abel morales cadias

Almost every month, hundreds of Filipino teachers and non-teachers flocked in Thailand to look for any teaching job. Thanks to some airlines that offer a very affordable airfare, there was a big ‘explosion’ of the number of Filipino hopefuls who wish to try their luck in the Land of Smiles since 2006. While they are on ‘tour’ most of them try to fish out some work opportunities. Others go back home unfortunate while some remain hopeful. All these persistent Filipinos need to do is to do a quick VISA RUN (30-day stamp) in the border and then they’re up and running to hunt for a job for another 30 days. And this cycle continues even when they found a job. Why is that so?

The next problem deals on whether or not schools will provide the needed documents and shoulder the fees in applying for work permits. There are schools who are patient enough to be very obedient of the governments’ “confusing” requirements, process them, and luckily pay for them. However, oftentimes in Thailand from schools that employ one or two foreign teachers, either you process your own work permit and pay the fees from your own pocket or you won’t be getting any. But of course some employers still allow you to ‘teach’ without a work permit but it would be at your own cost of money and time doing all the VISA RUN every month. Is teaching with a ‘tourist’ visa legal? Frankly, no but it depends. But is this tolerated by some schools? Honestly, yes.

Acquiring a work permit depends on cases. For instance, a teacher resigned and will work in a new school. Usually, the teacher has no choice but to start all over again from being a "tourist." You need to apply for a new Non-B VISA in order to work as a teacher in Thailand. In Bangkok, before the Immigration office grants you a NON-B VISA, you need to have a 21-day remaining ‘tourist visa’ (usually the 30-day stamp you get from the border). This 30-day stamp is easily granted especially when you’re flying from the Philippines. But if you’re already in Thailand and wish to work as a teacher then first you have to do the VISA RUN in any border and then apply for a NON-B VISA at the Bangkok Immigration.

Others simply go to Thai embassies outside Thailand especially in Vientiane, Laos to get the NON-B VISA. Of course, documents are needed in order to be granted with this visa. And completing all the required documents takes time. Depending on your nationality and how fast the school helps its teachers to complete the documents (or how fast you complete the documents yourself), it usually takes a month or two.

Take my case for example. I’ve been working in Thailand for almost nine years. For the past eight years and a half, processing my work permit and extending my VISA at the immigration is the least of my worries. The schools where I worked for did all these jobs for me.

It was when I moved to Bangkok when I realized how difficult it is to acquire a NON-B VISA and a work permit. The immigration, labor and Ministry of education offices in Bangkok are very strict to private schools, meaning they require more documents especially to Asian passport holders. I volunteered in processing these things because the school already took more than a month without accomplishing anything. You might be wondering if I worked in the school with a 30-day stamp taken from the border: yes, I did. And this is very normal and is tolerated in Thailand as long as you intend to process your work permit as soon as possible. I had my passport stamped three times at three different borders: Cambodia (Banglem and Aranyaprathet) and Laos (Vientianne). There is a need to do this because as I have said processing NON-B VISA and work permit as a teacher takes time and patience!

For instance, acquiring a registration letter from the Ministry of education takes two weeks and before getting that letter, an Asian passport holder needs to achieve a desirable TOEIC or TOEFL score of which will take almost another a week. Added to that is the costly translation of every English document you have in Thai and then have it authenticated at the Philippine Embassy. And the registration letter from the Ministry of Education is just ONE document needed by the immigration officer. It is a lot easier to acquire a work permit when one is working at a public school or in the colleges or universities.

After three months of VISA RUNS at the border, I was able to secure a NON-B VISA at the Bangkok Immigration bureau. I feel sorry for those Filipino teachers whose ‘life’ in Thailand depends on their VISA RUN exits. Sitting almost a day is bearable but paying almost 1,500 Baht every border run, that is if you avail for tour agencies’ services, is already costly to a Filipino teacher.

Now, the processing of a work permit for your 3-month NON-B VISA usually takes a month in Bangkok. Common papers are required like your employment contract, school’s license and registration, etc. Added to this is the teacher’s license (depending on your educational status) which takes in a form of a letter. Applying at the Teachers’ Council of Thailand for a license isn’t that difficult but one should know the kind of letter given to you by the licensing officer. It could be any of the following ( based on the list of the Ministry of Labour) : guarantee letter; permission letter for teaching without a license; receipt letter which shows the license is under process and that the applicant can teach without a license; and a ‘paper of defining exemption of license.’ Getting this “license” from the Teachers Council of Thailand might take you a day to a week depending on the documents you have submitted.

Once you have submitted all the necessary documents for your work permit at the Ministry of Labour, then wait after seven days before you could get your work permit booklet.

And that’s the story of “Mr. NON-B VISA and Mrs. Work Permit.” The next chapter of the story focuses on extending your VISA and work permit. And believe me, when you understand the plot and characters behind the first story, everything will be much easier to take in the pressure and stress you’ll get on your next ‘journey.’

The other story I want to re-emphasize next is the difficulty of not only acquiring VISAS and work permits in Thailand but GETTING A FAIRLY COMPENSATED JOB now that many Filipino teachers are overflowing in the city of Bangkok. Questions like: What future does a Filipino Teacher in Thailand have? How did the big number of Filipino teacher applicants play a big role in the employment arena? What attitudes do Filipino teachers have towards accepting a job in Thailand? How do other foreign teachers view a Filipino teacher nowadays? Find out the answers! Keep on visiting this blog.

Working with Farang Teachers

How does it feel working with western foreign teachers…

…especially when both of you are the only Filipino teachers among a crowd of Caucasian educators?

Miss Maricar and Miss Marianne got something to share. They are both working in a predominant western teaching staff in one of the Christian schools in Bangkok. They mutually agreed that it’s flattering to be employed by a big and exclusive school with the rest of the ‘farangs.’ However, do they experience any indifference in the workplace? Both said no.

“We earned the respect from them by simply “minding our own business.” It’s a working principle and you have to live by it. If you want to get respected then you need to respect them and their opinions. Sharing of ideas, materials and other teaching resources is something you do with teachers you are more comfortable with.”

Asked the difference in working in a Filipino dominated schools, Maricar explained the difficulty in coping with the negative values of some Filipino teachers.

“The ‘crab mentality’ of some of the Filipinos displayed through their constant gossiping that could easily destroy one’s reputation is something that is truly avoided in my current workplace. The western teachers are very supportive of what we do and how we do things. There are some disagreements but we deal with the issues professionally. Thai teachers value unity by working and helping each other; meanwhile, Filipinos are known to be intelligent but lack the ability to work harmoniously without sowing any personal grudges.”

“There are many Filipino teachers working in Thailand. Marianne and I are both fortunate to be here. I’m sure there are many Filipino teachers who also work in an environment where there’s a minimal number of Filipino teachers. If only Filipino teachers focus more on the development of their teaching skills, particularly, in their communication skills by using the English language with discernible accent (pronunciation) and by improving their personal and interpersonal attributes rather than competing and then gossiping with each other, then the perception of Thai and western teachers to Filipino teachers will be more inspiring,” she added.

Maricar and Marianne have their own game to play. Certainly, they could not escape their being a Filipino but they did start a very good impression of an ideal Filipino teacher at their respective job place: more professionalism and zero ‘crab mentality.’

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The Unsung Heroes of the Training on Thai Culture

Now that an affordable training fee on Thai Culture has been laid out to foreign teachers (from 10,000 Baht to an average fee of 3,000.00 Baht) many seem to take advantage of this ‘cheap’ fee while the number of foreign teachers eligible to take this training is at its highest. The reason for this ‘on sale price’ depends on the number of participants. In other words, the more the cheaper. Thanks to the rest of the eight council members of the Filipino Educators ( known as the Filipino Educators Council) who made the right choice by bringing this issue or concern up to the Private School Teachers’ Association of Thailand’s president, Dr. Usira Anomasiri. Recognition is due to Miss Hedda Tan, Miss Lorna Coral, Miss Cecille Orquiola, Mr. Rolly Obedencio, Mr. Jose Tan, Mr. Josephil Saraspe, and Mr. Reuben Budayao. Articles written for Miss Lorna Coral and Miss Heda Tan have already been featured in this blog. The rest of the brain-packed council members shall have their own place in this blog soon.

Nevertheless, it is not the conducting of this training that is challenging; it is the organizing part which is found to be very difficult. Filipino organizers of this training are commonly the leaders in the Filipino teaching community. Originally started by the eight members of the Filipino Educators Council, other leaders are encouraged to do the same thing for one good intention: respond to the needs of their members. But responding to their needs entails a lot of time and effort. First, contact the agency who conducts the said training: fix the schedules and sign agreements in terms of the target quota, venue, food and accommodation. Second, do massive information dissemination: sending announcements through online forums, emails, mobile phones and others. After sending announcements, people start inquiring about the training. Expect non-stop calls and emails. Fourth, make a list of confirmed and unconfirmed participants with the aid of proper pre-registration techniques. Before the training, checking names and verifying payments during the registration period proves to be even more stressful especially a huge number of participants is involved. Finally, ensure that every participant received his/her certificate. Indeed, it is a long and quite rough procedure.

Three Filipino organizers who closely worked with the Private School Teachers’ Association of Thailand deserve a credit of recognition: Ms. Teresita Zarate, Ms. Beverly “Raquel” Balacdao and Mr. Ranulfo “Raul” Millanes.

Ms. Teresita Zarate currently works as an administrator and coordinator in a private school in Ekkamai. She commands a big number of both Filipino and foreign teachers in Bangkok. Her management style is flawless which gives her the edge in organizing the said training. On the other hand, Ms. Raquel’s role is more of like a “filler.” She helps in gathering a considerable number of participants to complete the target quota of any training. She also commands a big number of both Filipino and foreign teachers in Bangkok. She was the former president of the Association of Cordillerans in Thailand (ACT). Mr. Ranulfo Millanes has a very inspiring experience to share. Despite of the ridicules and criticisms he got from his co-officers from one of the associations of Filipino teachers in Thailand, he heed the call for a better and more convenient training for his colleagues and friends. It turn out that the association he belongs to was organizing the same training but the scheduled training dates were not convenient to his colleagues and friends. As an option, he organized his own small group of participants. Unfortunately, as a result of his good motive, he was branded by some of his co-officers as uncooperative and worsts a non-Filipino. It is disheartening to know that some officers of an association of Filipino teachers who supposedly foster unity, humility and show high sense of professionalism instigate the opposite. What is even more hilarious is that some of them are non educators. Just like a real and ethical professional teacher, he gave his own position on the matter and continued to do good deeds. To date, he continues to respond to the needs of his ‘members’ by helping other organizers gather more participants in order to avail the most affordable training fee.

The unsung heroes of this important training among foreign teachers in Thailand are most certainly the most important people in this endeavor. Without their leadership, it would be difficult to vastly implement this particular government educational program.

I spent three hours of my time today from 6:00 o’clock in the evening belting out the pop and slow-rock love songs that I could think of in my small apartment. Thanks to my friend’s “Magic Sing” it does (so I guess) make your voice pleasing to your neighbors’ ears.

And I realized that sometimes and oftentimes we sing songs, sentimental love songs in particular either to fill the loneliness of our hearts or to express what we couldn’t say in words. Added to these reasons is the fantasy of love that you can never have and the longing for genuine cherish moments that come once in a blue moon.

We all have our own love stories to share. Some confidently talk about them without being bothered to be branded “kiss and tell” while others choose to keep inside their heart pretending that they’re innocent of any “love scenes” when dared to divulge such hallowed affair. I do have lots of chapters of my own love stories and I find them all exciting but odd.

They say “age is not a factor of love.” I beg to disagree. Age does matter! Younger people tend to be flirty and oftentimes display acts of immaturity while older people act very wise and almost always quite insensitive to your intimate needs. Despite of regarding that person, regardless of age, as someone whom you love and care for, the story ends in one the same climax: both of you are no longer compatible with each other. And then love gurus tell you to love not only their strengths but also their weaknesses. What if their enormous weaknesses undeniably overshadow their minute strengths?

Then friends give you their own piece of advice: love is a test of patience and trust. Until when is the right time to say ‘enough is enough’? Is it when the damage has already been done? Or is it when the disciples of love preach that those who are truly in love don’t utter the negatives but embrace them instead?

The oddest of them all is when the time when you meet special people and then eventually you would come to know that they’re taken; put your heart a rest and then it starts beating again, and just when you thought you met the right person the ending of the story got even worst….not only are they married but they got kids. And so you start caring for yourself trying to be more inquisitive and watchful of your dates…and the same old story got ‘worsier’, not only are they married and got kids but they’ve got more others! Now, isn’t this odd?

True, there is no ‘perfectness’ in the name of love. But what if you keep on loving people without realizing you’re becoming a slut yourself? Then love ‘psychologists’ automatically reject such idea: it is not love but lust! As a final solution, friends in low places caution you not to allow love to play you rather play love like a solitaire until each card come to its rightful place. And so how long does one of the two, three, four or even five lovers you have at the same time to finally appear to settle down and tie the knots with you?

The odds of love can never changed…and so does the story that comes with every single part of it. As to me, when confronted with these odds of love, I simply sing along and start belting out!

Filipino teachers in Thailand are known to be practical hard workers and undoubtedly flexible in terms of dealing with the intricate situations in their respective workplaces. In fact, one of the Caucasians I personally know kiddingly described a Filipino teacher in Thailand as “someone who has always something to prove.” And in a very subjective point of view, every Filipino teacher in Thailand DOES have something to prove both in a positive and in a negative way that is. There are those Filipino teachers who feel the need to bring themselves up and then brand themselves as ‘somebody.’ Such attitude is obviously self-rewarding, and may appropriately and sarcastically be labeled with my Caucasian friend’s description. However, it is inspiring to know that despite of the unusual social status (lower than the farangs (westerners) we get from the Thai society where in we are placed in a hierarchy, there are those Filipino teachers who truly are able to do something fruitful for the benefit of the Filipino teaching community and for the foreign teaching community as a whole. I have to say that these Filipino teachers do not need to prove something for they already are proven. And I can name a few of the many.

Ms. Hedda Joy Tady Tan

Hedda works in one of the prestigious International schools in Bangkok. She ‘abandoned’ her nursing degree and devoted her time in mastering the arts and crafts of teaching English as a second language. Her informative articles on the techniques and strategies in teaching English as a second language can be found at www.heddatan.com. In her article called “My Game Plan” she wrote:

“Remember, as a teacher, there is tremendous power in you to make or unmake a child, and thus, an individual. Take good care of that power, and use it to shape remarkable minds!”

Teaching in an International school requires ideal standards of teaching. Thus, much time is devoted in preparing, planning and implementation of their lesson plans. An ample time is also self-imposed for their own professional growths. An International school teacher just like any another teacher needs to abreast himself with what are new and effective in the field of teaching. What makes Hedda WANTED in the teaching profession is her desire to learn new things related to her profession and her unselfish sharing of these contemporary bodies of knowledge. She is even more NEEDED in the community due to her undying energy in making herself available for meet-ups with almost all Filipinos with different careers in Thailand; and her strong support to individuals who have potentials to be leaders and supporters is exemplary. Hedda is popularly known as ‘Madam H’ of the Siam Pinoy Online Community. Together with her other half, they started this Filipino online community almost ten years ago. Now, they continue tilling this important cyber abode along with the rest of Filipinos who find it a ‘home away from home.’

As one of the core leaders of the Filipino teaching community, she empowers the Filipino teachers through her intelligent writings, inspirational talks and persistent leadership. In her one of the talks during the workshop for Filipino teachers in April 2008, she challenged each and everyone to continue upholding and safeguarding the image of Filipino teachers in the Kingdom by arming themselves with professional competence and quality teaching performance. She brought a very timely inspiration by retorting:

“Do not be intimated from our western counterparts…instead learn from them for they’ve got something that we can learn from…do not shy away from making yourself and your career better just because a general stereotyped-negative feedback on how we use the English language in teaching echoes around the country especially in the big cities…instead show them that you are brave enough to overcome your single weakness with your numerous strengths in teaching.”

Many Filipinos in Thailand are inspired by her verbal encouragement as well. The motivation of starting this blog came from her and her husband, Master J ( the owner and webmaster of Siam Pinoy) which proves that they do inspire others just like me to harness their potentials.

A few attempted to downgrade their spirits but all of them failed. Hedda and Master J founded an institution here in Thailand…an institution that is far from the grasps of self-motivated individuals! Siam Pinoy – the undoubtedly top online Filipino community in Thailand…a child they bore and others adopted as their own.

Hedda Tan…a caring mother….a hardworking teacher… a community leader…and most of all, a dear friend!

(More to follow)