ESL Jobs Forum

[mrmazinkle]

Can someone please clarify the qualifications needed for teaching ESL in Thailand.I have a higher National Diploma(2 years Full time university) I also have Trinity Tesol cert.I have been told that without a degree I will be unable to get a teachers cert.and thus a visa and work permit.I realise that many people teach illegally in Thailand ,doing border runs every so often.For myself this is not an option.I appreciate any help in this and thank you in advance for your reply....Bill Llewellyn..bonzerpom@yahoo.com.

[laura1d]

Hello,

This is a tough one. I have read in SO many places that you need to have a degree to work in Thailand legally..

BUT

I have a tefl and NO degree. I have worked here at a state high school for nearly two years now. I am totally legal, I have a work permit and a teacher's license from the government. I pay tax / have a non-immigrant B visa etc etc

Hope this helps.
Good luck
Laura

[Guest]

laura1d,
I'm a DoS in China at the moment, but I have been in Asia for a number of years.
Here's the deal with teaching in Thailand (and parts of China, and very soon, ALL of China:
They do, indeed, require a first degree. That's the bad news. The good news is that they are not very particular about where it comes from. This is true about China and, I believe, Viet Nam and worth trying in any Eastern Asian country.
What you can do is go to:

http://www.boxfreeconcepts.com/magicmill/creatediploma.html

There, you can just make a degree. Some of the school names are clearly silly, some have some level of verisimilitude, but in my personal experience it just doesn't matter at all. I have one teacher who got his work permit on the strength os a BA in Anesthesiology from Keg College, Presley School of Medicine or something like that. It's just a complete piddle-take. No one seems to care.
My advice would be to be honest about the dodgy origins of the degree, unless you are just a very cheeky sort and want to act as though it's real.
Either way you are likely to find employment and no one will ask about the degree.
If it is against your morals to do such a thing, then don't seek work in Thailand. Because you can probably get a job, as mrmazinkle did, but the employer will make a phoney degree on your behalf and not tell you. It is that commonplace and that little of an issue. They don't think anything of it. I don't even think anyone finds it amusing anymore. it's just part of the paperwork.
G-

[laura1d]

OK, Confused now,
The last message was addressed to me - but I did not post the question.

Secondly, I am working, legally (as mentioned before) in Thailand without a degree.
It is (as far as I am aware) a degree OR a TEFL. We looked at it all when I applied. I have not written that I have a degree anywhere - and am frankly suprised a DOS would suggest lying and buying a fake one!!!!!!!!

Be honest, be yourself, list the qualifications you have genuinly earnt and see what happens.

People that lie about qualifications are wrong. Don't even consider going down that path.
Laura

[unionjack]

Hello Laura

I find your post quite interesting.

Altering the truth does happen quite alot in third world countries, especially among the natives. Unless they do this, their families would starve. For instance, it is quite common to alter their birth certificates, so that they can get a driving licence earlier. This is usually done by a doctor and he will correct the certificate at a later date, when that person reaches the correct age for driving. There are ethics in this because he won't alter the certificate anymore after that.
They don't consider this kind of activity as cheating but more of helping.

[laura1d]

Unionjack,

Hi,

I agree that there are many cases where people alter documents. It is a fact of life (even in England).

To be honest if people want to do it then dig out.

I just personally think that for a DoS to come onto a web page like this and suggest to a stranger that they falsify documents, lie to a government authority and get a job under false pretences is bizarre!!!!

I have just been trying to give the original 'poster' an actual answer to their question.

But, you know what.. - whatever! Makes no difference to my life.

Laura

[unionjack]

Hello Laura

There is no doubt that your experience will have helped the original poster but it will also help many others, looking in on this forum, who don't have a degree.

I look forward to reading your posts.

Many thanks

UJ

[sigmoid]

As Laura, it is possible to legally work in Thailand without a degree IF you have a TEFL cert.

It seems to depend a lot on the requirements of the school. But it does seem that the vast majority of teaching jobs in Thailand do require a degree.

Thus, by not having one your job search will be quite limited.

At the same time, I would strongly recommend against forging or falsifying any documents as doing so could possibly get you into more trouble than it is worth.