Hi expats and those wanting to be.
My first post concerning employment, having lived and worked as a teacher in Asia for five years.
Apart from going into business, which in the worst world recession in living memory might not be such a good idea, the only realistic option for those from English speaking countries, is teaching. I'm afraid that there isn't a great demand for welders and truck drivers and a HNC is simply another piece of paper here. Fortunately, if you have a degree and can speak the business language of the world, you have something most people don't and are able to sell that knowledge.
Teaching in Thailand is now pretty much a ‘burn out' occupation; salaries are low and the workload is extremely high. There are ongoing problems with work permits, professional competence and corruption within private schools. I moved to China to work, where teachers are still welcomed and the salaries high by comparison and the hours low. I get three months paid holidays a year which I spend in Thailand and this will be our retirement home.
It's highly unlikely that as a newcomer, without experience, someone would get a paid teaching job in Pattaya with a livable salary, due simply to the amount of foreigners here and therefore the competition.
If you need any advice as regards teaching in Asia, feel free to ask. I am not a company; if I can do it so can you. I'll simply give you the facts and some opinions based on experience, the rest is up to you.
Working in Asia
Hello,
Its interesting to read your business ads. I'm 23 from Philippines and searching for a job. Is it possible to teach English in China ? Would they welcome me even I'm not an English native speaker? I can study more and enhance my English still though if necessary :-)
Please let me know..
HT
Hi Karren,
My post isn't a business advert. I did state that I am not a company; neither do I work on behalf of one. I'll help if I can and give advice, but I don't make or want to make anything from the help I may be able to give.
I haven't heard that China employ Filipino's; that's not to say they don't, but the posts I applied for were all requesting native speakers only. Thailand do employ Filipino's though, although at a reduced rate of around 15k baht a month.
Your best bet is to look at something like ajarn.com which does advertise for Filipino teachers, although Thailand usually expects their teachers to already be in-country when applying.
Interesting.
From a supply and demand point of view, you seem to be saying, Thailand has way to many shelf stackers, teaching in private schools.
Sound about right?
Karren wrote:Hello,
Its interesting to read your business ads. I'm 23 from Philippines and searching for a job. Is it possible to teach English in China ? Would they welcome me even I'm not an English native speaker? I can study more and enhance my English still though if necessary :-)
Please let me know..
KJ
Given your lack of comprehension, probably not.
Seriously, I think they want native speakers from any of a very few prescribed countries.
However, loads of 'Fillies' here in Indonesia.
Lots of schools use them as cheap 'native' speakers.
I completely understand-not my luck
Thank you anyway
HT
MF
Sort of; that plus the corruption, the amount of cheap backpacker labour flooding the region from a western recession, the ‘Mai pen rai' attitude . . . . . take your pick. Time to move on and Vietnam, China and/or Myanmar, (Burma), seem to be far more welcoming, but with a far stricter criteria and degree of professionalism required.
Just an opinion, but ASEAN just might be the wake up call Thailand needs. 
"Mai pen rai" in Thailand, "Tidak apa apa" in Indonesia or borton norpor norpor" in Java.
All about the same.
In the UK - 'couldn't care less'. Same meaning but in a much different context and with far wider ranging repercussions?
beating the recession wrote:In the UK - 'couldn't care less'. Same meaning but in a much different context and with far wider ranging repercussions?
True.
I have to say, I like the Asian version a lot more than the British version.
There's a sort of, "So I lost $1 million, it'll be okay tomorrow" attitude over here.
I wonder what the rate of stress induced heart problems is like, compared to merry old England.
I've never bothered researching but I can take a shot in the dark.
I've only heard bad things about teaching English in China. The foreigners used to be a hot commodity, but now that they've flooded in, the schools can pick & choose.
mas fred wrote:I have to say, I like the Asian version a lot more than the British version.
There's a sort of, "So I lost $1 million, it'll be okay tomorrow" attitude over here.
When i was in Indonesia, I changed Rp1,000,000 to see what it felt like to be a millionaire.
NOTHING. 
So i guess if you lost a million, the feeling would be the same 
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