TEFL Phuket News

So, Allie has thus far made the decision to come to Thailand, and we’ve followed her through the course - now how about that job?….

Now, the ‘getting the job’ part…Remember before when I told you that I was neurotic? Things in Thailand, for some reason, happen at a different pace than in the western world…here they call it ‘mai pen rai’ – which means, ‘don’t worry about it!’ Well, worry I did. Having a degree in education, I basically thought I was a shoe-in…that schools would be begging for me to come teach. I had had a lead from a very prominent international school on the island who could not get organized enough to have me in for a demonstration lesson.

Hiring season had just ended for the other international schools and regardless of how many e-mails I sent, the responses were few and far between. Feeling dejected, once again, I started to wonder if I should pack it in and return to New York. Feeling desperate, I began to forward my resume and cover letter to recruiters, hotels and international hospitals regardless of whether or not there was a position posted…someone HAD to need an English teacher, right?

Well, as luck would have it, I managed to land not one but two jobs in one week. I was hired as a full time English teacher at a well-known government school in Phuket Town and on the same day, was offered a job as the full-time English coordinator at Phuket International Hospital, where I am presently employed. I chose this job because it offered more money, smaller classes and better benefits. And to think, just days before, I had been thinking that I might have to pack it in and go home without ever having accomplished what I set out to do.

In addition to my full-time job, I also teach private students at my home in Kathu.

I live in a three-bedroom house that I rent for the same price as my one-bedroom apartment and sometimes, when there is no water, I have to shower in a bucket. I am not where I expected to be leaving New York but it doesn’t matter. My time spent in Thailand has been invaluable and exciting – it has exceeded my expectations in more ways than one and I am grateful for every footfall, misstep and success that has come my way. Like they say here, ‘mai bpen rai’.

As you can see, persistence pays off again, as in any job situation!

Give us a ring, we’ll help you get started!

In our last article, we talked about some of the doubts that hold people from taking the leap into the bright new world of TEFL/TESOL. But beyond the initial fears that everyone overcomes, there are deeper lessons available to you on your travel abroad.

A broader perspective.

This may seem obvious, but you can’t actually put to words exactly what it means to move away from your home country and fully experience another culture by working and interacting within it. The lessons learned (both perceptible and more subtle) will be with you the rest of your life, enhancing your experience and interactions with others going forward.

Going with the flow.

Grace in the midst of change is a quality we all admire in people. However, this is a learned quality, not genetic. Quite often things don’t go as planned in travel abroad, and you come to realize that the picture in your head rarely fits what you experience. Knowing this, you learn to make plans and prepare, and also how to be flexible when things don’t go exactly as planned. With this balance, you gain a level of maturity and flexibility that will help you in your future work, whether it be in education, business, or any other area.

So - don’t wait for these wonderful learning experiences to just happen - take the reins and start immediately in this great opportunity! Enroll now.

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a gateway to the richness of life experiences available to you while on an adventure in a foreign country. Making memories is not a problem - taking the plunge can be. So marshal your courage, set your course and don’t let these three things get in the way…

1 - The culture will be too intense - too much of a change for me…

Thailand is amazing and the more you explore, the more you will experience. At the same time, Thailand is a fairly modern country. Mobile phones, internet access and coffee shops can all be a regular part of your life in most areas of Thailand. Things aren’t exactly the same, and accepting that is part of the adventure.

2 - I won’t be able to communicate…

In the course, you’ll learn to speak enough Thai to be polite and get by. This too, is part of the adventure. Learning a little of a foreign language is very rewarding, the Thai people will appreciate and respect you, and you’ll have a lot of laughs with locals if you take yourself lightly. Plus, you will learn a little of what your students are going thru and it will make you a better teacher.

3- Maybe I’ll be lonely…

Everyone is concerned that they will find themselves all alone in a foreign land. This is completely ridiculous, as the Thai people are so friendly and inviting, you’ll have no problem getting out, going to local events, festivals or concerts. There also are gyms to join, you can continue to improve your Thai, or explore the local holiday areas and connect with expats in the area.  Accept invitations - when folks invite you to go somewhere, remember it’s a great way to make new friends and connect with activities in your area.

We will train you to be a good teacher, your future employers will appreciate your richness of experience and confidence, and you will have the time of your life. Why wait - join us now for a teaching adventure in Thailand.

Even though the demonstrations in Bangkok are capturing the headlines in news internationally, travel into and out of Bangkok and Phuket airports have been going as normal.

We continue to make bookings for courses coming up, and have not received any cancellations. The US State Department, in one of its alerts, stated that, “travel to Thailand continues to be generally safe.”

The protests are limited to only specific areas of Bangkok as the demonstrators focus their efforts, and life continues as normal for the vast remainder of Thailand.

A recent article recently highlighted the bump in visits Phuket is experiencing as a result of people deciding to travel to the quiet island instead of Bangkok.

The current course in Phuket is continuing smoothly, and we are planning on starting our next course on time beginning May 3rd. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

The April course date is approaching fast, so enroll now to secure your spot and jump-start your new TEFL career!

Your new career can begin immediately by taking our Phuket course that begins April 5th! The new term for government schools starts mid-May, and employers are looking for new teachers. Perfect timing as your course ends May 4th - right in the middle of hiring season! Taking our course will ensure you get off to a fast start teaching EFL and gaining valuable experience immediately.

The Phuket school has everything you need to get started: CV assistance, free job placement services, an exclusive online jobs board, supportive staff and an experienced trainer. All this in one of the most exotic locales in the world - the West Coast of Phuket!

There are jobs available year-round in Thailand: government schools unable to fill positions, turnover, international and private schools with various academic calendars, and language schools with open calendars looking for teachers to help with their classes and corporate contracts.

Some of the more frequently asked questions from students making the transition to teaching life in Thailand.

Do I need degree to teach in Thailand?

We have a lot of students with this particular concern. When you research teaching in Thailand you are likely to come across the official standpoint which states that you need a degree to obtain a work permit. In fact, the reality is that it’s very possible to find work here legally. There is a shortage of English teachers in Thailand and this is reflected through the amount of people teaching here WITHOUT a degree certificate. Lots of students without degrees take the course each month and all have success finding work.

What type of Visa shall I enter Thailand with?

You have several options to choose from when it comes to acquiring a Thai visa, they are as follows:

The Education Visa: This allows you to enter Thailand for a period of 90 days on a one-way ticket. We are certified by The Thai Ministry of Education and once enrolled on the TEFL course we can process all the necessary paperwork for you to apply for the Ed Visa at your local Thai consulate in Thailand - Free of charge!

The 60 Day Tourist Visa: Does exactly what it says on the tin. You can apply for this in your home country and enter Thailand for… 60 days! You can actually extend the visa by 15 days for a small fee at the immigration office if needs be.

The Non-immigrant ‘O’ Visa: Just like the Education Visa, this allows you entry for up to 90 days to ‘seek work and/or visit family and friends.’ There is an advantage to taking this visa if you are considering taking some time out prior to starting your TEFL course as you can apply for a 12 month, multiple-entry, non-immigrant ‘O’ visa. This allows you to do a quick run over the boarder every 90 days and get a stamp for an additional 90 days.

The 30 Day Tourist Visa: This allows you entry for 30 days and you will receive the visa at immigration when you enter the Thai Kingdom. We do not actively encourage this type of visa as you may be asked to produce a ticket for your return journey out of Thailand.

Note: you can take the course on any visa and we will assist you in every way we can.

What’s the chance of me getting a job as soon as I’ve become TEFL certified?

In short… Great! The jobs market is full of English teaching positions and we encourage all our students to start looking for work as soon as they begin the course.  For a number of years there has been a lack of English teachers in Thailand and if you are diligent in your job search, you should have something lined up ready for when you graduate. We often see our students stepping out of the training classroom on the Friday and straight into the teachers staff room the following Monday. We’ll give you all the assistance we can; once enrolled you can make full use of our jobs board which has job postings for both Thailand and other countries throughout Asia. Our staff has years of experience working throughout Asia and will give you all the assistance you need. 

How much money shall I bring with me to Thailand?

In comparison to most of our students’ native countries, the cost of living in Thailand is greatly reduced. Excellent accommodation can be found from 6000 to 7000 baht (roughly about $200) per month. We advise you to bring a couple of months living expenses but as prices in Thailand are cheap, most people live comfortably on $900 per month (about 30,000 baht)

The prices quoted here are for life in Phuket:

1 kg of bananas = 20 baht

1 kg of mangoes = 45 baht

Papaya Salad, popular Thai dish = 30 baht

Larb Moo w/Rice, popular Thai dish = 50 baht

Can of Coke = 14 baht

Bottle of water = 10 baht

Beer at a 7/11 = 35 baht

Beer at a bar = 40 ‐ 100 baht

Sunbed on a popular beach full day = 100 baht

One‐hour Thai massage 250 ‐ 500 baht.

Rent for a private, cozy room with bath & aircon = 6,000 baht.

Rent for a small house with sitting room, porch/deck & aircon = 12,000 baht.

Motorbike rental = 3,000 baht.

So your total expense to live, eat, have transport and some fun will be between 15 and 25,000 baht each month.

You may find, as many others have, that there is opportunity to work a little privately as a tutor after school, should you wish to supplement your income.

You’ll be living and working in one of the world’s most desirable destinations with students from all around.

If you have any other questions… why not drop us a line?

Our TEFL graduates are finding English positions all over Thailand; it seems that Asia in general is crying out for people to fill this ever expanding gap in the market. The great benefit for our students is freedom; they have the freedom to change who they teach, where they teach and what they teach. Once you have some teaching experience, backed up with a TEFL certificate, pretty much the whole of Asia opens up to you.

Imagine if you will a country that relies heavily on its people’s ability to speak English and yet only a handful of natives actually speak it fluently. This is the current situation in Asia and this is where the gap in the market comes from. Businesses all over Asia need to converse internationally in English and to take Thailand as an example, they rely heavily on the tourist trade were communicating in English is a necessity for most of the hotels, restaurants, bars, transportation services, tour operators, hospitals… the list goes on - thus the demand for people to teach English. Business owners, parents and Thais looking to broaden their job opportunities realize the importance of learning English and a teacher in Asia is treated with the upmost respect.

With the teaching English job market at a high, students taking the TEFL course have more options than ever before in choosing what kind of teaching they would like to become involved in. The more traditional option, and probably the one with the greatest number of vacancies, is to teach at a school and both government and international schools are always on the look out for new English teaching staff. If you choose the route less travelled by, but one which still has plenty of opportunities, you might want to consider teaching to a different audience and working in a hotel. The teaching methodology is much the same but the interaction with the students is very different. Business English is yet another avenue you could explore, and then there is private tuition, were you have the option to design your own timetable. The great thing is that once you have taken all those fantastic experiences and memories on board from one particular place, you’re free to move on to the next exciting teaching escapade.

The jobs are coming in thick and fast and to help our students embark on their teaching careers we’ve set up a Jobs Board. Once you’re enrolled on one of our TEFL/TESOL courses, you’ll be able to register for access and view all the current teaching vacancies in Thailand. For those of you that want to spread your wings a little further, we also have postings for teaching jobs all over Asia! Once you have your certificate and get registered online, you’re registered for life!

When you make your decision to join us for a course here in Phuket, you have chosen by far the best course with the best location in Thailand.

There are several schools that are licensed to issue TEFL certificates in Phuket, and we’re one!

Here’s a scan of our license (click to see larger image):

From TEFL Phuket

We also have a very qualified TEFL instructor, Jim Heard, with a Master’s Degree in Education and fourteen years of experience teaching in Thailand and Korea; he will be able to impart to you both the most up-to-date techniques for teaching and practical knowledge on how to deliver effective lessons.

We keep class sizes small! Your class will never be larger than fifteen students.

We have the best location in Phuket- just a few minutes walk to the beach! Here we are:

View TEFL Phuket in a larger map

But you don’t want to take one of those courses where it’s just filled with people wanting to sit on the beach, right? You want to be with others who are looking to teach and start a new career. Well, how about a guaranteed job? Yes - take our TEFL/TESOL course, follow our advice, do a diligent job search and you will find work to teach English in Thailand. We will help with CV refinement for the Asian market, provide you with contacts and placement service (for those who excel in our course), and access to our online jobs board that is exclusive to our students and alumni.

Throw in twenty hours of teaching observation and practice to get you into real-life teaching environments, and you have yourself a serious TEFL course. The proof of this is a 100% success rate for people finding work when they do a diligent job search and employers soliciting us for graduates of our courses.

So: spend four weeks in an intensive, serious training course, relax by the beach a few minutes away, and start a new career. Let’s get you going: Enroll Now