Filipino recruitment scams

It has come to my attention that several agencies out there are involved in recruitment of Filipinos to come to Thailand to teach. It has come to my attention that what these agencies are doing is in violation of law. Their practices are deceptive and they prey on people’s feelings. In the words of one of my reporters, anyone who is willing to trample on another person’s dreams is a shameful person indeed and this is what these illegal recruiters are doing.

It seems that one agency, OLA, has been accussed of stranding dozens of Filipinos who paid the company “training fees” in exchange for promises of jobs paying 30k to 40k baht per month. I saw accussed because some have come forward with evidence, but never fear one only needs to look at their website. On their website, they promise 30 to 40k baht per month and the only way you can get the job is taking their 18,500 baht training course.

Other individuals have been brought to my attention as well. I do have names and in a forthcoming article, these individuals will be named and shamed here. I had email contact with one teacher in Thailand who met a Filipina who was working for 300 baht per day as a teacher after her recruiter ditched her after arrival in Thailand, after she paid $900 to him. His modus operandi was to use a politician friend in the Philippines to help recruit teachers. This politician, who will be named at a later date, received kickbacks for each “recruit” he helped to provide. The recruits had to pay between (40k to 50k pesos) $900 and $1000 per month after being receiving a pep talk by the politician and this illegal recruiter. The pep talk consisted of Ajarn.com Job postings and the recruiter’s first hand account of making 35k baht per month in Thailand. The $900 to $1000 fee was for a training course, a course that was required to work in Thailand. During the training, all recruits had to sign a contract with this illegal recruiter saying that he was their tour guide and not their recruiter.

Filipinos should watch out for these teacher recruitment scams. In order to help, I am posting some basic information about teaching in Thailand for Filipinos.

1) Before using any recruiter or taking any course, post on the discussion forums either here or at Ajarn.com. There are plenty of teachers willing to offer good advice. You would be better off putting the $900 in your pocket and coming to Thailand on your own.
2) Understand that a recruiter can not and will not get you a job that pays 30k to 40k baht per month. While 30k baht per month jobs do exist for Filipinos, they almost always take experience in Thailand, impeccable English, and good looks. I do not know of a single Filipino teacher in Thailand who has got a job paying 30k per month with the help of a recruiter coming straight from the Philippines.
3) Most teaching jobs in Thailand for Filipinos pay between 12k and 15k baht per month. There are MANY jobs paying only 6k to 8k baht per month. Some of the better programs pay between 20k to 28k per month, but again they require experience in Thailand. A recruiter will not be able to help you get these jobs.

This is not meant to discourage, but rather these comments are made to help Filipinos avoid illegal recruiters. Expect more on this in the coming weeks.

Search Tags: Illegal Recruiters, Filipino, Scam