Working with no work permit

[boloa]

I have had a woman from the Local Adult Education Centre come to see me 3 times now begging me to help here with English lessons at her Centre.

I told her I would help her if she can guarantee I will have no problems form the Immigration Office about not having a work permit

She says Me and the Wife will have to go on a 2 day Seminar in Surin and then I will have to only help for 15 hours over a period of 2 weeks. She tells me they will say I will be working for free but they will pay me 200 baht an hour ( it started at 150 baht ,maybe I could asked for 300+ ) ,pick me up and take me to the Seminar and to the Adult Education Center for the lessons.

As you can see I wont be doing this for the money but only because she seems fairly genuine and desperate for help.She has told my wife if she can't find a farang she may be fired ....this bit sounds like BS to me and maybe just a way to talk me/us into helping her.

So will it be OK for me to help without a work permit?

Is it worth all the hassle for 3000 baht ?

I want to say no to be honest .......but then again I don't mind helping out the Local Adult Education Centre as they seem to be in dire need and I'm a nice guy.

All advice would be appreciated

[Zooheekock]

It's not uncommon for official state organizations like this to hire teachers who have no official status/documentation. I can see why you wouldn't want to do it but your chances of getting grief over it are extremely close to zero.

[jamescollister]

Technically you need a work permit, but if you are on side with the local hierarchic you should be safe. The few farangs that live out here all work, one even has a car yard. None have WPs, remember it's the labor department that catch illegal workers. The immigration don't really care as long as you are legally in the country. There is always a chance something can go wrong, but the back blocks of Issan are not the same as Koh Samui, Pattaya or Phuket.. They aren't going to come looking for one farang helping out in a school. Jim

[Necron99]

A mate in Prachuap has been hired by the local plod to do weekly classes. He is retired with no WP. They know he doesn't have one.

[Bangyai]

Is it worth all the hassle for 3000 baht ?

Straight answer ..................... no !

If you're hearts not in it don't do it as you will probably find it a hassle. I used to get sucked into stuff like this years ago until I learned to say a polite but emphatic NO !!

A good way out is to just name a price they can't pay and say you already have an offer for that amount elsewhere and as much as you would like to help can't afford to knock back the big bucks as you also have a family to feed.

[boloa]

The lady from the Local Adult Education Centre has spoken to her Boss and to the Department of labour who have confirmed to her she was asking me to break the law.I don't think any-more Expats will be getting offered any local jobs on the side in my locale from the ADC.

[Phuketrichard]

u problay will have no problem
BUT
if the lady has enemies and reports you as working, you might be visited by immigration/labor dept and than ur screwed.
Is it worth the chance?

[boloa]

u problay will have no problem
BUT
if the lady has enemies and reports you as working, you might be visited by immigration/labor dept and than ur screwed.
Is it worth the chance?

Agreed.........I tried to explain to the lady from the AEC that the reason she wasn't having much luck finding local English people to help her was because nobody wants the problems if they are caught working ( albeit the chances are small ) and of course the hourly rate she wanted to pay !! .I told her I would help if she could get a letter from the Labour Dept giving me permission to help her.Knowing this would never happen I used it as a sort of get-out clause for not helping,BUT if she had received permission I would have helped.
She told me she has found a Thai English speaker to help her........I guess soon all the locals with be speaking Engrish velly good .

[English Noodles]

▲Some Thai I know speak better English than many native English speakers. Some can even use paragraphs when they write.

[boloa]

▲Some Thai I know speak better English than many native English speakers. Some can even use paragraphs when they write.

One of the reasons I'm not an English Teacher,but if I get a TEFL cert then maybe I would be qualified,many think they are !!!

[Pragmatic]

If you're hearts not in it don't do it as you will probably find it a hassle.

All the farang I know that got suckered into teaching didnt last long for one thing or another. The schools are now using contract teachers from 'Cameroon'

[poorfalang]

All the farang I know that got suckered into teaching didnt last long for one thing or another. The schools are now using contract teachers from 'Cameroon'

many yes but if they can get a a western they will pick a western.

[Phuketrichard]

All the farang I know that got suckered into teaching didnt last long for one thing or another. The schools are now using contract teachers from 'Cameroon'

many yes but if they can get a a western they will pick a western.

If they have a white person teaching, they can charge more as well
and Thai's seem to think because your white and speak English you can teach

[poorfalang]

Quote:
Originally Posted by poorfalang
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pragmatic
All the farang I know that got suckered into teaching didnt last long for one thing or another. The schools are now using contract teachers from 'Cameroon'
many yes but if they can get a a western they will pick a western.
If they have a white person teaching, they can charge more as well
and Thai's seem to think because your white and speak English you can teach

absolutely right,
personally i know many natives that cannot teach, no ability, its not all about accent,