Visa Runs Over

[Guest]

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/doc/Immigration_Act.pdf

[waerth]

Well I think this will be an interesting period for many. I had someone offer my services as a part time teacher for conversational English. I have had 6 calls today (only 24 hours after sending resume). But all need full time people. These were different agencies. If I accumulate the positions that they told me about there are 26 classes without a teacher as of now (they all said start immediately please ). That is if all 6 agents were talking about different classes which I think they are. Especially upcountry there is a very high need it seems.

 

I asked with some of them why the need. And they answered many farang skipped and left ......

[Flashermac]

If the Farang skipped and left, that suggests they hadn't provided him with a proper visa and WP. Whose fault is that?

[Mekong]

In the Peoples Socialist Republic they have recently relaxed the Work Permit requirements for native English teachers, before it was degree plus 5 years experience whereas now they accept TEFL plus 5 years.

 

There is a lot of chatter on the Vietnam expat forums about this and from what I have seen whilst casually browsing it does appear many are coming over here from Thailand

[Flashermac]

The Thai Ministry of Education demands a minimum of a bachelor degree and EFL qualifications to teach here, but I've met a few teachers here without degrees. They have the basic CELTA or something similar, which is really plenty for the basic level of English they teach. They work through agencies, which contract to the schools (and skim of part of their salary). I expect the visa crackdown is going to eliminate people like that, since most of them lived from visa run to visa run. VN might indeed be their next Asian home.

[Mekong]

Flash

 

To be honest I do not know the various certification for an English Teacher within each country since it is not a career path of my choice.

 

What I have observed over he past few weeks is the increase in forum traffic from experienced teachers, mainly from Thailand but also from S. Korea asking about obtaining a Work Permit with only experience and a non degree qualification. I don't read every post I just speed read the daily update email I get from the VN expat forum and I see the keywords TEFL, Work Permit and TEFL, I have better things to do than get in deep with the threads since they do not concern or interest me but there are more topics I just breeze over lately.

 

Maybe ASEAN has some part to play in this, what I find surprising is the lack of discussion about ASEAN, Open Borders and Freedom to travel etc on the majority of SE Asian forums, the biggest change in History in SE Asia and not many people discussing its implications. Not that I am worried, nowadays I just look out for myself and family I have wasted too much time on others.

[jitagawn]

I believe I read in the Post yesterday that the ThaI GOUBERNMENT has REDUCED the visa restrictions on Chinese and Taiwanese over the next three

months- Clearly indicating we prefer Asian/tourist traffic during this period WTF?

[Flashermac]

Uh, no. Thailand is China's #2 tourist destination. However, many Chinese were spooked by the protests and the coup and there has been a 25% decrease. The NCPO has waived the visa fees for Chinese and Taiwanese during the next three months to try to woo them back.

[cavanami]

Good to see the "quality" Chinese tourists coming to Thailand :rotl: :rotl:

[jitagawn]

"Uh, no. Thailand is China's #2 tourist destination. However, many Chinese were spooked by the protests and the coup and there has been a 25% decrease. The NCPO has waived the visa fees for Chinese and Taiwanese during the next three months to try to woo them back."

 

Got it.