Intro: My names christian, I am English and 22 years old. I am a former Royal Maines Commando and now I live on koh tao as a diving instructor and also I go to school every day to learn to speak thai. My qualifications are only college level (1 is in English). Other than that all my qualifications are military based on fitness, shooting, teaching weapons and other obvious Commando quals.
What im looking for: I would like to be an english teacher in the bangkok area. I can complete the Tesfa (think thats the name of it i can not remember the spelling) course in Samui before i apply for the job. If so how do i go about getting a job? e.g. do i find a job on here or do i contact schools directly? I am also interested in working in a shooting range or another form of using the skills i have picked up in the Commandos aswell/instead of the school work.
Thanks for reading, any pointers would be helpfull.
Chris
I would get a teaching certificate in Samui as you mentioned, if you are serious about teaching for a while. If for the short term, just try your luck contacting schools that post wanted ads on here. Either route, just contact them from the info poster here and go from there. You may have to start with low pay, but starting is probably the most important thing. If you ever start to dig teaching you will probably remember that first year or two of teaching in a weird ass school with some sort of odd fondness.
On the other note, very interesting skills by the way, I have found that high quality skills here are tough to market. Even if you can sell yourself, and have got the skills, it's not nearly as important as maybe knowing someone. That is just how it is, and probably a big part of the reason 98% of the businesses here flat out suck balls. But I would wish you good luck.... I truly always hope that good people with good skills get good jobs, it just doesn't seem to happen as much as it should here in my opinion.
Resident Troll.
Nothing there (lack of a degree) that would get you a visa or work permit as a teacher.Originally Posted by christian2012
What that basically / probably means is :
i) that you can likely get work as an EFL teacher (yes, getting your TEFL/CELTA certificate would be a good thing),
ii) will likely get low-balled on the salary
iIi) are unlikely to have a proper visa based on that work,
iv) are unlikely to get a work permit (without which you cannot extend your visa)
v) (a) so you will be working on a double entry tourist visa,
(b) doing border runs every 90 days and
(c) paying for 30-day extensions in between.
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thanks for the advice. 30-40k baht a month is plenty for me tto start on untill i pick up some experience. is there rules on what age groups i can work wit? e.g. does it have to be kids or can it be secondary schools/colleges ect? yes i heard i can get work with the thai military or on a shooting range? any info? Yes i do not have a degree and i know getting a work permit might be difficult however visa runs dont bother me if it means getting a job up there.
Thanks. chris
I've been criticized for commenting on the chances of employment, potential earnings, etc. but in my (sometimes less than) humble opinion, since you won't get legal work, you can also expect to:
i) be low-balled on the salary (offers of 20-30k), but you can always try for more. (brush up on your grammar and double check your resume and cover letter for spelling and grammar errors. Nothing will sink you faster (at least not until your interview) that errors in your application when you are applying to be an English teacher.
ii) have issues with your employer (since you can't complain without causing yourself a mountain of grief as well),
iii) skip the idea of long paid holidays, medical insurance or other benefits.
The good news is that you can "teach" to whatever age group you can get hired to teach to.
I strongly suggest a decent TEFL cert as a beginning unless your aim from the get-go is to work with kids.
I can't give any advice about finding work as a trainer / consultant to the military.
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Have you thought of contracting somewhere and then just spending your off time in Thailand?
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My advice, as someone who took my discharge from the military after 4 years of service as it appears you have, is to re-enlist. I don't know the system in GB but in the States I could have retired with a nice little pension and benefits after 20 years of service. That means I could have retired nearly 3 years ago, I enlisted at 18.
The one thing I did take advantage of was having the military pay for my degree. If the Royal Marines offers that it is something to consider. If the life of a Marine was too spartan for you consider another service, your time in will still count for something.
I've enjoyed my life out of the military and I've done many things I would not have done otherwise but there are times I rue the decision to leave, especially when I think about how that pension could be serving me now.
"While Jim is milking the Russian Boar, I'm in the shade of a Baobab tree being served a cool drink by a beautiful young indigenous girl. "
Marlin Perkins
Aloha - Aloha HARD
Christian, as others have pointed out, you have no degree which is a major stumbling block and perhaps is something that people could work around in the past but I can see the regulations only getting ever tighter....
Bear in mind that you need a degree to do even the most menial office monkey job in Thailand and for decent jobs, a post graduate degree is the norm. We had secretaries in my company with masters degrees and you have to realise that you (as a teacher) will slot into the Thai norm referencing system and without an education (they do not count high school or vocational stuff) then you are working on borrowed time and you have no edge or leverage at all which means anyone can take advantage of you and you will be lucky to get the stuff that other people do not want (the bad places to work or the low salaries).
You could make money teaching privates and via contacts but this takes time to build up a network of people who can put work your way or ex students who can recommend you.
I would enroll in a degree first and at least cover your bases in case things tighten up even more an bring enough money to pay your way for the first 6 months just in case.
Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris? Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.
thank you everybody for your help and advice. ok first i can not enroll back into the military and have no intention of leaving thailand. I already get a pension every month witch is enough to pay for rent and food an bills and leaves me plenty over at the end. I have met many people who have no degree and are earning up to 50k a month ust of the standard course people do here. Any where have a good rep for holding a decent course e.g. recognised and help get you work at the end of it?
Haltest - i see what you are saying a basic degree in enlgish is what you think i need? would that mean enrolling at a thai university? if so is the basic degree 3 years? or can you do online degrees?
thanks
I like the University of London International Programme (link below); there is also the Open University to consider!
Home | University of London International Programmes
It is reasonably priced and a good qualification that has a good level of quality. A Thai degree is not worth much and I personally would want to keep all options open if the SHTF with red shirts or other issues that might be (inevitably) looming ever nearer. Always have an exit strategy just in case and this would allow you to do that.
There are many people without degrees who earn well but one thing we can say about the Thai government is that you can never predict what they are going to do and it is always best to prepare for the worst. I know people that have been kicked out of Thailand with no notice and had no way of getting back (their personal items / jobs / relationships) all thus rendered impossible due to something absolutely not foreseeable. A degree makes it easier to get a work permit etc so that you can pay taxes so that you do not have to do visa runs.
Having a degree is not a guarantee but in general, life will throw up fewer curve balls that you have to deal with.
I am also ex-military so I understand where you are coming from and wish you good luck!
Sorry but something doesn't add up here You say you are 22 years old and have a military pension. Sorry but as an ex British military man I can say that it normally takes 22 years service to get a military pension. Apart from the lack of capitals in your mail you have misspelt Marines as Maines
Sorry but I think the closest you have ever come to a Marine Green Beret is in your dreams.So do us all a favour go home Grow up and try again in a few years
The op said that he is 22 years old and an ex marine commando.
He also said in one of his mails he had a military pension that would pay for his food and accommodation
Sorry but people claiming to be military trained killers when the are not set off alarm bells to me. At least he is a long way away from my location
If you want the best, do the CELTA.
However, you better take a few months and work on your grammar and spelling first.
(Hard to teach the Queen's English if you don't know which witch is which.)
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ok first of all let me address 'oldgit' I am 22 i did 4 years and was medically discharged due to service. so don't try and second guess things you dont know anything about. its pathetic and not needed. i dont need to explain why i am out of the mrines already to the likes of you, so if your not helping keep out of the conversation. and i am also back in november seeing famiy so oldgit if your as big as you are typing il be happy to have a little chat with you in person if you feel the need.
i have not heard much bout the CELTA qual any where i can find more details on that? Yes im typing on a forum in text speak not grammer and punctuation checking as i don't see it that important for chatting on a forum. However thanks for the advice il try research CELTA on google hopefully there will be somewhere in thiland i can do this qual if its better than the TEFL.
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