It is highly recommended that you look through the following
Frequently Asked Questions as there are many important aspects
involved with traveling to and working in Thailand that we sometimes
forget to ask about
Q. Will I be able to save money or pay off student loans while
working with in this project in Thailand?
A. This is simply a matter of the lifestyle you are prepared or are
able to live. There are people who claim that trying to live off
less than 30,000 baht/month is difficult, and yet there are teachers
that are able to pay loan payments and live a comfortable lifestyle
on the same salary. If you are able to adjust to the Thai lifestyle,
weather and food, than you will be able to save money. If you
require western style food all or most of the time and need western
amenities (t.v, stereo, dvd, personal computer, 24 hour air
conditioning, etc.) than you will be waiting for pay day every
month. *In general, if money is a major concern for you at this
point in your life, then you may be happier working in places such
as Korea, Taiwan, or Japan that are able to offer much higher
salaries than Thailand.*
Top
Q. How much money will I need to get set up and to live until I
start receiving my salary?
A. Again, this will vary on your needs and abilities to adapt to
Thai lifestyles. As your accommodations are provided during the
course and during your teaching time, you will only need to worry
about accommodations if you arrive prior to the course and 5-7 days
between the TESOL program completion and beginning of the teaching
assignment. Accommodations in Bangkok are available from as low as
200 baht/night or as high as 6000 baht/night. On average you will
probably want to spend about 500-800 baht for a decent place. You
will receive your first pay after 1 month of teaching, so you will
need enough money to last you at least 6 weeks. It is recommended
that you bring (or have at your disposal) a minimum of 30,000-45,000
baht (about $1000-$1500). Any ATM cards with PLUS or CIRRUS can be
used at most Thai bank ATM’s.
Top
Q. What is it like teaching English in a Thai government school and
Private schools?
A. Working in a Thai schools are different than working in western
schools, where most people tend to work
Benefits of working in a Thai School
- You are generally welcomed enthusiastically by the school and the
entire community.
- You have the opportunity make many work/social contacts.
- The students are generally more appreciative.
- You become a part of a team and community.
- You able to learn much more about Thai culture.
- You will teach only basic conversational English (you don’t have
to be a grammar expert, although grammar knowledge doesn't hurt).
- Very little weekend work.
- You receive holidays during semester breaks and often don’t teach
(but be expected to attend) due to many school functions and
activities that fall during regular school hours.
Cons of working in a Thai School
- Large class sizes (40-55).
- You MUST be in school 8am-4:30pm Monday - Friday.
- There can be communication errors/gaps between school and teacher
(that's where TEFL International tries to help).
- Less and lower quality available resources.
- Generally offer lower 'BASE' monthly salaries.
- You will be expected to be involved with school administrative
activities or extra-curricular activities such as staff meetings,
morning assembly, gate greeting and school sponsored outings) – This
is often a benefit for people who like to get involved.
Top
Q. Will I get to choose which city and school I will work at?
A. As we have to take into account both the teacher’s and the
school’s requirements and preferences, we cannot guarantee that you
will be placed in the exact city or exact school that you desire.
However, we will do our best to make both sides happy and have
rarely had any major difficulties in this task. The more qualified
you are, the more options you have. Many factors must be considered.
Some schools do not want couples, some prefer them. Some schools
refuse to have teachers older than 40 working for them, some don’t
care. Some want female teachers, some don’t care. Some require
teachers with experience; some just want good friendly, easy going,
reliable people that will try hard to improve their teaching skills
as they go. Please inform us of your preferences and your reasoning
for them. Your flexibility is appreciated. The sooner that you can
commit, the better your chances will be of acquiring a position that
you desire.
Top
Q. What documents will I need to bring with me to get the Work
Permit and Non-Immigrant B Visa? What is the process?
A. You will need to bring your degrees (copies are ok usually, but
bring originals in case) and any other certificates, diplomas,
awards that you have regardless of their relevance to teaching.
Basically the more paperwork and fancy signatures or seals you have,
the better. All other documents you will need will either be
supplied by us or will be arranged in Thailand, such as Health
certificate, a plethora of pictures, and multiple copies of all your
passport pages.
The process is complicated, arduous, and involves a lot of red tape.
The nice thing is that this is all done for you. 1st - get 3 month
Non-Immigrant B Visa. 2nd - Apply for Work Permit at provincial
Labor Office to match your Visa. 3rd - Take Work Permit or receipt
for Work Permit to Immigration to apply for an extension on your
Visa. 4th - Take new Visa to provincial Labor Office to apply for an
extension on Work Permit to match your new Visa. There are many
other steps along the way, but these are the only steps that you
will be involved in. * We are usually able to obtain the initial 3
month Non-Immigrant B Visa before your departure, however it is not
always possible due to certain countries and variations between
numerous Thai embassies and consulates around the world. Those who
do not obtain a 3 month Non-Immigrant B Visa before departure will
go to Laos or Malaysia prior to their start date (if possible) to
obtain the proper Visa. Most countries may enter Thailand on a free
30 day transit Visa.
Top
Q. What are the students and schools like?
A. As we generally only work with schools in Bangkok and adjoining
areas, the schools are generally quite high in resources. Most
schools have beautiful campuses, All will have either a blackboard
or whiteboard. Some will have TV’s, CD players, DVD players,
overhead projectors, etc. Government schools will simply have fans,
but occasionally some classrooms have A/C (most teachers’ offices
have A/C). Almost all Thai schools have computers and access to the
internet for their teachers. How fast it will be is another
question. Usually school cafeterias have good food at an extremely
low price. The students are almost always extremely respectful
towards teachers. Because of large classrooms, it can get loud
during your English class, but they are almost never malicious or
overtly rude to teachers. They might not listen because they don’t
really like English, but that is no different than when most of us
were in high school in a subject we didn’t like. In the smaller
cities/towns, you will be treated with awe and reverence for the
first few weeks with students being very shy and running away from
you. A big smile and many, “Hello, How are you?” s later, they will
start to open up and feel comfortable.
Top
Q. Is there any way for me to make some extra money in my free time?
A. While you are not permitted to work with any other company or
school while under contract with us, you are more than welcome to do
private tutoring or lessons throughout your community. Inevitably,
if you are a reliable, fun, easy-going and friendly teacher and
person who is involved with the school and community, you will have
many people approach you to do private lessons. If you sit at home
every night or go to the bar every night, don’t expect people to
come chasing after you. There are also many opportunities to work at
English camps on the weekends or during the holidays. We have good
connections with 2 English Camp organizations that provide camps for
schools year round.
Top
.
