This must be very outdated. The process for getting a teacher's visa in Thailand (non-B) is anything but simple (as of my experiences with Jomtien immigration in May 2016 when I was last there).

First, I needed original proof (housebook or letter from owner) of where I was staying. If the accomodation you are living in is owned by a farang (condo) then you need this letter from the Thai building owner. If you are staying in a hotel/hostel, you need a letter from the owner of that (whether or not they are actually in town/country doesn't matter to the officials, you still needed it). This then had to be authenticated by the city hall.

Secondly, I needed to get my (original) degree certificate sent over from the UK. A photocopy would no longer suffice. It had to be the ORIGINAL certificate.

Waiting for the required documents to arrived was a long and stressful process (what if they got lost in the Thai post?!)
My time on my tourist waiver ran out and I had to take a border run to Cambodia (getting a grilling of who I was, what I was doing in Thailand and why I was there from the stern Thai official at the re-entry border).

I was then told to obtain photographs of myself including one of me "teaching" students, one of me with a Thai colleague and one again stood by the sign for the school name at the front gates (although when I questioned them asking me for pictures of myself teaching without a visa that allows me to teach would have been illegal, they became agitated and said "I tell you already, why you no understand!?" Of course nobody in Jomtien immigration office spoke English or even explained anything to my Thai partner when I took her with me. It seemed they didn't even know the rules themselves. The request for photographs was way beyond Thai logic and the whole thing would have been hilarious if it wasn't so stressful).

I then waited for more than a couple of weeks for my monumentally incompetent school admin to produce the contract and proof of my employment document.

In the time waiting for this, my 30 days again ran out and I took a weekend trip to Kuala Lumpur, getting another 30 days (and another grilling off Thai immigration at Don Muang).

Thirdly, I had to take this to be legalised and authenticated by the British embassy of Bangkok.

I was then told after that I would again have to go to Bangkok, this time to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cheng Wattana, waiting for several hours while this too was legalised. This involved 2 separate trips to Bangkok, the iron-faced officials didn't think to tell me this before so I could go to both places in one trip (luckily I lived in Pattaya so it was only a hour there but I dread to imagine what a nightmare this would be if I lived in Isaan/somewhere rural as Bangkok is the only UK embassy in Thailand (to my knowledge).

Only then after countless signatures and criminal-esque mugshots was my mountain of paperwork considered acceptable to the Jomtien immigration officials (although they did say several times in earlier visits that I paid them 10,000 baht, this would all be done "no problem").

After at last getting my Non-B, I was then told by my school secretary that I would need to have my original deed poll certificate (my degree has a different surname to my passport as I changed my name) sending over from the UK. This had to be the original, a photocopy would no longer suffice. This was the last straw.

All this ordeal for the chance to earn a measly 32,000 in a country that obviously doesn't want foreign teachers there.

And should you decide to change employer, be prepared to go through the WHOLE ORDEAL AGAIN.

At this point, I decided to call it quits on Thailand before returning to the UK, then onwards to moving to a language school in Italy.

Not once did I encounter a friendly or even remotely helpful immigration official in "the land of smiles". I've travelled a lot around Asia (and a lot of the world) and have never faced such a complete farce as trying to get a teaching visa in Thailand. It is the most xenophobic and nationalist country in all of SE Asia. Never again do I plan to try teaching in Thailand again and good luck to any of you planning to head out there (make sure if you are at home you take all your original documents with you and prepared for maximum hassle/harassment from these cretins!)

(Note this was my personal experience in May 2016, not that faced by or to be faced by all teachers in Thailand).

By Jay, Italy (19th March 2017)

I wrote a year ago about my years experience in Thailand. The visa process is easier in China even with the current changes in Chinese policy. The tangible benefits are much better than Thailand actaully there are no tangible benefits in Thailand except a relatively decent salary of 30 000 Baht per month as opposed to 50 000 Baht in China with a spacious free apartment. Lots of extra work in China so you can easily earn more than 70 000 Baht if you are willing to work hard. The pro's of living in Thailand. Beautiful scenery, cleaner air and friendlier people in general. To sum it up in a nutshell the quality of life in Thailand is better but the tangible benefits in China are better. I taught in Thailand for a year and have taught in China for over 10 months now and renewed my contract with my language center.

By Stuart Williamson, Wuhan, China (30th June 2016)

I am seriously thinking about China, after 2 yrs in Thailand w/ damn little saved up. I am an American, have previous teaching experience in KOR, etc, but I can say that , unless you are coming into Thailand w/ a FAT bankroll, no loans etc, then u will not likely enjoy the scene too much, or even gain much by the time you finish, UNLESS your home country's economy is down below Thailand's. Simple as that.
If you are uber-qualified, you may land some dream job at around 50-60 k bht, but how many people do you know have that ? .....Thought so.
On the other hand, u can easily save up nearly 800-900 USD per month in KOR, w/out even trying that hard (unless u drink, which i don't ).
That means , among other things, you also can tour KOR and see things and live a little, go climbing, etc etc w/out being a bank executive or some such thing.

I came to Thailand in May 2014 and, after pretty much working nonstop here, I have saved little more than 100,000 bht to this point, owing to numerous out-of - country business trips for visas etc etc. As an American, 100000 bht is not enough even to return home with, so I now must contemplate China just to make up for lost time, monetarily.

I am not out to convince anyone of anything----you will find out for yourself. I find Thai people to be really hospitable and fun, and yes, the climate is conducive to cycling, beaching it etc. Thai students are fun, and courteous too----even more so than KOR students, in my book (and I LOVED my KOR students ).

So I say, come to Thailand for the cycling, the beaches, the motorcycling and the culture, but bring IN lotsa USD and plan on not having to count your pennies, or else pick a different country. Teach for the cultural experience, not for the money, and you will love it !

By royal, southern Thailand (10th March 2016)

Its ironic to hear people's experiences and viewpoints , I have been teaching English in Thailand for one year but fed up because the immigration process is a nightmare. Some people do strike lucky getting good agents or schools who know the process of getting you a Work permit which is a requirement to work legally in Thailand. In order to get that you need a Teachers License or a waiver on a teachers license which you can renew for a second year. You do need a Bachelors Degree, TELF, TESOL or CELTA certificate and if you are a NON NATIVE SPEAKER, in the Kingdom of Thailand South Africans are not recognized NES teachers and therefore have to do a TOEIC test exceeding a score of 600. Don't if is a relatively straight forward and yet to have met someone who has not exceeded that score from South Africa and the Philipines. Like I said in my personal case it was a nightmare. My agent who said would take responsibility in getting my work permit and he did manage to get it for me did not apply for the waiver on my Teachers Licence so I go the work permit from the Labor Office and then went to the immigration office to get the one year extension visa but was denied because we did not have the letter from Bangkok exempting us from having the licence. I had to do four border runs in one year because of the lack of knowledge. Yes I have learnt my lesson and will do more research and contemplating teaching English in China. I have heard mixed stories from different people. Look Thailand is a very beautiful, warm and friendly place plus the cost of living is good excluding alcohol and going out lol, the cost of living has increased dramatically but I think that is global. My personal experience with the immigration process has been a nightmare but others have striked lucky. My advise to you is do your research before you take on an adventure like this. I will say my time in Thailand has been up and down but sadly did not end on a good note. Just remember the Labor Department, Immigration Department and the Teachers Council work separately from one another so the Thai immigration process is a complex one but if you have a good school or agent you will be lucky but in my case was not lucky.

By Stuart Williamson , Songhkla, Thailand but lives in Cape Town, SA (26th May 2015)

I totally agree with Thomas Husted's post. I taught in both countries and found Thai students to have behavioral and discipline issues (not as bad as us Americans though) and would never want to teach in a Thai high school again. Especially after seeing how lazy the Thai teachers were overall and how much they envied us farangs. China has been soulless and bland in many ways, but good in others. Teaching in China has been good, but it's not as fun outside the classroom as Thailand.

By Ted , China (17th February 2015)

Please forgive me for saying this, but your opening statement is not true and I feel it somewhat unfair for you to misguide any people that are looking for accurate information.

To follow is factual information:

1. A 30 day entry arrival is free when visiting Thailand but certain countries are still exempt from this ruling. Please note... This entry stamp does not enable you to change or be able to obtain a visa in the Kingdom of Thailand.

2. Tourist Visas for Thailand are not free, they have to be obtained from a Royal Thai Consulate outside of Thailand. The tourist visa is available for a maximum of 3 entries. Each entry is valid for 60 days and then you are required to leave the country (usually goung to Cambodia) and re-enter using another entry stamp. The cost of the Tourist visa varies in different countries but averages on around £25 GBP per entry. Link for UK Visa information http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/49

3. Changing the tourist visa to a Non-B visa is not a simple process. This can only be done in Bangkok-Chang Wattana Immigration. There is a fee for changing the tourist visa to a Non-B, the fee is 2000 thai baht. The process of changing the visa is not a simple one and requires a number of original documents from the school (letters of acceptance etc.) This process can take hours not 20 minutes!

Finally, I would like to give you my thoughts of living and working in China and Thailand.

Thailand is a beautiful country and is geared up for accommodating westerners, this is mainly because, for nearly 100 years, Thailand has had a lot of western influence, especially from the U.S.A.
China has only recently opened its doors to the west and, although developing at a vast rate, is still fairly novice in terms of western cultures.

Thailand used to be a relatively cheap place to to live. Food and drink prices are increasing and salaries have remained stagnant for over 15 years. So in terms of wanting to earn and save money as a teacher in Thailand-Forget it!

In China, the cost of living is far lower than in Europe or the USA. The salaries in China are fairly modest and it is possible to earn and save a decent amount of money every month and still live a comfortable lifestyle.

I can only give my input on living in the south of China as I haven't ventured to the northern provinces yet. But I can safely say that I am more at home here in China than I was in Thailand.

In a nut shell... Thailand has a honeymoon period, where everything is magical and sometimes surreal. But after living there for a while, your eyes start to see the other side and the rose-tinted glasses you once wore will start to fade.

Happy ventures to all those embarking on a career in South East Asia, I wish you luck.

Cheers!

By Stephen Roxburgh, Guangzhou (17th February 2015)

I don't recall the work visa being free for Thailand, nor stress free. I vividly remember a painful trip to Laos, at a sizeable cost - as do all others I work with.

By Matthew, Rayong (26th February 2014)

Hi,
I was confused as to what he meant by people are always grabbing and bumping him and he gave the school example about being bruised up. Is it that the Chinese don't have concepts of personal space and bump into you without saying excuse me and that?

Thanks!

By James, A CPU (6th August 2013)

Hi,
Are the downsides he mentioned "normal" in China? I used to live in CGN/HCMC Vietnam and that used to annoy me to no end, such as cutting in line, blatantly picking your nose, trying to overcharge foreigners, childish behavior, and so on. I've heard mixed things about China, some people say the Chinese are friendly outside the huge cities, others say they have no manners and are shysters. I know not all Chinese would be bad, but I would get annoyed being exposed to that. Here in Thailand there's all the provincial "farang" stuff to deal with and a 1/2 arsed approach to teaching, but overall I like the people and outside the tourist infiltrated parts, it's a decent place to live. But, good job to the author, what he wrote seemed accurate and was helpful! :-)

By Ted Ciccone, Thailand (6th August 2013)

Actually, in Carl's situation in China, one of the places he worked at was exceptionally nasty, even for China. Once his honeymoon period is over, and I agree that that's what it is, he will, in my opinion, still prefer Thailand. I do agree mostly with what Lisa said, but it's good to know that Thailand isn't completely saturated with teachers.

By WK, Internet (11th July 2013)

Lisa I think part of the reason there is a surplus of Teachers in Thailand is they allow just about anyone to teach who is from a native english speaking country and you can get away with teaching here in on a tourist visa which happens all the time. In Taiwan for the most part you have to have a 4 year University degree and your not going to get away with teaching on a tourist visa either. So China and Taiwan are strict about both these things while Thailand they are not even though they may pretend to be it's a joke.

By Thomas, Taiwan (8th July 2013)

Phil, if you are talking about English teachers who are willing to work for 15,000 baht a month full-time, then yes you can say there is a teacher shortage. But if you are talking about jobs with average salaries around 40,000 baht per month, employers are telling me they get over 50 CVs for each and every opening. There is a teacher surplus in Thailand, not a shortage and it's driving the wages down. The opposite is the case in China.

By Lisa, (7th July 2013)

I have worked and lived in both, and find generalizations about entire countries (especially China with it vast diversity between regions and 1.3 billion citizens) are not very useful.


I made a lot more money in China, but have always preferred to live in Thailand, but as I am not an ESL teacher I am not sure how much my experiences would apply to most Ajarn readers.


Comparing “Thailand” to “China” might make for an interesting read and provoke a string of comments, but is not very useful. Some jobs in China might be better for some individuals than some jobs in Thailand, and the opposite is also true.


Ok, go ahead and get back to disagreements over wild and inaccurate generalizations

By Jack, In a nice chair (5th July 2013)

Lisa, are you saying that Thailand isn't hurting for teachers? I would disagree with you 100% - Phil / Ajarn.com

By philip, (5th July 2013)

Sounds like the author is still in the honeymoon phase of being in Thailand. Stay a while and see if you are still the same. Chances are, you'll get sick of the exploitation, low salaries, fake respect, corruption and rudeness all the way around, same as China. But the main difference in Thailand is that you can be replace by 50 other applicants tomorrow, so if you don't like it, their attitude is 'too bad, then leave.' In China, they are hurting for teachers so you're aren't so easy to replace.

By Lisa, Thailand (5th July 2013)

In reply to Andy UK; I did meet a couple of rather odd characters whilst in Hong Kong last year. Once was redneck from some mid-western ‘ville and the other a Hungarian. Both had diplomas, but no degree and both got the ‘Z’. Having said that, their salaries were terrible and reflected their lack of a formal education.

I don’t think you can compare Chinese student capabilities with the Thai’s. Communism means that from an early age students are taught to follow and not to lead, or think independently, hence the reciting parrot fashion. What you can compare is the effort put in and unless you’re at the high end in International schools, ALL teachers in Thailand have problems with student laziness and copying. I’ve heard of ones who didn’t, but never met one in real life who I worked with.

Thailand is over rated and best left to Charles to cope with, on a 10 month contract with pocket money? Isn't working somewhere for 9 years an awful long time to hate being somewhere?

By James, China (4th July 2013)

I worked in Thailand for a year and China for a couple years.

It sounds like the author has a wonderful job in Thailand, and didn't get the best one in China. For me it was the exact opposite. I had a fantastic job in China, teaching dedicated students, and an iffy job teaching less-motivated (but polite) Thai students.

In my personal experience, I've found Chinese students work 10 times harder than Thai students. On the other hand, they seem to have a harder time with creativity -- and that's a big deal. In one year in Thailand I saw many different creative performances during a "Dating show" activity, but in China the classes seem to parrot eachother.

I prefer teaching in China, but let me be honest, we're comparing relatively similar students. In my first year I taught in Ukraine... oh wow... now THAT is a contrast. I still have the figurative (and literal) scars.

By Zappa, China (4th July 2013)

Your mileage doesn't match my own. One anecdotal saying is that in Thailand, 1 plus 1 can equal 3, as long as there are flowery stickers on the border of the paper.

Your experience with Chinese students being less ambitious than Thais certainly doesn't match up with my own. On the other hand, the Thai visa is much easier, the lifestyle is more pleasant/laidback, or at least far cleaner. I now understand why the Chinese spit so much, as there is constant solidification of phlegm due to pollutants in the air.

Andy from UK, the official law as of 1 July is the Chinese government is tightening up on illegal working (on tourist or business visas), and you do need the diploma for the properly legal Z visa. But TIC (this is China) and the enforcement is done by provincial governments. In the coastal cities there's too much competition from properly qualified people, but in cities to the west, further inland, the demand for NES is much higher. There's also other work such as acting, modelling, posing as a "foreign CEO" signing multi-million yuan contracts, etc.

By Sam, near Shanghai (4th July 2013)

This article reads like bizarro world. Which Thailand is this guy working in?

I've never worked in China, so can't and won't comment too much on the author's experiences there. However, I will say his Chinese students sound far more ambitious than most Thai students I've encountered; that is a good thing in my book.

With 9 years of teaching experience, and presumably a degree, the author likely landed a good gig in Thailand; it certainly sounds like it. And for what it's worth I'm happy for the guy.

Nonetheless, the tone of this article is all wrong. Seems he believes his anecdotal experiences represent reality for the majority of teachers here. Frankly, they don't.

By Thomas, Uthai Thani (3rd July 2013)

Thailand

Bad points: You can also buy a degree in Bangkok. Hide your alcoholism for a while. Get burned out quickly. Low salary with long hours. 10 month contracts. Corruption at low level. If a Thai school or agency can find a way to screw you, it the majority will do so with pleasure.

Good points: Most of the above mentioned.
___________________________________

China

Bad points: The secretive nature and ‘closed society’.

Good points: Paperwork checked for authenticity which helps keep the losers at bay. Most schools provide free accommodation and all utilities. A much higher salary and a lot less hours.

Students have a much stronger self discipline in China. Although behavior can be disruptive everywhere, the Chinese know they’re going nowhere without a command of English. Teachers in China are desperately needed and teachers in Thailand are tolerated and used. Even the Thai government itself acknowledges that the level of English in Thailand is abysmal and entering ASEAN, Thailand will be somewhere near the bottom in education. I’m seeing more and more salaries in Thailand for NES at 15K and 20K and in Bangkok at 30K. (Pocket money for the backpackers, sunshine included)!

By James, China (3rd July 2013)

Have you heard of anyone getting a work permit with no degree? I have CELTA.

By Andy, UK (3rd July 2013)

I have also worked as a teacher in both Thailand and China but as far as teaching I would pick China over Thailand any day. As far as personal or social life I would pick Thailand over China any day. As far as the visa process in Thailand everyone I know including myself had to leave the country to go from a tourist visa to a non-B visa so I really do not know how you did it without leaving the country and the process was not very easy at all as most of the times the schools do not know what they are doing. Also as far as students I found Thai students to be very undisciplined and having to constantly deal with behavior issues, I had none of those issues with Chines students, I would rarely even have to raise my voice but when I did that was it then no more problems. But of course China is a huge country so it depends where you are teaching but after my experience in China I would never teach again in Thailand but China as a culture was too bland for me liking so I am no longer teaching there. My next stop is teaching in Taiwan probably the most under rated country in Asia but has a lot going for it in many ways. Plus I find them to be the most helpful, friendliest people in Asia.

By Thomas Husted, China (3rd July 2013)

Once again, I must point out that there is no such thing as a 'work visa' in Thailand. You are given a one-year extension of your existing non-B visa by Thai immigration once you get all your shit together as regards work permit and teacher's licence.

By philip, (3rd July 2013)