I would say it is highly unlikely that international schools will make up for lost time during the Summer break. I work at an international school in Bangkok and I am not aware of any schools that will do this. I can only see this happening with smaller schools that have had parents complain about paying full fees for online learning.

Most of the feedback I have seen online from parents with students at decent schools has be very positive and supportive of the distance learning that their children have received. Additionally, a lot of teachers are planning to move to new schools over the summer and will not be available to continue working at their current schools. I, for example, have accepted a job in Vietnam and hope to move there in June/July, covid permitting.

I will add this may be the chance for someone with a little teaching experience and a degree in a specific subject to make the jump into an international school as a late hire because someone from abroad can't make it to Thailand in July.

Josiah

The sinking economy in Thailand is going to put a huge dent in the future of TEFL teachers here. People will be out of work, lots of them. They won't have money to pay language school fees, let along regular school fees and many university students will have to take an unplanned gap year. Unemployment could be hitting 20% by the end of May, and the economy here is expect to contract around 6 percent, the highest of any ASEAN member country. Foreign teacher pay is the LAST thing they will be thinking about. They will hire Filipinos on the cheap and that will be the new normal. Khrusapha rules will stay the same.

Bill

With regards to university admission numbers, as someone who works at a high level government university, I don't believe that the numbers in Thailand will decrease too much.

The big decrease will occur in the numbers of Thais going to universities in the UK, USA, Australia and other countries. They will have less money and have the risk of CoVid as a good excuse, so Thai universities could benefit this year.

As Chinese universities are oversubscribed, more Chinese students are also choosing Thailand. My workplace has certainly seen an increase in applications. Some private universities - those providing weekend and evening courses - may suffer as their students are at the bottom end and maybe won't have funds for tuition. However, a number of private universities might pick up students who move down from slightly better institutes.

Fewer Thai children are going to schools overseas, but some do and more of this group will stay in Thailand, which will filter down the ladder. Maybe some of the "the owner once went on holiday there" international schools or private schools in tourist areas will suffer, but overall I think that numbers will be dissimilar.

Also, I think the potential decrease in teachers will match the reduction in schools. Many teachers went home for natural reasons and many more because of the CoVid situation. With no new teachers arriving before July, teachers already in the country will see more and more opportunities. I work online and my hours have increased 6-fold since January. This might be reduced as the Chinese go back to school but if you have experience and are being badly treated by your agency then there are many more agencies and a seemingly endless supply of kids.

If you are negative, negativity will find you. Be positive, look for the opportunities.

Rob, Bangkok

When schools re-open, governments schools are likely to have increased budget constraints (this crisis will most likely result in a shift in government spending and a sharp decease in government revenue) and they are likely to be forced to reduce expenditures by reducing the number of foreign teachers.

The loss of millions of jobs throughout the economy will likely result in fewer people being able to afford to send their children to private schools and the reduction in both the number of students and revenue will require a reduction in spending, most likely including on salaries.

What the impact of the crisis will be on university enrollment is not clear, but an economic dip of this severity will likely result in a reduction in enrollment as well and could even make the international programs less attractive. But the impact is likely to depend on the severity of the economic decline.

With so much of the Thai economy based on tourism and foreign trade, my guess is the economic impact is going to be worse and longer lasting than many people are considering. I hope I am wrong. And without foreign visitors and a huge reduction in foreign trade the demand for English speaking staff will also decline cutting into the jobs available at language schools.

And I suspect every qualified teacher and millions of unqualified English teachers around the world are applying for online positions, not all of them are going to find any work.

I am generally an optimist, but we can't shut the world's economies down without major impacts on people's lives and I don't think anyone has an answer on whether the world will soon get back to normal or we should prepare for a new normal.

Just my thoughts, I don't have a crystal ball but I do quite a bit of research on the impact of economic conditions on individual lives.

Scott

Looking from a broader economic perspective with the shutdown of the world’s tourism industry and a major reduction in global trade, it seems close to a certainty the global demand for English teachers, along with many other occupations, is not going back to normal anytime soon.

From a political perspective, with already over 7 million Thais out of work and unemployment reaching record proportions globally, those of us living in Thailand but coming from other countries might have trouble getting help from either our home or Thai government.

Even if it were possible to return home, the competition for the few open jobs would be expected to be intense, and it is likely the majority of language schools in Thailand will not return to normal, in 2020, anyway. I suspect when government and private schools do open back up it will be with far fewer English teachers.

I have no specific advice, each person is going to have to figure out a strategy to get through this crisis, much like the millions, maybe even billions, of other people around the world affected by this situation. The world’s economy is based on its productivity and a global shutdown ends nearly all production and this is going to have a lasting economic effect which is going to take a long time to recover from, even if the world comes back to normal in the coming months.

So far, the number of deaths in Thailand have been fewer than the number of fatalities from traffic accidents in a typical weekend, but it appears the economic impact is just starting to be felt.

I have always tried to have the strategy when living overseas of having multiple streams of income just in case of an emergency. I am still able to work from home from both my day job and my secondary jobs, so in the short term I am much better off than many people but there are no guarantees about the future. Although just about everyone else in my family, both here and back home, have lost their jobs.

Stay safe and sane. Easy to say, but I suspect hard to do when one is not sure where the next meal is coming from.

Scott

Regarding students studying online while schools are closed, if students are stuck at home, then they will probably have access to the internet on multiple devices already. Shouldn't the focus be on rolling-out user-friendly apps and programmes for actual learning, rather than a blank digital canvas? Also, how many schools have tablets sitting in an unused 'library' or 'IT' room. Not many schools have a thorough tech-support system in place though.

David

I just want to thank "Hector" for his brilliant letter (Postbox 23rd March 20012), under the heading "Immigration must show leniency."

I think we should all pitch in and write letters or call Thai immigration directly, hoping that they will see the logic in keeping all people , including foreign teachers, where they are.. until the worst of this is over. Border runs are nearly impossible right now (I'm still trying to figure it out and need a new non-B in early April).. but since there is no actual physical need to leave the country (just a longstanding and normally wise national security policy), a simple policy change (to accommodate a humanitarian crisis) would save thousands of people and their schools from some very big headaches in the near future.

The Ministry of Tourism has advocated for forgiveness on overstays for tourist visas; but the people who come here to teach are committed to education and the success of Thai students. We deserve to be treated with compassion, and I hope that Thai Immigration will announce something to accommodate teachers in the very near future.

Mike

During this period of the coronavirus pandemic, it is clear that social contact needs to be avoided as much as possible. At present, I only go out to buy food and drink at the two shops on my doorstep. I take all the precautions possible, such as using the communal alcohol hand sanitizer in my condo building as I leave and re-enter. My current extension of stay ends in May this year. I have a new job starting straight after. It is notoriously difficult to just 'swap' employers without leaving the country, which is why 99.9% of people end up doing a quick visa run to get the new non-B. There will be an attempt to extend without leaving on a visa run, but it may not be possible.

Obviously, visa runs are not looking like an option this year for those changing jobs. People also need to go to immigration for other reasons, such as proof of income for other visas.

Surely it's time for the immigration dept in Thailand to try and stop people needing to go to their packed offices at present? As a UK national, flights home are being canceled left, right and centre anyway right now. Furthermore, if I went home I would need to stay with my parents who are in a high risk group. My wife also has health issues which put her in a high risk category.

My message is this. If Thai immigration make me choose between overstaying or risking the lives of my mother, father and wife by getting on planes or going to their packed offices every other week, then it's a no-brainer for me.

I will not be risking the lives of those very close and dear to me because of Thai bureaucracy. The staff at the immigration department are also putting their lives (and the lives of others) at risk too. It's now surely time for some common sense?

I suggest scans of visa page to be emailed to Thai immigration who could then post/email a slip to be printed and kept inside people's passports. These slips could be exceptional extensions of stay due to a humanitarian crisis (or however they want to word this). They could be done 60 days at a time, for example. Then when this is over, transferred into passports for people to either extend (workers, retirees etc) or go home within a 7 day period. Payments for the extensions could be made via online banking or at a 7/11, for example.

Compassion, common sense and understanding needs to be shown towards all during this devastating period. My big concern is that xenophobia will rear its ugly head and the lot of us will be rounded up and booted out if food shortages/hospital beds become too scarce.

But overstaying versus risking the lives of others close to me, is absolutely no contest in my book.

Good luck everyone.

Hector

The recently declared pandemic has brought to light the terrible situation that exists regarding health insurance for teachers working in Thailand.

Many schools and agencies provide only the most basic accident cover. Those that do provide some sort of health insurance, generally only issue very basic cover with daily limits that severely restrict the sorts of things that can be claimed for.

This is not a situation that is simply confined to agencies and low end of the market jobs, such as government schools but also one that affects many so-called ‘international’ schools. Many of these schools require professionals who have education-related qualifications to fill their roles. I don’t believe that it’s unreasonable to expect decent medical cover.

Some may argue that it’s the teacher’s responsibility to provide cover for themselves. However, salaries are already very low in Thailand for teachers and the cost of living has risen sharply over the last 5 years. Additionally, lots of schools and agencies are only providing their staff with 9-10-month contracts and decent health cover could amount to more than a month’s wage for many.

It is fair to say that the government should probably provide some sort of cover for foreign teachers who work here legally. However, recent comments made by the health minister are indicative of the contempt in which Westerners are held by this current regime.

Even without the outbreak of Covid-19, Thailand now has some of the worst air pollution in the world and some of the deadliest roads.

Ultimately, when making a decision about where to teach, one should consider the level of health cover being provided by an employer. If you find yourself in a contract that does not provide adequate cover and you don’t feel safe, now might be a good time to consider your options.

When this pandemic comes to an end, there will be a plethora of schools and agencies across the region looking for teachers. Make sure that you put your own well-being first and when looking for a new job in the future, you chose a nation and school that takes good care of their staff.

Ant, Bangkok

Thanks for your support guys (Tony and Tim on Postbox). I know I have it easy compared to many and have little to worry about. Yes, I could go elsewhere but I have a wife/family here so not so easy. I had a great offer from China recently, but that's a no go now due to the Coronavirus outbreak. I was never really sold on China anyway, despite the great offer (around 130,000 baht a month).

We plan on living in the UK in the end, as I can't stay out in Asia forever. I'm thinking of pensions, possible medical bills as we get older if we stay here, not to mention the difficulties in staying here (visas) if you need a few months off sick (I'm never ill, nor is my wife, but as you get older you never know, of course).

Let's be honest, as soon as you're of no immediate use to the Thais (or anywhere in Asia for that matter) you've got to go (unless you have a huge pension in place or are a millionaire). "You've got a Thai wife? What's that? Been here twenty years without as much as a parking ticket? Paid a ton in tax? Off you jog, son. And do it today or else."

There is no loyalty from the authorities (or most schools if you say, broke your legs in a car crash that wasn't your fault and needed two months off) here. No pressure groups on TV lobbying government for your rights to stay, like back home in the West. It's a one-way street when it comes to rights for foreigners as far as Asia and many other countries are concerned. Not saying they're wrong either, it's just the way it is. And I accept it and that it's not going to change anytime soon.

And yes, I could stay here longer (but lets' see what happens with this damn Coronavirus first!). I have been offered a job now about 10,000 baht / month less than I would normally expect as a minimum, but it's a good school and I also have just been accepted for an online teaching job with Dada (China), so my overall income will be reasonable, at least, but I'll be working hard for it! Pretty much 7:30 a.m. to 8.00 p.m, doing two jobs (weekdays only though). I will get about 8 weeks paid holiday though.

Therefore, we can live in a house near a beach for 3 or 4 years and save about 30,000 - 35,000 baht a month until we go back to the UK (the wife has a job too, but will need a new one when we move). So, I should, and will, stop moaning. It could be much, much worse. It is what it is out here. I accept that. Thanks again guys, and good luck to you too.

Old Bloke, Bangkok