I was thinking of finding myself a teaching job in Thailand. However, after a lot of searching, interviews and demo lessons, I gave up because:
Schools don't hire teachers anymore - only the agencies do that.
Some schools have the nerve to ask for some kind of guarantee in case the teacher destroys materials.
Schools either don't seem to provide accommodation or have no idea where teachers can get it.
Not even the Thai English teachers can speak English or at least understand it - so in a Thai school, you are on your own.
All the schools expect the teacher to be some kind of buffoon, a clown, and to entertain the students, not to teach them.
Agencies will very often lie about the salary, accommodation, working hours and school location. Sometimes everything seems to be cloaked in mystery.
Agencies will sometimes tell the teachers to lie about their qualifications, nationality, etc in order to get them employed. It just isn't in my nature to do this.
The nationality matters more than the teaching experience.
The teaching experience matters more than the teaching skills.
The teaching experience matters more than the English language knowledge.

George

You missed out a fourth option Jack ("We all have choices" Postbox 25th May) and that is to leave Thailand, work elsewhere and come back for holidays. Welcome to China where education is taken seriously, teaching is an average of 15 to 20 (45 minute periods) per week and when all the free stuff such as accommodation, electric, food . . . is thrown in, it's easily worth the equivalent of 60k+ baht a month. No ‘extra activities’, ‘forced’ attendance in summer camps or ‘compulsory’ sports days. The atmosphere is usually serious but friendly and older teachers are rather more welcome than 21-year old blond/e haired ‘backpackers’.

I do still look on Thailand as my ‘home’ and have a wife and house there, so my post is not sour grapes against the country itself but rather at the reality of what’s going on. The ‘happy, happy’ teaching methodology, the exam cheating, the corruption, the influx of unemployed people replacing the tourists . . . . . a developing country that relied on tourism is now wondering where all the money has gone! In less than eight months, despite normal everyday expenses, I have saved 170k baht to bring back to Thailand in the summer holidays, something that was impossible when I worked there.

That’s why the salaries are dropping and teachers are leaving at an alarming rate; money and in many cases the horrendous working conditions. China welcomes teachers and experience with open arms, as does Vietnam and South Korea. Teachers are now leaving Thailand and if tourism doesn’t come back soon, (unlikely given the deep recession the west is in), Thailand will once again sink back into oblivion and its third world status.

James

Yes, ESL job wages are pretty crappy and the salaries are lower here (considering inflation) than they were 10 to 15 years ago. So what? I see you have today, same as in the past, three options.

1. Bitch about it and be miserable (and maybe unemployed)
2. Accept it and enjoy English teaching for what it offers despite the low pay
3. Change careers

It didn’t take me long when first coming to LOS and finding an English teaching job to realize there wasn’t any future from a financial perspective in teaching English. I am glad I chose option three without much delay. I can understand the frustration, but you make your own choice and blaming ‘Thailand’ or some unspecific ‘they’ for your situation is unlikely to help you to any extent.

By the way, bitching about salaries is universal and has little to do with teaching English in Thailand in 2012. The market decides teachers’ salaries, not bitching and moaning. You can’t change your past choices, but you do control your future. Which of the three options will you now choose? Choose wisely!

Jack

I notice a lot of schools have gone from paying monthly salaries to only offering hourly wages with no benefits other than a canteen lunch. Over the past year, I’ve seen at least two schools go from paying 35k-45k per month to only offering 500-600 baht per hour - and that’s what they were paying teachers well over 15 years ago! The salaries and conditions keep getting worse with every year. I know African teachers from Kenya and Sudan teaching English legally in Cambodia who make more money than this - without a degree or any formal qualifications such as a TEFL certificate. And they can have nice, large apartments with beautiful views for $125 a month.

Lisa

It seems the only thing required in most schools right now is to be a young “fresh face”. Experience is not appreciated (or paid for) in most cases. With the ASEAN economic community just around the corner, this is an interesting development. It is just what the country needs to help it develop for ASEAN - a fresh crop of inexperienced teachers. Fantastic. Thailand is about to be knocked out of the Asean ball park. With countries like Vietnam - which seems to be far more serious about education and English language acquistion, and the 300 Baht a day fee (which means a lot of manufacturers want to move to neighbouring countries) it is interesting to see Thaland still does not take this reality very seriously.

Marvin

Just got a reply from one of the regular school posters saying that due to MOE (Ministry of Education) rules, that they can not employ anyone over the age of 60. This is news to me; is it news to others or have I just not researched the MOE rules? I feel like I've been spinning my wheels here for weeks sending CVs and emails and not getting any results. Could it be my age and no one has had the time to tell me this except one school? What does anyone know about MOE rules? Is there an English website to verify this rule?

Phil / ajarn.com says - Richard, your letter is a bit confusing to be honest, even though I get the gist.'Regular school posters' where? Who are 'they' in the first sentence? - a school that employs you, a school that wants to employ you - or the Ministry of Education? The lack of response to you e-mailing out your resume could simply be down to the schools looking for younger teachers couldn't it? It's not necessarily anything to do with MOE rules.

Richard

Although it still states on the Thai Immigration website that the issue of re-entry permits is at the discretion of the immigration officer, a "new" service is now being offered prior to passport control. I had to make use of this service when my local immigration office was closed on 10th of April for a special holiday. In a panic I phoned the 1111 number to ask if it was possible, given the special circumstances, to get the permit at the airport. I was told it was, and to arrive very early, have my TM 8 filled out, a 2 inch photo and copies of my passport and work permit.

I arrived with all the required documents and checked in for my flight about four hours before its departure. then I went to look for the place to do the permit. As it was it couldn't have been easier. There is a special desk at passport control 2 - and I didnt need any documents either. The man waved away my completed TM8 and filled it in for me on computer, then took my photo - all I had to do was sign. He then took it to the immigration officer and got my permit stamp, all in about 10 minutes.

This service is offered for a fee of 200 Baht plus the 1000 for the permit, and is available at passport control 2 from 06.00 - 24.00, and you have to have already checked in for your flight. You can then either go through passport control or head back outside!

Del

With regards to last months article in the Bangkok Post about government schools receiving a 10,000 baht subsidy for employing a native English speaker. I read one letter in the Ajarn postbox which stated that government schools were already receiving 50,000 baht per month for employing a native English speaker. I was wondering if anyone can confirm this statement as true? It seems that ALL native English speakers have heard about this new 10,000 baht per month, but no-one seems to know anything about this 50,000 baht already allocated to government schools. Might be interesting to confirm this and see what reaction this is going to cause amongst the native English speakers employed in government schools.

Dennis

Regarding 'so many hurdles' (ajarn postbox 28th March) Where is the surprise? The addition of the proof of English speaking ability (TOEIC/TOFEL/IELTS scores) by non native speakers was added to the list of basic requirements last October (and posted about on various teacher forums). The requirement of 20 hours per year of ongoing professional development (certificates of self improvement) is also nothing new for those who continue to be employed as teachers. Five years in and pretty soon you can expect them to start looking at/for your TCT teacher's tests / license as well. The criminal background check has always been on the list - even though it is hardly every asked for. Ignorance is not an excuse. Time for everyone to get up to speed.

Ttompatz

I am a non-native English speaker from Europe but I've been teaching here in Thailand for five years now and never had a problem with documents and being employed as a legal teacher. But now my school have told me that according to The Ministry of Education website (which I cannot check because the info in question is only available in Thai apparently) - I need to satisfy all of the following requirements.

Firstly I need to show the school a TOEIC score of 600 or a TOEFL score of 550 or an IELTS score of 5.5. I also need to show them a 'self-improvement certificate' from the last academic year (something I have never heard of) and finally, my school have told me that I need to obtain a criminal clearance report from my country of origin. They won't accept a CCR that's been obtained from a police station in Bangkok.

Suddenly, life here has just got ridiculous. I have a degree in architecture. I've done the Thai culture course and obtained the certificate. I have a non-B visa. And I'm registered with the Teachers Council of Thailand and have had a valid work permit for the past five years. Why is teaching here now so problematic?

Ajarn says: Yes, it's a lot of hoops to jump through but have you thought that there is just a slight chance that the school doesn't want to employ you anymore. And rather than tell you to your face, they are just putting these obstacles in the way in an effort to force you to quit. It may not be because they are unhappy with your performance. Perhaps they simply can't afford to employ you anymore or they are looking for a cheaper option and this is their way of saving face. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

Fozzie