Teaching in thailand part 2

Again, more emails I decided to port over. I hope they help.

Fabs:

Hey there Jen!

I woke up this morning with the fantastic idea in my head to teach languages in Thailand.
Could you share some experiences with me? According to your post in the teaching in Bankok group it wasn't too hard to find a job?!

Thanks a lot! :)


Jen:

It really depends what kind of person you are. You do not say very much about yourself in your profile, so I do not know much more to say then that.
I think it can be really good, but teaching is definitely not for everyone. If you are just out here to make a little money while backpacking around Asia, then do not bother. If you want some experiences teaching in a very different environment, then this is a good place to start.

To teach in Thailand legally you need a few things. Either a Bachelor's degree in Education or A Bachelor's degree in - well anything - and a teaching certificate (TESOL, TEFL, CELTA or other). You will also need to have a 3 day Thai Culture class.
If you have a BA or BS the others are not hard to get, and can even be done here in Thailand through a variety of companies, most of which will also find you a job.
It is possible to teach without any of that, they are not technically legitimate positions, but for that you are on your own. Welcome to second world Asia, corruption is not uncommon.

As for Thailand and Thai people, let me be honest.
You might have a bit of trouble proving that you speak English (because you do not come from one of the "big 4" English speaking countries), however if you are White skinned, so it shouldn't be a problem. I know that sounds mean, but its just a fact of life out here.
I really like Thailand. Bangkok is as busy a city as anyone could ask for. It has decent public transportation and most everything a person could ask for can be found here. However, Thai's are very disorganized. They do not take the notion of being "on time" seriously.If that is something that really bothers you, then I would recommend a different county (like Japan, maybe). Also, in Euro or Dollar comparison you will make very little money here. However, since everything is Thailand is very cheap, you will make plenty to live here.

I hope that helps. My best suggestion is to do your research. There are tons of stories on the Internet. Personally, I was supposed to go to Korea originally, but after reading what others had to say, I decided on Thailand. I am really glad I did, because I love it here and I think I will stay for an extra semester (or maybe the rest of my life).

Please let me know if there is anything else you want to know.

ลาก่อน,
Jen


Fabs:

Do you have any experience with schools that provide the teaching certificates? Prices and when courses start?


Jen:

I only know about the one I attended. It is called ATI and they are a USA based company. The course in thailand was about $950 which included 3 weeks of hotel room, and the class in Bangkok. It also placed me in my current school.
i would highly recomend a TESOL course, because they teach a lot about teaching methods.

their thailand website is http://www.tesolcoursethailand.com/

I know there are a bunch of other schools out there too. I just havent taken their course, so I cannot say either way. Search TESOL, TEFL, or CELTA on the net and you should find some.
There are lots of scams though, so I suggest using an escrow or backed credit service.

One thing to keep in mind about Thailand though is that you can only stay here for 30-90 days at a time before you have to make a visa run to one of the bordering countries. Its a good opertunity to go see new places, but it doesnt hurt to buy a multi-entry visa if your country allows it. They can really save money in the long run. You will still have to make a border run, but you wont have to stay overnight in the other countries, or go to the Thai Embassy there. I wish someone had told me that when I went to school.