Hi,
My girlfriend and I recently went to Thailand and fell in love with it. We'd love to go and work there for a year or so. Does anyone have any advice on getting work, flats or anything?? We dont speak Thai (yet!!) which may be a problem. All help appreciated greatly. |
Not so easy!
Firstly to work you will require work permits. These are arranged by the employer. Unless you are very highly skilled in expert professions or on transfer from your present employer there is little chance unless you want to teach. You will need TEFL course certificates. Pay is very low indeed, and although many do it, it is just 'get by' money, usually around B 20,000 a month. Do be prepared to do without many of your normally 'accepted' luxuries. Teaching is the only option unless of course you have a highly needed skill or have funds to set-up a buinsess, in which case 1 year would not be enough.
Many young people have this idea but unfortunately it is not as easy as many might think. Not trying to be off-putting but this is the case. |
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Hi,
This is a good website: http://www.chopsticks.net/stickman/ Stickman's guide to Bangkok David > > > > > > -- David Williams, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA mailto: [email protected] Meccano Home Page URL: http://www.freenet.edmonton.ab.ca/meccano/ __________________________________________________ _______ (_O__O__O__O__O__O__O__O__MECCANO__O__O__O__O__O__ O__O__O_) |
Thanks for your replies. The site you recommended seemed good.
Has anyone out there ever taught English in Thailand?? Can you give me an idea of what it's like?? |
http://www.khao-san-road.com/work.html
You'll find that most people who have been in Thailand for a while probably got a foot in the door teaching English. There are numerous opportunities for teaching in Thailand, and the good thing about it is it's not necessary to have masses of qualifications to land something worthwhile. Most languages centers (and especially universities and other government organizations) require potential employees to have a degree, but if you are keen and willing to learn, you'll probably be able to get something without one. If you have TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualifications, the range of job opportunities available to you broadens, and the income you can command gets better (even more so the longer you stay here). Ajarn.com If you are interested in teaching in Thailand there is only one really definitive source of information on the topic - Ajarn.com. 'Ajarn' means teacher in Thai, and this site has basically everything you need to know to be able to fully consider teaching English as an option. Developed by Ian - an Englishman from Yorkshire - the site lists a number of local jobs, tips of the trade, and what to go for and what to avoid. Ajarn.com has grown from humble beginnings to a thriving online community of likeminded people. Check it out - it's good. ECC Thailand/First Training As you will see from the Ajarn.com web site - ECC (Thailand) is the largest English language organization in Thailand. With 56 branches around the country, ECC pretty much always has positions available in Bangkok, as well as positions in places a little more of the beaten track (fancy a year in Yala?). Given their size and the difficulties faced by any large organization, ECC are reasonable employers and pay well by local standards. A company related to ECC is First Training. First Training often has positions available for primary school teachers and also has a variety of opportunities for people interested in teaching at Thai companies. We should stress though that both ECC and First Training require native English speakers who have TEFL qualifications and at least some experience, so if you are new on the scene they may not be able to offer you much. Check them out all the same. Newspapers If you have time on your hands and you have very specific requirements of the positions you apply for, you are going to have to do some research. Obviously, one of the best sources of jobs is the local newspaper. The Bangkok Post and The Nation are both English language dailies, and at 20 Baht a throw they often have more teaching jobs listed than you can 'shake a stick at'. Teaching jobs are also listed at the papers web sites, but beware: Positions often get posted onto the net one or two weeks after the fact so don't rely on this web presence to help you get the job you are looking for. This situation does seem to be getting better with the introduction of there new jobs services, but for now - stay current with hard copy just to be on the safe side! Internet Aside from the local rags there are numerous Internet sites that deal with TEFL positions in Thailand. The classic source is Dave's ESL Cafe. One of the veteran sites, Dave's ESL Cafe lists jobs all over the world and it's basically the first place a serious teacher would look for a job in Thailand. A newcomer on the scene is Teach in Thailand. As the name suggests, this site focuses on jobs in the Kingdom and aims to be the middleman between the schools and teachers. A good idea, and we wish them good luck - if it works out this site will help a lot of people out. If you are looking for information on jobs coupled with other information about living and working in Thailand, Experience Thailand and Escape Artist.com might fit the bill. Escape Artist.com is bit more 'ex-pat' in its approach, but let's face it - ex-pat is where the money is! Both have good tips on teaching positions. One final site to visit is TEFL.net. Again, one of the classic sites, TEFL.net is another site that serious teachers would visit first during a job hunt. > > > > > > > |
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