Job Discussion Forums

[While I was out]

Yes, I had a look through daves and also on the Ministry of Manpower's website and can see nothing about applying to work in the colleges.

How long should I reasonably expect to wait before I hear from a recruiter again? It's been about 2 weeks already.

[windstar]

you should hear by mid august and they will tell you to come over by 28th. They will not have your work permit ready and you will enter oman on a tourist visa which is good for 30 days. If they cannot secure your work permit, you will have to ask for another visa. Good luck. They are not the worst, and there are definitely worse recruiters like bahwan. Ministry of Manpower agreed to recruit through a few other local companies.

[While I was out]

So, I've accepted a job starting in September. I'm really looking forward to going to Oman and seeing what it has to offer.

I have some concerns though. I've been told that my work visa will probably not be ready on arrival, and will take upto 2 weeks to process. That in itself is fine, I can understand that.

What I'm concerned about is not being able to travel with my wife. I've been told that there is no such thing as a tourist visa for Thai people and I'll have to wait 2 weeks for my paper work to be processed and then be joined by her.

Does anyone have experience of travelling to Oman with a Thai spouse, or can you steer me in the right direction with regards to information about visas?

Ideally I would like to arrive in Oman with my wife, both of us on a tourist visa, and have mine converted to a work visa and the wife's converted to a spouse or family visa.

I found this link and wonder if anyone can comment on its relevence to my situation?

http://www.omanet.om/english/useful/visa_new2.asp?cat=use

It seems to say that Thai people are indeed entitled to a tourist visa. Is a tourist visa readily convertible into a family or spouse visa?

Useful advice will be much appreciated.

[sliderama]

I'm in the same situation as regards my Filipina wife. The Oman embassy told me they won't issue a tourist visa since she will be getting a residence visa so I have to send her to the Philippines to wait for my residence permit, i expect it will take about a month, a major pain-in-the-ass but apparently no choice. If our wives were from one of the countries in List 1 or 2 then I imagine we could bring them and change over from tourist to residence visa but evidently they fall into the grey area of not being eligible for visa on arrival.

I figure I better play by the rules to ensure she is able to join me, albeit a month or so later.

Good luck with it all!!!

cheers

hey i just saw Thailand is on List 1 so your wife should be eligible for a visa on arrival and then change over, you should check with an embassy or your employer...

[While I was out]

Thanks sliderama.

How did you contact the embassy? They never answer the phone in Bangkok and any emails I send seem to fail, so I don't think I have up to date contact information. Did you use an embassy in The Phillipines?

[sliderama]

it was in seoul, they seemed pretty good about answering their phone, and i also went up there in person.

[While I was out]

I got through to the Oman embassy in Bangkok and they confirmed that tourist visas are issued to Thai people, the Thai embassy in Muscat confirmed this also.

[sliderama]

you should check to see if she will have to leave oman to change over to residence or if it can be done in the country...

good luck!

[kuberkat]

A thorough excavation of past replies to newcomers will provide a wealth of information that is evergreen for the most part.
It is also bound to demonstrate the fact that, thanks to the dizzying merry-go-round of indiscriminate recruitment and sudden vacancies due to dismissal, mental health problems and stress-related deaths, any time is a good time to apply.
I wish I was kidding.

[While I was out]

Good point Sliderama, and one I have thought of. I've asked for clarity from the company and I'm waiting for a reply.

Kuberkat, I don't know what to say. I understand there are problems in recruitmen and retention, due to many factors. But where isn't there?

In Thailand the money's not enought to save, unless you work in an international school or work 3 jobs.

In Korea the trend is to have 1 teacher per public school and see your classes once a week. Not enough time to make any decent progress methinks.

As far as Oman, I'll be working with a group of western people, which for me is a plus, I can save (even being married), and rumour has it that Omani people are friendly. There are many historical sites and outdoor activities for the weekend, if the mood takes us we can pop up to Dubai and take photos of the fancy sail-shaped hotel.

I think every situation has its merits.

Weighing up the pluses and minuses in my present situation, I'm pro-Oman.

[kuberkat]

Quite so. There are many good reasons to be in Oman.
The difference in workload between East Asia and Oman amounts to semi-retirement, and financially it is a good move, even under the new regime.
But it is not an easy place to live, and as to working with Westerners, a year from now you may want to eat your words with a generous dollop of baba ghanouj
Seriously though, my philosophy is that this is a great opportunity, that anyone working here should have a passionate pursuit outside of work and a plan for life after Oman. That way, you will not be the one creating the next vacancy.
Good luck and hold on tight.

[eha]

'But it is not an easy place to live, and as to working with Westerners, a year from now you may want to eat your words'

kuberkat: I suspect I agree with you, but would you care to elaborate a little?

[Scaliger]

'But it is not an easy place to live' --- yes, I'd also like to know what that means, please. I've read one or two other allusions, on this forum, about the negative side of living in Oman, but I can't find any specific comments. Some people say there isn't much to do in smaller towns, but that wouldn't affect me personally --- I'm generally quite happy in small towns, and most of my hobbies (reading books, exploring the countryside, etc.) would not suffer in that respect, although other people have personalities and interests that differ from mine, of course.

[eha]

I may have given a false impression: when I said I agreed that 'Oman isn't always an easy place to live', I personally wasn't referring to the country, the people or the culture. I love Oman; the culture is interesting--- as most peoples' cultures are. The scenery is beautiful, and if you're someone who likes exploring his/her surroundings, you'll be fine. What I personally meant was: the workplace culture is--- well, I can't be specific either, for obvious reasons, but it certainly has spoiled my pleasure in other aspects of the country. This tends to be true in most Gulf countries--- people complain about society, the lifestyle, beliefs, etc. But in fact, it's my belief that half the time, they've been influenced by experiences in the workplace--- which can be horrible. And the most horrible thing is the bullying and harassment that ensue --- from one's own 'colleagues' --- if one tries to bring these things out into the open. I'm told there's nothing to be done about it: it seems you just 'wait for development'. However, if we all sit back and just wait, what form is that development going to take?
By the way, you said people often weren't specific about their complaints--- come on now; why do you think people use pseudonyms on these boards? Go figure.

[Neil McBeath]

Eha is right. I worked in Oman for nearly 25 years, serving with the Royal Air Force of Oman. Eventually I fell foul of a small, but vicious, expatriate clique in the Directorate of Education and Military Culture, and so I left.

I spent two years in Saudi Arabia, and then returned to Oman.

I am now working in a different field of EFL, but I like it. I am in a country where I feel completely safe, where I have a wide circle of Omani friends and acquaintances and it suits me.

On the other hand, I was perfectly happy working in remote locations for RAFO. Unlike a lot of the posters on these fora, I had no problems working in places like the army camp at Sha'afa (10 kilometres to the nearest petrol station - and another three Km on to a (very) small town) or at RAFO Masirah (one kilometre to the village, but why bother?)

AS Eha says, your colleagues can be the make or break factor, but that is true everywhere.