#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Teaching In Thailand >  >  Obtaining a B visa in Thailand with postgraduate certificate and associate's degree?

## TeacherBelgium

Hello everyone,

I'm a 24 year old student from Belgium. 
I have been toying with the idea of teaching English as a foreign language overseas in Asia for quite a few years now. The countries that have crossed my mind were Thailand, Japan and China. All three of them require at least a bachelor's degree in order to be granted a B visa to work on as an English teacher. 

I don't hold a formal bachelor's degree. I do however hold an associate's degree in paralegal studies and I do hold a postgraduate certificate in strategic management and leadership. 
A bachelor's degree sits on level 6 of the European Qualification Framework. My associate's degree sits on level 5 of the European Qualification Framework. My postgraduate certificate sits on level 7 of the European Qualification Framework. 
Following this logic I do hold credentials that are even higher than the ones that are being demanded (minimum a bachelor's degree).

Do I stand any chance to be granted a B visa with my qualifications?

I'm fluent in English, French and Dutch. I also speak a bit of German. 

Kind regards, 
Vincent.

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## Dragonfly

:rofl:

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## TeacherBelgium

May I ask what's so funny?

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## TeacherBelgium

Did I say or do something wrong?

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## taxexile

Einstein



> All three of them require at least a bachelor's degree in order to be granted a B visa to work on as an English teacher.


Einstein



> I don't hold a formal bachelor's degree


What was your question again?

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## TeacherBelgium

The postgraduate certificate is on level 7. So I thought that it would be a valid ground to apply for a visa. It says at least a bachelor's degree. I have at least a bachelor's degree. The post graduate certificate. Why is my question provoking such heavy reactions?

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## TeacherBelgium

> Einstein
> 
> 
> Einstein
> 
> 
> What was your question again?


Also, please do not forget that there are a lot of teachers out there that are using forged documents to teach English as a second language to Thai kids. 
Yes, I may only have an associate's degree and a postgraduate certificate, while you perhaps hold a PhD. Yes, you may look down on my credentials. However, please do not forget that my credentials are real and self-earned. I didn't buy them in a print shop somewhere.
So I would appreciate it if you could use a little less cynism towards me,  for explaining my situation. 
Kind regards, 
Vincent.

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## Topper

Thai officials aren't going to be looking at whether your degree meets a certain level in Europe.  

They'll simply be looking for the word "Bachelor's"  and not too many schools are going to jump through the hoops to hire a non native speaker where the school has to explain the teacher's credentials to the Thailland Teacher's Council.

Sorry, but that's the way it be.

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## jabir

When this is over bars will be lowered everywhere and in most metrics. Give it a try, Thailand will need teachers, has always needed teachers, and in time its top brass might wake up to the obvious.

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## TeacherBelgium

> When this is over bars will be lowered everywhere and in most metrics. Give it a try, Thailand will need teachers, has always needed teachers, and in time its top brass might wake up to the obvious.


I don't think Thai government will lower its expectations just because of the Corona crisis. This is just a temporary discomfort, not an eternal punishment that will change the world forever. 
So I think after reading all the comments on here that I will just need to let go of my idea of teaching English in Thailand. I will try to look at a country that does evaluate documents on a case by case basis. That way my postgraduate diploma will be done more honor than if I were just to beg for a bottom of the barrel job position just because I don't hold that one document that they want to see. If all they are going to scan for is the words '' bachelor '' and nothing else is taken into account then I should just let go of the idea of Teaching English in Thailand.

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## Shutree

An Australian friend with an MBA was turned down by the Teachers' Council because he didn't have a Bachelor's degree.
Frankly, I wouldn't bother spending time here waiting for them to tell you "No."
Although, as Jabir says, no one really knows what things will look like once Covid is past. And if you are willing to work in some of the more remote towns it is possible for a school to get a work permit for a 'consultant' or some other workaround job title. Or some people just wing it on a tourist visa and no work permit. Which is not the answer to your question and is not my recommendation.

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## TeacherBelgium

> An Australian friend with an MBA was turned down by the Teachers' Council because he didn't have a Bachelor's degree.
> Frankly, I wouldn't bother spending time here waiting for them to tell you "No."
> Although, as Jabir says, no one really knows what things will look like once Covid is past. And if you are willing to work in some of the more remote towns it is possible for a school to get a work permit for a 'consultant' or some other workaround job title. Or some people just wing it on a tourist visa and no work permit. Which is not the answer to your question and is not my recommendation.


Yes, that's what I figured after reading all the comments. There is no point in putting all my energy into looking to teach in Thailand to be treated like disposable crap once I'm over there. Might as well look at a more open-minded country in that case.

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## Happy As Larry

> Why is my question provoking such heavy reactions?


Have you spent anytime reading the board?

As to your question I agree with Topper. Admins will look to take the easy way.

If you are dead set on teaching then i would suggest China/Japan would offer more potential for earning and career/professional development.
If you are intent on living in Thailand then that is another story

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## Neverna

If you want to work in a school, contact the Teachers' Council of Thailand and ask them if you would qualify for a temporary teaching licence with your qualifications. If they say yes, someone might be willing to hire you. If they say no, you'll have to think of other options. 

คุรุสภา

Address:
General Contact
Mailing Address :
Secretariat Office of the Teachers’ Council of Thailand
128/1 Nakhon-Ratchasima Road,
Dusit Sub-District, Dusit District
Bangkok 10300
Website : คุรุสภา | สภาครูและบุคลากรทางการศึกษา


Teaching License
Registration and Licensing Bureau
Phone: +66(0) 2280 1728
Fax: +66(0) 2280 1728
Email: teeranuch@ksp.or.th


Foreign Affairs
Foreign Relations Unit
Email: fru@ksp.or.th

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## Neverna

> I'm a 24 year old student from Belgium.


I notice you are still a student. Do you want to teach in SE Asia only briefly while you are still a student or more long term once you have finished your studies in Europe?

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## TeacherBelgium

> I notice you are still a student. Do you want to teach in SE Asia only briefly while you are still a student or more long term once you have finished your studies in Europe?


Hi, 
I definitely keep the option open to teach long-term in Asia. 
I wouldn't mind truly relocating if the conditions are good. 

Thing is that it works pretty demotivating when people treat me as if I were a college drop out with no credentials to show for. Yes, I might lack the bachelor's degree but I so hold that associate degree. Here in Belgium an associate's degree is a short bachelor's degree. You see everything that the bachelor's degrees see, just in a shorter trajectory. Associate's degrees here are 2/3th in length compared to the bachelor's degrees. In the US associate's degrees are 1/2th in length compared to the bachelor's degrees. 
My postgraduate study had as an entry requirement that I should possess a bachelor's degree. They still let me in. 
Now I have a certificate that is ranked higher than the demanded bachelor's degree and the Thai government will just skip it as if I were completely unqualified? 
It works very demotivating to read these things to be fair. Especially since I will be traveling with genuine reasons to develop more teaching experience. I'm not going there to drink and party and have sex every night. I'm going there to work. 
Sadly, I'm still told that I'm unqualified. 
Because I don't hold that one single paper that the Thai government will scan for the words '' Bachelor's Degree ''. 
Ah well, goodbye expat dreams. 
Will stay where I am or consider teaching in a western country where they do look at credentials on a case-by-case basis.

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## Bettyboo

> Yes, that's what I figured after reading all the comments. There is no point in putting all my energy into looking to teach in Thailand to be treated like disposable crap once I'm over there. Might as well look at a more open-minded country in that case.


If you have a Belgian passport, that won't be accepted by many countries as a non-native speaker. Here's a relevant article, but fundamentally it says you're looking at: India, Cambodia, Argentina, Romania and China as possibilities. 

Native English Speaking Countries as Defined by TEFL | Premier TEFL

Some schools may employ non-native speakers such as filks from the Philippines, sadly these salaries are on a lower scale although the work is equal or more than a native speaker...

There may be better options teaching French?

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## Dragonfly

> May I ask what's so funny?


Thailand has an oversupply of cheap English teachers, they don't need another one

do your research FFS,

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## TeacherBelgium

> Thailand has an oversupply of cheap English teachers, they don't need another one
> 
> do your research FFS,



You mean cheap as in ''incompetent and unqualified''?
In which case that would be a prejudice. 
What makes the first, the best American the best teacher? Teaching is being able to bring your skills over onto other people more than anything else.

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## Dragonfly

> You mean cheap as in ''incompetent and unqualified''?
> In which case that would be a prejudice.


yes, unqualified, and in Thailand it's not a prejudice, it's an asset.

It's a country dominated by incompetence and mediocrity, on every level of society, so why would you want to associate professionally with any of them?

desperate people will come to Thailand to work as English teachers, leave that job to the English natives, they need it to escape their miserable UK island

Come to Thailand as a tourist, much better, or setup your own export business, that could work. Anything else is going to be very painful. 

Plenty of examples in this forum of English teacher idiots who are stuck now in Thailand because too poor to move out,

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## nidhogg

^^ I would not bother arguing with Dragonfly.  He is Belgian, and we all know what they are like.....

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## TeacherBelgium

> yes, unqualified, and in Thailand it's not a prejudice, it's an asset.
> 
> It's a country dominated by incompetence and mediocrity, on every level of society, so why would you want to associate professionally with any of them?
> 
> desperate people will come to Thailand to work as English teachers, leave that job to the English natives, they need it to escape their miserable UK island
> 
> Come to Thailand as a tourist, much better, or setup your own export business, that could work. Anything else is going to be very painful. 
> 
> Plenty of examples in this forum of English teacher idiots who are stuck now in Thailand because too poor to move out,


Are you Belgian too?
Or is that person who made that comment mocking my nationality?

Why do you have such a pessimistic view of people who teach English in Asia? It's quite noble. Teaching is not something one purely does for the money. It's also because you enjoy applying your knowledge and skills and seeing others apply it on their turn.
It's not because I wasn't raised in English that my English is worthless by definition. Belgium invests quite a lot in the language skills of its youngsters. We get taught English here in primary school. Grammar included. It's also safe to say that my English is quite okay since my entire postgraduate study was given in English. They didn't offer those courses in Flemish/Dutch.
Are you taking the piss or were you genuine about the pessimistic view you have on a career as an English teacher in Asia?

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## Neverna

Do not listen to a word Dragonfly has to say on any subject. He is not here to impart knowledge or help people. He is here to wind people up and get involved in shit-fights.

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## nidhogg

As I said, the poster known as dragonfly is a Belgian.

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## Dragonfly

> Are you Belgian too?
> Or is that person who made that comment mocking my nationality?


the usual retards here seem like to insult certain members using the Belgian nationality, don't pay attention, they are idiots  :Smile: 




> Why do you have such a pessimistic view of people who teach English in Asia? It's quite noble. Teaching is not something one purely does for the money. It's also because you enjoy applying your knowledge and skills and seeing others apply it on their turn.
> It's not because I wasn't raised in English that my English is worthless by definition. Belgium invests quite a lot in the language skills of its youngsters. We get taught English here in primary school. Grammar included. It's also safe to say that my English is quite okay since my entire postgraduate study was given in English. They didn't offer those courses in Flemish/Dutch.
> Are you taking the piss or were you genuine about the pessimistic view you have on a career as an English teacher in Asia?


not taking the piss, just warning you. Teaching is indeed a beautiful vocation, but here in Thailand, it's a business, and it doesn't help that all the losers of the world choose that only profession here to pay for their lifestyle here. The Thais have enough of them, and rightly so.

Don't have to listen to me or the other usual twats here living on a pittance with less than 100K THB a month, you can learn the hard way if that amuse you  :Smile:

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## Neverna

> Teaching is indeed a beautiful vocation, but here in Thailand, it's a business, and it doesn't help that all the losers of the world choose that only profession here to pay for their lifestyle here.


Here in Thailand? 

 :rofl: 

You live in Paris, not Thailand.

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## taxexile

Tintins idealism and sense of dedication would be better appreciated by the japanese rather than the cynical and opportunistic thais who would only take advantage of him. 

In japan he would be treated with the respect a teacher deserves as opposed to the nit picking, bullying and humiliation he would encounter at a thai school where standards are non existent and everyone passes exams regardless of their abilities.

And thats even before the onerous immigration and labour department procedures come into play.

Thailand is a destination of choice for for tourists, retirees and losers, not for those looking to further their careers.

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## TeacherBelgium

> Tintins idealism and sense of dedication would be better appreciated by the japanese rather than the cynical and opportunistic thais who would only take advantage of him. 
> 
> In japan he would be treated with the respect a teacher deserves as opposed to the nit picking, bullying and humiliation he would encounter at a thai school where standards are non existent and everyone passes exams regardless of their abilities.
> 
> And thats even before the onerous immigration and labour department procedures come into play.
> 
> Thailand is a destination of choice for for tourists, retirees and losers, not for those looking to further their careers.


Why tintin :-p ?
To be honest, Japan or China would be the holy grail to me but I don't think I could enter the country. I'm probably not smart enough by Japanese standards. Cambodia is another option that I'm keeping in mind. PP is a nice city from what I've read.

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## Topper

Lots are teaching in Vietnam as well.

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## Chico

Teacher Belgium excuse the imbeciles on the board many of them have recently been let out of the Asylum.

Listen to the English teachers they have been in Asia many years.

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## Bettyboo

Why down we all try to be positive and supportive.

Yes, OP, you can come to Thailand, you can get a teaching visa and you can find a job. Life is good.

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