Beauty's only skin deep
Young, good-looking teachers don't always have the upper hand you know
If you're not a handsome, beautiful-looking teacher, you may want to look away now. The latest Twitter craze among Asian academic students is to share photos of their gorgeous new English teacher on-line and show the world how lucky they are.
Teacher agencies
Do they deserve such a bad press?
I first wrote about the topic of teacher placement agencies (TPAs) back in 2006. Back then, there were relatively few TPAs recruiting foreign teachers in Thailand compared with the number who operate today - but even in those early days, there were certainly a good few complaints about them.
Par for the course
Inevitable Thai government school issues
Anyone who has ever worked in a school of any kind in Thailand can tell you that you're bound to run into a fair share of issues: getting work permits and visas, pay discrepancies, untruthful job descriptions, and the lot. That said, and correct me if I'm wrong, it seems that Thai government schools are the worst of the lot.
Finding a job in Thailand - the basics
From one newbie to another
If you're considering coming to Thailand on your own to find work as an English teacher, I promise you can do it.
A word of warning!
Postbox letter from Anonymous
We had the bad luck of finding a great school in Trang, but our agent wasn't really up to scratch!
An overview of teaching in Thailand
I thought this might be of benefit to new ajarn readers in particular
I was asked to fill in a questionnaire by my old university on the topic of teaching English in Thailand. Although it was intended to encourage applicants to take a Thai study program in Germany, the information might be useful for those teachers thinking of coming to work here in Thailand.
News from up't north
Postbox letter from Geoff Richards
The good news is that because the Teacher's Council of Thailand is trying to rigorously enforce the need for all foreign English teachers to sit the tests for a TL, many schools are now finding it difficult to retain staff.
Can you teach science?
A simple question that led to a most unbelievable runaround
I got an interview for a science teacher position here in Thailand. The owner of the education employment agency started by asking me how long I plan to stay in Thailand. I said, "A long time because I like Thailand." He asked me what I like about Thailand. I said, "What's to not like about Thailand?"
Word of warning on a dodgy agency
Postbox letter from Mol
Unfortunately, the agency curse in Thailand has struck again. We have had the pain of dealing with a certain agency in Trang.
Does Thailand want to keep its teachers?
Postbox letter from Jonathan
I think it is plain to see that Thailand has to change the way it operates. The fat cat agency owners are making a killing ripping off teachers. The school directors are pocketing money to buy their Mercedes instead of buying what the school needs.
