SINE Education’s Foreign Teacher Assistance Team (pictured above) are on hand to manage every step of your visa and work permit application. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the processes and are here to support our teachers every step of the way! Read about Teacher Lee’s experience with our FTA team below.
In April of 2024, I made the consequential decision to move from my home in Louisiana in the USA to Thailand. Wide eyed, hopeful, and, a little, naive. I had never even lived outside of my home state, but I have traveled a little here and there internationally. So, I hopped on that plane at DFW, excited and cautiously optimistic. When I arrived in BKK, I was so thankful that SINE had booked me a free ride to my hotel in Rangsit (no small drive from BKK Airport). With public transport to less touristy areas being difficult to a newbie, it helped immensely to have someone giving guidance and assurances to a new guy. It was as if… I was already a trusted and valued team member. Then I went through training and that is when I first met the SINE Foreign Teachers Assistance (FTA) face to face. They seemed just many more faces in a wash of my new friends and colleagues. I did not know how much they would help…
After I arrived, my SINE coordinator (in working with FTA), helped me find the condo I still live in to this day, 15 months and another lease renewal later. I quickly recognized that as a foreigner who did not speak much, if any Thai, immigration was going to be an issue to navigate on my own. But as quickly as I recognized this, my fears were assuaged by FTA. They gave me clear and practical guidelines for handling the bureaucratic and opaque nature of the Thai immigration process. FTA has an intricate insight into Thai immigration and labor regulations. They showed their professionalism and experience quickly. Their response times to emails and any other correspondence I sent them was exemplary.
They professionally helped me navigate a trip to Laos to obtain my non-immigrant B visa. Since visas, immigration, etc. is their main focus, I could trust any issues were answered directly and in a professional manner.
Finally, in October 2024, I received my work permit from Thai immigration. But FTA continues to help guide my integration and growth in Thailand. 90 day reporting is as simple as dropping off my passport with my SINE coordinator. I don’t have to track down my landlord, gather information, arrange a date for my landlord to accompany to immigration. All of that is handled by FTA.Trust me, many other ESL teachers have said on various other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit, just how much of a nightmare this process can be.
Obtaining a bank account at a Thai bank is impossible without a work permit. Since FTA was helping me process these documents and steps, I was able to gather my work permit in a proper and hassle free manner. Then once I was able to get my work permit, I was able to easily integrate my finances into the Thai banking system. If you’re new to Thailand, I promise you that this development is awesome. This is done with the courtesy and Professionalism of SINE FTA.
So, if you want to know a great reason why to start your ESL career in Thailand with SINE, look no further than FTA… Practicality, Professionalism, and Guidance…guaranteed!
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This blog was written by Teacher Lee from Thammasat Khlong Luang School in Bangkok
