thought it would be. In fact, I've seen quite a few "crash and burn".
2. While many of the TEFL courses provided in Thailand are not great value for what you get, there are plenty that are run professionally. A quality TEFL course will without a doubt make your experience in the classroom SO much more enjoyable because you will know what you are doing and in turn your lessons will run a lot smoother, which in turn will keep the students more engaged, which benefits everyone.
3. True, $1100 can go a long way here (about 1 months salary). BUT, you shouldn't really be coming to Thailand to teach if money is an issue. You should expect to have about $3000 for when you arrive for initial expenses and an emergency fund in case things go bad and so you have something when you retyrn home (most likely you wont be saving any of your salary in Thailand). Add in flight costs and you should probably have about $5000 to make the experience comfortable and to give you options.
4. You should really think about making a 1 year commitment. THink about the difficulties it causes your students when they have to change teachers 2, maybe 3 times a year. No reason we, as foreigners, should be adding to an educational system already riddled with "problems" that hinder the students education.
5. People tend to forget the costs of actually finding a job, ESPECIALLY if you are looking for a place that has 2 openings and especially short term work. An agency may be a good option for your situation.
If you really want to do a short stint and are thinking about a TEFL course, try doing a REFKL course with guaranteed placements. Although these places also have their issues, you will be able to get a discount on your course for making a 1 semester commitment AND you will have no troubles getting work together with your girlfriend. That being said, you will have little say in WHERE you will be placed.
Based on your wants and needs and the situation, I think a TEFL course with guaranteed placement is your best option. Most of these courses are based in island locations, so you can enjoy the beach life for a month or so, then work for 4 months at a school, then take a month holiday after your contract to explore the rest of Thailand and area.
Best of luck.
PM me if you want advice on a few places to start looking. Daves has strict regulations about posting this kind of info. |
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KnockoutNed
Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 87
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:29 am Post subject: |
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MaiBenRai-
If this guy was planning to stay here long term, then I would definitely recommend the TEFL course. I took one myself and it was worth every penny.
The reason I'm telling him to avoid it is because he only plans to be here for 6 months and has a small savings. It seems obvious to me that he is coming here for holiday, not because he has any desire to teach. |
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totefrosch
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Posts: 6
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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I have lived in Thailand 3 1/2 years and it is complex. Immigration is not friendly for foreigners and you pay every time you turn around. IF you manage to get a Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit you will have to report to immigration outside Bangkok, every 90 days.
The law supports underhanded employers. For example it is possible to get a judgment against a school who doesn't pay you but the law does not require that employer to pay.
Employers will not tell you if they plan not to renew your contract and too many to mention have found themselves with less than a week to leave the country. In such cases you can begin the time consuming and costly cross-border visa runs (3 only) which will buy you 45 days. |
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Placebo
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 80
Location: Bangkok
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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MaiPenRai is spot on with his post! Couldn't have said it better!
You're doing everybody a favor if you obtain a teacher's qualification before starting to teach. Part of the reason why some Thai employers keep the salaries low is because of back packers who are not qualified flooding the teaching market. Nothing against back packers (I used to be one myself)! |
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NigerianWhisper
Joined: 21 Mar 2009
Posts: 176
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| totefrosch wrote: |
I have lived in Thailand 3 1/2 years and it is complex. Immigration is not friendly for foreigners and you pay every time you turn around. IF you manage to get a Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit you will have to report to immigration outside Bangkok, every 90 days.
The law supports underhanded employers. For example it is possible to get a judgment against a school who doesn't pay you but the law does not require that employer to pay.
Employers will not tell you if they plan not to renew your contract and too many to mention have found themselves with less than a week to leave the country. In such cases you can begin the time consuming and costly cross-border visa runs (3 only) which will buy you 45 days. |
You are of course only quoting your own personal experiences.
I have never had any problems with immigration and they have generally been very helpful and friendly.
You are not always required to personally report every 90 days. The school can do this for you with your passport and a signed Power of Attorney. Depends on how helpful the school is of course. You can also post your 90 day report direct to Bangkok.........although this must be before the due date. The 7 day 'leeway' after the date does not apply for postal applications.
There is NO 3 border run maximums giving 45 days in total (15 days per land crossing) That information is old and out of date. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| NigerianWhisper wrote: |
| totefrosch wrote: |
I have lived in Thailand 3 1/2 years and it is complex. Immigration is not friendly for foreigners and you pay every time you turn around. IF you manage to get a Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit you will have to report to immigration outside Bangkok, every 90 days.
The law supports underhanded employers. For example it is possible to get a judgment against a school who doesn't pay you but the law does not require that employer to pay.
Employers will not tell you if they plan not to renew your contract and too many to mention have found themselves with less than a week to leave the country. In such cases you can begin the time consuming and costly cross-border visa runs (3 only) which will buy you 45 days. |
You are of course only quoting your own personal experiences.
I have never had any problems with immigration and they have generally been very helpful and friendly.
You are not always required to personally report every 90 days. The school can do this for you with your passport and a signed Power of Attorney. Depends on how helpful the school is of course. You can also post your 90 day report direct to Bangkok.........although this must be before the due date. The 7 day 'leeway' after the date does not apply for postal applications.
There is NO 3 border run maximums giving 45 days in total (15 days per land crossing) That information is old and out of date. |
I too have also found immigration to be generally helpful and friendly.
I personally do not know anyone with a (legitimate) degree who has had any problems finding a legitimate full time position with appropriate pay and benefits.
All the people I know have their Non-Immigrant "B" visa and work permits. I also had no difficulty (other than the typical paperwork - as found everywhere when dealing with immigration) in obtaining the "O" visas for my wife and daughter.
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