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Superman99
Joined: 04 Jun 2012
Posts: 20
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 Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:41 am Post subject: China vs. Thailand vs. Laos vs. Cambodia .....Please Help! |
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Hi
I've already posted in the Newbie forum but was told this is a better forum to post my questions.
I've recently finished my TESOL course but don't have a degree, I wanted to teach in either Thailand or China but I believe that I would have to teach illegally because I don't have a degree.
I'm not sure how common it is for people to teach in these countries illegally but I really don't want to land up in a Chinese or Thai prison!
I've heard that the only S.E Asian countries that I can legally teach in is Lagos and Cambodia ....are there any other countries in S.E Asia? ....and is anyone currently or recently taught in Cambodia or Laos? would like some information on teaching in these countries...
I'd really appreciate any input 
Last edited by Superman99 on Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Superman99
Joined: 04 Jun 2012
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:46 am Post subject: |
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Thank you!
Last edited by Superman99 on Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:10 am; edited 5 times in total |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Superman99 wrote: |
| Sorry I mean't Laos (blonde moment!) |
You can go back and edit your thread title and 1st post.
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Flip-Flopper
Joined: 24 May 2012
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 11:45 am Post subject: |
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| Well I did see some jobs for China saying "no degree required" so I'm still not convinced you can't work legally in China without a degree. Indonesia is also an option from what I've read. I have a degree and China is not really on my radar unless a good offer comes up. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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For a proper job with proper documentation in China or Indonesia a degree is a requirement.
Jobs that suggest otherwise are dodgy at best - beware.
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Superman99
Joined: 04 Jun 2012
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:34 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for your responses!
I've been reading through some older threads which I've found very informative.
From the countries in Asia that don't require a degree, it seems, for what i'm looking for (warm coastal climate), Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma) seem to be good options.
Does anyone have any information on what it's like to work in these countries? ....regarding job opportunities, salary vs. cost of living etc.
Any input would be much appreciated. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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Without a degree :
You can get by in both. The living is comfortable but you won't be living the high life of an expat exec or even as a tourist (they'll spend more in a weekend than you will make in a month).
You won't save anything and you will be hard pressed in less than 1 year to even recover your airfare over. Getting home is another matter.
Also be aware that by 2015, under the ASEAN frameworks, a degree WILL BE REQUIRED in ALL ASEAN countries for legal work as a teacher so your clock is ticking (<900 days remaining).
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Superman99
Joined: 04 Jun 2012
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| tttompatz wrote: |
Without a degree :
You can get by in both. The living is comfortable but you won't be living the high life of an expat exec or even as a tourist (they'll spend more in a weekend than you will make in a month).
You won't save anything and you will be hard pressed in less than 1 year to even recover your airfare over. Getting home is another matter.
Also be aware that by 2015, under the ASEAN frameworks, a degree WILL BE REQUIRED in ALL ASEAN countries for legal work as a teacher so your clock is ticking (<900 days remaining).
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Thank you for the advice!
That actually sounds great, i'm really not going for the money, just for life experience.... when you say 'recover your airfare' do you mean the institution is meant to reimburse this? That's great if they should, but i'm happy even if they don't.
My main concern is that i will earn enough money to cover my expenses, and afford to go out occasionally and have a few beers.
So i take it that both countries are similar in job opportunities/salary/lifestyle/cost of living etc?
I'm looking at landing mid August (want to have a week or so to explore), to start teaching beginning of September 2012..... when should i start sending out my c.v and making contact with potential employers? |
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Tudor
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| when you say 'recover your airfare' do you mean the institution is meant to reimburse this? |
No, he means you probably won't save enough up over the year to claw back the initial outlay - i.e. the airfare - therefore be prepared to be either out of pocket or to just about break even.
I'm sure tttompatz has said it elsewhere, but there's very few places in Thailand that will pay for a teacher's airfare, and certainly even fewer that will pay for someone who doesn't even have the required quals to work in the country. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Superman99 wrote: |
Thank you for the advice!
That actually sounds great, i'm really not going for the money, just for life experience.... when you say 'recover your airfare' do you mean the institution is meant to reimburse this? That's great if they should, but i'm happy even if they don't.
My main concern is that i will earn enough money to cover my expenses, and afford to go out occasionally and have a few beers.
So i take it that both countries are similar in job opportunities/salary/lifestyle/cost of living etc?
I'm looking at landing mid August (want to have a week or so to explore), to start teaching beginning of September 2012..... when should i start sending out my c.v and making contact with potential employers? |
It means you will be hard pressed to save enough to cover your travel expenses in addition to your set-up costs.
Sending out your resume would be a waste of time. Nobody (reputable) will look at it since you are at, or for countries other than Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, under the minimum to legally work.
You'd be better off reading up on "how-to-teach" and some grammar books then preparing a demo lesson (post it to youtube if you want some feedback or look at some that are already there).
Buy your ticket to Asia. Hit the ground with your shirt and tie, resume and local cell phone number in hand, and be ready with a demo class and lesson plan in your folder.
IF you are presentable and do a decent demo you should find something before you run out of cash and need a bailout from the folks to get home again.
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sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
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| Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
From the countries in Asia that don't require a degree, it seems, for what i'm looking for (warm coastal climate), Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma) seem to be good options.
Does anyone have any information on what it's like to work in these countries? ....regarding job opportunities, salary vs. cost of living etc. |
In regards to Cambodia, virtually all of the work is in Phnom Penh. Unlike overly regulated countries where schools must rely on agencies and recruiters to even fill half of the available positions, it's not really a teacher's market in PP.
There is a lot of competition, although a lot of the competition is (as usual) weak. Be prepared though to market yourself in the best light possible.
Also, be prepared for low wages. Most teachers are hired on an hourly basis and there are a lot of unpaid holidays. While the general cost of living isn't really high, eating out in PP is expensive and usually disappointing.
If you are planning on teaching in Myanmar, you need to do a lot more research. Overall, it is much easier to teach in Cambodia in terms of the visa. |
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HystericalHoosier
Joined: 30 Sep 2011
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Burma is opening and I would agree that you should do research and expect to be living like the locals. Cambodia is a wonderful place and truly one of the last wild west spots left in the world. |
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