Other Costs

Special Thai Project is an intensive 3 weeks TESOL training course with a unique opportunity to work as a TEFL teacher for 4-5 months in gorgeous Thailand. ACT endeavors to make the learning exciting as well as hassle free by providing the trainees with free accommodation and guaranteed job so that their stay in Thailand remains memorable. Although ACT shares the bulk of the responsibilities the trainees must keep in mind the other costs before starting off.

Airfare
Thailand has become the most popular TEFL destination for the aspiring EFL teachers attracting native speakers from every corner of the world to get TEFL trained and teach in this tourist's paradise. Airfare tops the list of additional costs the trainees need to bear but by booking their flights much in advance they can keep the expenses down. Flights are easily available from countries like USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to Thailand but the airfare vary depending on the city.

The tentative minimum airfare if purchased 12-15 weeks earlier from:-

• USA-Los Angeles, New York start from $600 and Washington D C, Boston from $800
• Canada-Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver start from $600
• UK-London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin start from $600
• Australia-Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane start from $550
• New Zealand-Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown start from $800
• South Africa-Cape Town start from $600 and Durban, Johannesburg from $450

Check the following websites for competitive airfare:

www.justfares.com
www.skyscanner.com
www.kayak.com
www.airasia.com

Visa
Visa is another important area which has to be taken care of entirely by the aspiring teachers enrolling for TESOL certification program. They need the Non-Immigrant B Visa issued by Thai consulate or embassy which is advisable to collect from their home country just before departure. The South Africans in Thailand need to visit Malaysia and Laos to get the Non-Immigrant B Visa through visa run. Asian College of Teachers offers complete assistance to the candidates who land in Thailand without a visa to obtain a 90 day single entry Non-Immigrant B Visa from Laos. The candidate has to spend $100-$150 (approx) for the travelling, accommodation, Laos visa and Non-Immigrant B visa charges.

ACT intends to send the entire set of relevant visa papers to the respective Thai Embassy / Consulate for processing, one month in advance, before the candidates land. Therefore, those who plan to visit elsewhere before landing in Thailand may not get the Non Immigrant B visa from the third country with the papers sent for the visa (if you are traveling in Asia before landing in Thailand). The alternative is to enter Thailand with 60-days Tourist Visa (30 days Visa on arrival is not recommended) and eventually get it transformed in Thailand. The other alternative is to appear for a visa-run. The charges involved would approximately sum up to $100-$150.

Asian College of Teachers has taken initiatives to make this entire procedure hassle free for the candidates by requesting them to apply for a 60 days tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in their home country or from the country they have plans to visit. The school where they will be teaching will convert the tourist visa into Non-Immigrant B Visa solving the problem of cancellation of visa and converting it within the country which is far less expensive.

Food for First Few Weeks
The trainees must keep in mind that for the first 7 to 8 weeks they will not receive any kind of salary. Therefore, they have to take into account the cost of food before travelling. They need not worry as food in Thailand is not only cheap but is available round the clock. It is estimated that 3000 THB (100 USD approx) is needed a week for the first few weeks but if one is planning to indulge in Thai food and drink after landing then it is going to burn a hole in the pocket. So preparing beforehand is recommended.

Accommodation Deposit
Asian College of Teachers provides the best available accommodation to the teachers as the locations for teaching vary according to time and area and it is not always possible for the Institute to arrange everything beforehand. Therefore, the teachers are intimated at a later date. The teachers are required to work in the schools where the accommodations may not be up to the western standards providing western amenities like AC, fridge, TV, DVD, washing machine etc. Accommodations that are arranged by the schools are apartments with basic amenities like bed, fan, dresser, closet and en suite bathrooms or shared houses with separate bedrooms for each teacher though the types of accommodation provided depend on the school and vary from place to place.

The teachers have to come prepared as the accommodation deposit of 8,000-10,000 THB has to be given to the landlord. This kind of system is followed almost everywhere. The teachers are refunded the amount before the teaching assignment starts in a school. Some schools cover the deposit and deduct the amount from the salary of the teacher. The teacher also has to bear the cost of monthly electricity, water and phone bills.

Medical/Travel Insurance
Travelling abroad always entails emergency situations. Therefore, Asian College of Teachers advises every trainee to get medical/travel insurance before he/she leaves his/her home country. One should check with different providers as costs vary from company to company.

Have a look here for information on Travel Insurance: www.squaremouth.com

Thai Bank Account

Asian College of Teachers will assist you to open a bank account in Thailand for your convenience. It will cost you around 500 THB (15 USD).

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