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Aelric
Joined: 16 Dec 2009
Posts: 75
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 Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:24 am Post subject: Sticky wiget of a contract |
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So, I've been in Chiang Mai for about two months sniffing around for work, tutoring a guy for food money and slowly dwindling my savings. Finally, I've been offered a full time position at 35,000 per month with accommodation...In Khon Kaen. It's a small town not for from Nong Khai in the Isaan province.
Now, the contract itself seems reasonable and it's an organization named Mediakids (apparently a recruiter who saw my MOD EDIT CV) making the offer. Mediakids seems to have a middling rep, but pays on time according to forum posts. This contract would be to finish up someone else's contract from Jan 4th until the end of Feb, with the potential to renew.
Ok, so here is how I see it. I could take this job, and if I hate the place and work, I can hit the eject button after two months with no bad marks on my employment history. However, this was someone else's contract, which they apparently ran away from (and I assume with a reason.) I'm also in a pickle because this would mean that my girlfriend who is living with me would either have to stay behind to keep looking for work herself far away from me, or go to tiny town where she is not gonna find a job (She is Fillipina, so native English teacher positions are generally hard for her to find despite she is a professor of English with three years experience.)
This job is waiting for me, should I take it? Is the two months and costs of moving there and back worth it, or should I hold out to the next terms hiring season in March-April? What would you do?
Thanks in advance for any advice. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 1:02 pm Post subject: Re: Sticky wiget of a contract |
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| Aelric wrote: |
So, I've been in Chiang Mai for about two months sniffing around for work, tutoring a guy for food money and slowly dwindling my savings. Finally, I've been offered a full time position at 35,000 per month with accommodation...In Khon Kaen. It's a small town not for from Nong Khai in the Isaan province.
Now, the contract itself seems reasonable and it's an organization named Mediakids (apparently a recruiter who saw my MOD EDIT CV) making the offer. Mediakids seems to have a middling rep, but pays on time according to forum posts. This contract would be to finish up someone else's contract from Jan 4th until the end of Feb, with the potential to renew.
Ok, so here is how I see it. I could take this job, and if I hate the place and work, I can hit the eject button after two months with no bad marks on my employment history. However, this was someone else's contract, which they apparently ran away from (and I assume with a reason.) I'm also in a pickle because this would mean that my girlfriend who is living with me would either have to stay behind to keep looking for work herself far away from me, or go to tiny town where she is not gonna find a job (She is Fillipina, so native English teacher positions are generally hard for her to find despite she is a professor of English with three years experience.)
This job is waiting for me, should I take it? Is the two months and costs of moving there and back worth it, or should I hold out to the next terms hiring season in March-April? What would you do?
Thanks in advance for any advice. |
Personally, I would take the job (70k baht is better than going broke doing 1-1 lessons for food money) and see what comes up with the start of the new term in May.
The chances of finding anything (full time or self sustaining) in Chiang Mai any time in the near future is grim at best (too many tourists willing to work for food and too many new CELTA grads looking for any work they can get to get their feet wet in ESL).
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:54 am Post subject: |
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Overall, I would agree with Aelric and take the guaranteed money for a short term contract. In a small town and with accomm provided, you should be able to save a good portion of your 35K, which is quite good for most places in the NE of Thailand.
A few things to consider:
| Quote: |
| However, this was someone else's contract, which they apparently ran away from (and I assume with a reason.) |
Lots of reasons for people to quit jobs. Many people find this time of year difficult (Xmas and New Year) being away from home, especially if they are younger and/or haven't travelled much before. Also, there is a good chance that the size of the city/town had something to do with it as well. No reason to assume the actual working at the school would be bad (but it could be, lol).
As far as MediaKids goes, they are a decent company and you shouldn't have any major issues with them if you do your job and act professionally.
Even worst case scenario, 2 months will fly by, especially in the Jan/Feb/March term where there could be many cancellations for M5-6 for Uni prep stuff. Should be perfect as it ends in Feb, so plenty of time to get back to Chaing Mai to continue the search when things should pick up in March/April. That being said, it has been, and will continue to be, difficult to find great work in Chiang Mai as has been mentioned already.
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| It's a small town not for from Nong Khai in the Isaan province |
And not to be picky but, Isaan is not a province, it is a geographical/geopolitical area or Thailand mainly in the NE.
Good luck... |
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Potter
Joined: 11 Jan 2011
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: Sticky wiget of a contract |
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| Aelric wrote: |
So, I've been in Chiang Mai for about two months sniffing around for work, tutoring a guy for food money and slowly dwindling my savings. Finally, I've been offered a full time position at 35,000 per month with accommodation...In Khon Kaen. It's a small town not for from Nong Khai in the Isaan province.
Now, the contract itself seems reasonable and it's an organization named Mediakids (apparently a recruiter who saw my MOD EDIT making the offer. Mediakids seems to have a middling rep, but pays on time according to forum posts. This contract would be to finish up someone else's contract from Jan 4th until the end of Feb, with the potential to renew. |
There is something not quite right about what you have described. Contracts are for individuals and have names on them. There is no way you can transfer or take over the contract of somebody else. Either the company will give you your own contract or they won't. What they might actually want you to do is work without a contract. If so, that can be risky as with no contract you won't get a visa that allows you to work, and working without the right visa is illegal. You could (possibly) be arrested and deported. Of course, some people do work illegally. It's up to you if you want to take that risk. I think you should ask the company what exactly they will do regarding a contract and visa.
One more point, it would seem a bit odd to give you a "short term contract" for the short period of time you mentioned, as either you or the company would have to pay for the visa and work permit and together they cost almost THB 5,000. Add to that cost the time and effort to prepare the paperwork and go to both the immigration office and the labour office and it hardly seems worth the effort. All of the above leads me to the conclusion that you will have neither a work permit nor contract. |
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MaiPenRai
Joined: 17 Jan 2006
Posts: 390
Location: BKK
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| Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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| There is no way you can transfer or take over the contract of somebody else. |
I'm pretty he/she means that he/she would be completing the contract that the school has with the company. Most recruiting agencies have very general contracts that are not teacher specific, except for maybe salary (even that doens't vary much with agencies).
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| One more point, it would seem a bit odd to give you a "short term contract" for the short period of time you mentioned |
Nothing odd about it at all. THis happens all the time in ESL/EFL and especially in Thailand. If a school has a contract with an agency to supply teachers for the school year, and a teacher leaves or is fired, then the company will have to find a replacement to complete the school year. Most often these positions are to complete the school year, NOT a one year contract as this would mean teachers starting and finishing mid school year. This obviously differs when you are talking about "language" school jobs like ECC, Wall Street, etc. when you are sometimes hired to complete certain courses and sometimes hired for a blanket period of time.
| Quote: |
| you or the company would have to pay for the visa and work permit and together they cost almost THB 5,000. Add to that cost the time and effort to prepare the paperwork and go to both the immigration office and the labour office and it hardly seems worth the effort. |
As far as I know, Mediakids pays for work permits and their teachers pay for thier own visas. One huge advantage to working with an agency is that they take care of the paperwork for you and the school. Just need to have your documents in order and then sign your name in all the right places.
As far as I know (its been a couple years since I've done visas and work permits), the cost of the work permits are relative to the length of the work permit, which of course is relative to the Visa length. That being said, the costs of going to Laos to get the initial NOn-Imm B Visa would probably cost 5000 baht anyways.
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| [b]All of the above leads me to the conclusion that you will have neither a work permit nor contract.[/b] |
Pretty doubtful that the company/school will go to all the trouble to get a 1-2 month work permit, but you will have a contract. THey will probably ask you to go an get the Non-Imm B Visa though. Maybe they will split the cost??? It is also feasible that they will be ok with you working on a tourist visa if you are. Yes, Yes, its illegal, but when is the last time you heard of a teacher working on a tourist visa get into trouble, especially outside of Bangkok?? 99% that it wont be an issue.
Do your job professionally and you should not have any pay issues with MK (in my experience). |
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Potter
Joined: 11 Jan 2011
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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Hi MPR,
I have minimal experience with recruiting agencies so I wasn't aware that kind of thing happened with them. When I read "full time employment" I assumed the contract was with the place he was working. Never mind. Mai pen rai. Bor pen yang dok. Personally, I have never had a contract for less than a year but I've never been employed by a recruiting agency.
If I recall correctly, a work permit for one year costs THB 3,000 and a visa extension costs THB 1,900.
I wonder if Aelric took up the job offer. |
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