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Special Thai
Project -
Frequently Asked Questions
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
Will I be able to save money or pay off student loans while working with
in this project in Thailand?
How much money will I need to get set up and to live until I start
receiving my salary?
What is it like teaching English in a Thai government school and Private
schools?
Will I get to choose which city and school I will work at?
What documents will I need to bring with me to get the Work Permit and
Non-Immigrant B Visa? What is the process?
What are the
students and schools like?
Is there any way for me to make some extra money in my free time?
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.*
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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.
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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
1. You are generally welcomed enthusiastically by the school and the
entire community
2. You have the opportunity make many work/social contacts
3. The students are generally more appreciative
4. You become a part of a team and community
5. You able to learn much more about Thai culture
6. You will teach only basic conversational English (you don’t have to
be a grammar expert, although grammar knowledge doesn't hurt)
7. Very little weekend work
8. 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
1. Large class sizes (40-55)
2. You MUST be in school 8am-4:30pm Monday - Friday
3. There can be communication errors/gaps between school and teacher
(that's where TEFL International tries to help)
4. Less and lower quality available resources
5. Generally offer lower 'BASE' monthly salaries
6. 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Earn $300/Month for 3-6 months
