Thread: Requirements for teaching in Thailand

so what excactly are the requirements to teach in thailand then? just curious, as maybe id like to think about it for the future

Officially and for work permit purposes.

a degree in any subject and some sort of TEFL certificate.

unofficially and for the purposes of working illegally, God knows.

White skin and a big nose.

Worked for me.

is your nose big?

hadn't noticed.

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Officially and for work permit purposes. a degree in any subject and some sort of TEFL certificate. unofficially and for the purposes of working illegally, God knows.

Aren't they bringing in new rules?

Some kind of education qualification and a seminar on thai culture. I'm not sure if that applies to all teachers though. Probably be something about it on ajarn.

Originally Posted by NickA

Some kind of education qualification and a seminar on thai culture. I'm not sure if that applies to all teachers though. Probably be something about it on ajarn.

apparently they have been brought in.

think maybe they only apply to Government schools and not language cosultancies

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

is your nose big?

Comparatively speaking, yes.

^Well, maybe the OP needs to know about the differences then.

I got the idea that they might be smoothing the way for teachers without a degree getting a work permit.

Originally Posted by NickA

^Well, maybe the OP needs to know about the differences then.

I got the idea that they might be smoothing the way for teachers without a degree getting a work permit.

yep cool, thats why i posted the question, absolutely no idea what it involves, curious

Most people I know working at government schools this year are taking the seminar on Thai culture. I know there's a seminar being offered during July in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat. I haven't heard anything from people I know working in language schools or uni.

When I first came it seemed like the rules were: degree, if you didn't have a degree you needed a TEFL, or... well, there were some people working who probably shouldn't have been according to the letter of the law. When I came I had a degree but no TEFL and had no trouble getting a work permit or visa extension. The last year at my old school we hired two teachers with TEFLs but no degrees. There was some confusion about this at the time. We were told that as they had been hired "before the new rules came into effect," they were okay. What these new rules were and when they came into effect, I can't remember. The next year one stayed on and got an extension of his Non-B and work permit so he was grandfathered in somehow.

*nearly forgot about the native speaker requirement, though that one's been overlooked a time or two as well.

Rules are always changing, rules are enforced differently in every province (so it seems), and the more people you know at the Labor Department, Department of Education and at Immigration, the easier it goes. As was stated somewhere up above, best to check somewhere for the definitive requirements.

nice one ^

in effect there is always a job available, but the more of the requirements that you can meet the more jobs that are available

Originally Posted by jandajoy

What qualifications would they need to work at youre school?

I already posted that.

At my place, a degree is a must and a TEFL, preferably a CELTA, though the Celta is an internal requirement and a personal bias.

We have in the past talked to the authorities about the possibility of getting a work permit for someone without a degree and have been told flatly it's a no go up here.

In general, I agree about the degree requirements. I say "in general" beacuse I have come across some teachers without a degree who were excellent natural educators, some of the most enthusiastic and unflappable teachers (in a Thai classroom) that I've seen. That being said, I have come across some teachers with either no credentials or false credentials who fit the stereotypes we've all seen... drunks living from paycheck to paycheck, going on the piss for days at a time and not showing up to classes, spending more time chasing skirts than planning for lessons or what have you.

Like I said in the earlier post, I worked with two teachers who had done their TEFL training but hadn't finished university for various reasons. Contrast them with the other person we'd hired at the same time who had gone to a good university, whose mother was a TEFL/TESOL teacher of little kids, and who had read any number of books on the subject and came with bags (literally) of resources. Even after this highly qualified (on paper) candidate completed a TEFL here in Thailand, the other two teachers were teaching rings around him/her. I've also worked with a lot of people who had degrees, TEFLs, what have you, and they were drunken 'mongers chasing skirts and taking bonghits all day long.

I wonder about the requirements sometimes... how many "bad teachers" do they keep out of the system? Even with the implementation or at least drafting of new laws, there are always those situations when the laws aren't enforced, someone turns a blind eye, etc. And hell, some of these people are crafty! And how many potentially "good teachers" might they keep out at the same time?

I haven't read too many of your posts, CMN, but if you're involved with a school on a management or ownership level, yeah, I'd be doing the same as you. It's a lot easier knowing that you've got a qualified, serious person coming to work for you for a year or more than some nutcase. In addition, as you said, the MOE or whomever up north isn't having it and that's gonna be the final word at the end of the day.

Hell, I met a guy one time who was Dutch and had a sixth grade education and he was teaching at a government school. Working for a language institute as some sort of "educational consultant" or something, but was actually going into classrooms and banging out English lessons. He was drinking out of a bucket at the time... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Originally Posted by killerbees

I haven't read too many of your posts, CMN,

rules of demand and supply work very much in the employers favour up here.

an awful lot of people want to work in CM and there are not really that many decent openings.
not at all difficult to be choosy.

Originally Posted by killerbees

I've also worked with a lot of people who had degrees, TEFLs, what have you, and they were drunken 'mongers chasing skirts and taking bonghits all day long.

so, you are familiar with cmn's work?

Originally Posted by killerbees

Hell, I met a guy one time who was Dutch and had a sixth grade education and he was teaching at a government school.

Was his name John Van Cutsem?

Originally Posted by sunsetter

so what excactly are the requirements to teach in thailand then?

Not being dead. Everything else is arguable, debatable or avoidable.

anyone can work in thailand.

if you have a ba and a tefl you will be better paid.

Originally Posted by sunsetter

so what excactly are the requirements to teach in thailand then? just curious, as maybe id like to think about it for the future

The ability to teach comes in handy.

simply being a native speaker makes you a teacher in the same way as being able to type makes you a computer progammer.

Do a course - a proper one. Take your job seriously.

In answer to your question - no quals really, but you won't be paid well, be legal, and will probably be working with similar farang retards.

Do a good course, have a BA, organise yourself well and you'll be fine.

What's the best option though, I'm considering it as a career change but I'm 52, is it worth getting a PGCE and going for an international school teaching science/computing or had I might as well do a TEFL? Would I get a reasonable job at 52 with no experience or would the international schools always go for someone younger?

lots of young, experienced, well educated pups out there, imo.

given your age i would go tefl.

the best tefl will take 6 weeks. while a post grad degree can take a year easily and cost much more. then you must compete with the mob.

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

an awful lot of people want to work in CM and there are not really that many decent openings. not at all difficult to be choosy.

Oh, what are you saying, I wouldn't have a chance at your school then?

Originally Posted by BigRed

I'm considering it as a career change but I'm 52, is it worth getting a PGCE and going for an international school teaching science/computing or had I might as well do a TEFL? Would I get a reasonable job at 52 with no experience or would the international schools always go for someone younger?

Most likely you would struggle to get a decent international school at your age without experience... however, sometimes it can happen. Quite often an older applicant means more reliable.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by killerbees

Hell, I met a guy one time who was Dutch and had a sixth grade education and he was teaching at a government school.

Was his name John Van Cutsem?

MtD: I wish I could remember. This was a few years' back and it was a brief encounter, as they say.