The never-ending struggle of being legal as a teacher in Thailand (visas, licenses, work permits) is such a ridiculously heavy burden that I seriously doubt it's worth it to try to teach here.
For every more-or-less qualified teacher who flew into Thailand already legal and who remained a legal teacher forever, there must be 25 to 99 more who didn't/couldn't . I doubt that it's worth the hassle, considering other detriments to teaching here.
It took 4 or 5 days this week, recovering from a serious motorbike accident, to realize that I never would have taken the trip if I hadn't had to make a #@#$!%^ visa run! I finally hobbled to the border crossing in pain several days late, with a doctor's statement in Thai, and was forced to pay 600 baht overstay, with a black mark in my passport.
I'm a wetback. I'm an illegal alien. I don't have a green card. I'm not much better than a Burmese who was smuggled into Thailand.
I think I'll give my next employer 8 working days to prove they've started my paperwork for a WP. If they haven't, I'll quit.
Is it really, actually worth being illegal? I doubt it.
If you work for a decent school or organization, the paperwork is not a hassle. The two hard parts are:
1. Collecting your needed documentation (diplomas, certifications, etc).
2. Signing the hundreds of copies of everything.
Many good places should have a person whose job it is to keep foreigners legal. THEY are the ones who work with the Labor Department, the Immigration Department, and the MoE in obtaining your paperwork. The only times you should get involved are when your physical presents is needed to:
1. Apply and extend your visa (one trip).
2. Pick up your work permit (one trip).
Visa and work permit renewals, as well as 90-day reporting does not need to be done by you (of your organization has a dedicated "visa person"). Obviously I can only speak about my personal experiences regarding all this paperwork, but my experiences echo what I stated above. I have been on the same nonB for two years now, and have only made two trips to the various departments. Good luck to you, PB.
PS: Good to see you back! Sorry to hear about your misfortunes.
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^ Don't you have to do the Visa renewals once a year in person now? I didn't have to before but the last year or so I have had to?
Riddle me this brother can you handle it
Your style to my style you can't hold a candle to it
Equinox symmetry and the balance is right
Smokin' and drinkin' on a Tuesday night
It's not how you play the game it's how you win it
I cheat and steal and sin and I'm a cynic
My last renewal was in March, and I did not have to show up. Maube next March, I will. TIT - who really knows what the procedures are?
^ GotchaAnd true.
Work for a good school and they do everything for you you just sign and sometimes go with them and show your face. Very easy just get a good job and stop working at these so called schools.
Sounds good. Could we have a couple of real life stories on how many 'good'-looking schools lied about paperwork? And do these schools come with a guaranteed "Good SchoolKeeping Seal of Approval"?Originally Posted by thailand4240
I would say its actually 4 hard parts
1. Collecting your needed documentation (diplomas, certifications, etc).
2. Signing the hundreds of copies of everything.
3. Getting someone in the school who knows what they are doing with TLs and WPs
4. Staying in the same job.
If you transfer schools at the end of the school year and the contract dates dont meet, its a real bugger as even the better schools will turn round and say get a new b. Some schools cant even transfer the TL & WP during the school year - which may be related to No3.. :sad:
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It isn't just the fault of the schools being incompetent. The central civilian non-monarchial govt. of Thailand is so xenophobic and disorganized that the right hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
I don't know what your situation is, PB, but it's nothing like mine. My university takes care of all my red tape (wp, visa renewals, etc)..and if my presence is needed, the uni rep and I go together in a uni van when the timing is convenient.
...majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd...
The rule now is apparently that you must be present in person for the renewal. My office used to do it, but with a recent tightening, the applicant needs to be there in person (although a person from the office still goes with me, and they take care of the paper work).
Just as an idle thought in response to the original poster, one does wonder what would happen if all the "illegals" said "f*ck it" and buggered off. Chaos or "chaos as usual"?
-j-
^ Yeah same as that (I have to go in).
Our uni personnel dept has a person who just does work permits and visas. She looks after it all, we sign, and occasionally have to show our faces. Thats it. So far so good.
My uni does the same, but when I went in about doing a TM on tuesday last week, one was on a personal call, another playing the computer game bedazzled, and the last online with Thailands E Bay, what a joke. I will have to see the head of personnel soon and let him know how efficient his staff is.
Did it by myself.
Too long in Exile, too long not singing my song.
Too long like a rolling stone, Too long in exile
Too long in Exile, baby you just arent my friend.
Too long in Exile my friend, Baby you can never go home again.
Tomcat and MikeS, same thing at my school. My school does all the paperwork, pays for everything, and if I have to go to immigration they pay an agent to go with me. All I have to do is sit there and look 'relatively normal' and the agent does everything. No problem at all.
I haven't had any problems with visas since I got to Thailand though. I've always been legal, and the school got me a work permit very soon after I started this job.
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