The letters about teaching in Issan without degrees are wide of the mark. For one thing Issan isn’t the “out in the sticks” place that it used to be. Many of the schools here are hiring “native speakers”. The salaries are now on a par with many schools in Bangkok. Also it is not a point of"oh this little place. Oh they cannot find qualified teachers so they have to go illegal.“

If anyone took the time to read the Employment Departments requirements for a Native Speaker then they would know that the requirement is to show “education certificates”. On top of this it is required for the school to make a letter of recommendation.

I have been working legally here in Issan, by that I mean with visa and work permit, without a degree. Never has any money changed hands other than the required fees. I know this because I usually do all of the paperwork myself. And by the way I am working for a school that is currently ranked in the top 50 government schools in Thailand. Hardly a place that struggles to find teachers. So please let’s cut the crap about how things happen in Issan.

Man in Issan