Name: Awful organization
Item: Teach English in Thailand with Mediakids
Rating: 1
Author: Lauren Smith

Community Photos

Groupfie with them 💕 some of my Mathayom-5 students. 💖🙏

I love wearing mediakids tie every Monday, Wednesday and, Friday. 💕

I received flowers from my students during our last meeting for the second semester. I really appreciate that my students really love me. I believed that when you're a teacher, you must think like a learner. 💕

This photo taken during last meeting with my Mathayom 5 students. My lovely Mathayom 5 students. Thank you guys for this semester. 💖🙏

This photo was taken before the end of second semester. 💕 I love my Thai students. 🙏💖

Regardless of religion:Enjoy the Christmas Celebration

With my co-teachers during the Birthday Celebration of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X)

Wonderful trip to Noong Nooch Garden, Pattaya

My co-teachers during the birthday celebration of King Maha Vajiralongkorn

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About

Are you the adventurous type seeking to travel, explore and immerse yourself into rich and authentic cultures? Why not teach in Thailand! MediaKids Academy offers teaching positions in Central, North and the Northeast of Thailand. Take this chance for an experience of a lifetime and earn a living at the same time! Adventure awaits you!

We are looking for Native English Speakers who are energetic, creative, responsible and culturally sensitive, with Bachelor’s Degree in any field. Apply now, and let our expert team take care of the rest for you!

Benefits include: accommodation allowance, work permit, Non-B visa, 24/7 consultant support, free accident insurance, free orientation course, curriculum provided, ATM card provided

If you are looking to get TEFL certified, we offered a Training & Placement program in partnership with GoTEFL Thailand.

Contact us today for more information about our teaching placements and GoTEFL program ! Placements are limited. You journey begins here!

Website

mediakidsacademy.com

Founded

2001

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Headquarters

40/471 Prueksa B Village
Khlongsam, Klongluang
Pathum Thani 12120
Thailand

Reviews

The pay is the lowest in all Thailand. They try to make as much money as they can from you and don't take good care of you. Even if I loved the school I was working in, I would never ever work for Mediakids again.
They don't inform you well about the place where you are going and they can change their minds about your destination whenever they feel like it.
If you are not a native speaker you are worth nothing to them and they will despise you as well as pay you much less than to native speakers, even if you have a masters and teaching experience.
During orientation we weren't told much and when they say they will reimburse you for your visa that's just not true. They give you back 3'000 Baht when just the trip there and getting your visa will cost you over 10'000 plus a visa extension that is another 2'000 so they are not paying for much.
They place you in the accommodation that they want and then you cannot leave it or you would have to pay an entire month's rent as a fee to leave the place.
Once you are in it's difficult to get out so don't do it.
Simply awful.

What would you improve about this program?

Salary, communication with HR, trainings, freedom about choosing accommodation, visa reimbursement, etc.

I've only had good experiences with MediaKids.

They have taken care of everything I've needed since my arrival here in Thailand.
From opening a bank account, purchasing a Thai sim card to the full visa and work permit process.

I was put up in a hotel for orientation. Many cultural norms and etiquette was discussed during the orientation and I found that very helpful. i was taught some basic Thai greetings and given tips on being polite and friendly the Thai way; which is really important when you are a guest in a foreign country.

The first school I was placed at had quite a few teachers from different parts of the world teaching for MediaKids. It was an eye-opener and lovely to be exposed to citizens of even more countries. Lasting friendships were forged and I am grateful for that.

A full curriculum is provided for you, with help at any stage of the game literally a phone call away. Flashcards and test are available to download and print.

The ongoing support from the MediaKids consultants has helped me to grow as a teacher.
I feel confident moving to a new province and teaching and living there knowing that I am supported by the MediaKids staff members.

What was your funniest moment?

Strangest things I ate:
Live, raw, but most specifically raw little prawns. Jumping prawn salad!
Oh, and chunks of raw meat, as in not carpaccio, simply chunks of raw meat!

Funny moments:
The Thai language has many more vowels than we have because of pronunciation.
I've told people that they are very beautiful but because of my incorrect pronunciation I unwittingly wished them bad luck!

Media kids has got to be the worst agency that I've ever worked with. Unprofessional, corrupt, and the communication sucks. They do what they want when they want with very little notice to us. And it doesn't matter what your contract says. You get paid once a month at night! I had a good experience in Thailand as I made the best out of my situation. However, the company is very corrupt I highly recommend you run when you see them coming. From the consultants with the strong accents and you trying to make out their words. To expensive paperwork that you need to complete each month. Your promised a reimbursement by the end of the month and then surprise they say oh we'll pay you end of this semester!! They are full of terrible surprises. Say no to media kids.

Hello guys I'm Teacher Nhel and I'm proud to be part of Mediakids Academy. One of the best happened to me here in Thailand is to be an ESL Teacher. Life is really amazing when you're working with great people. I love Thai culture the way they respect teachers. When you love to discover new culture and to travel at the same time mediakids is one of the best company here in Thailand. I've been working with Mediakids for almost four years now and it's really a great experience. Once you're a Teacher you'll never stop sharing your knowledge and you'll never stop learning at the same time. We have different consultants who always there to guide us with our visas, work permit and including our safe accomodation. It's not all about the salary all the time but it's all about how will they treat you in one company. I love Mediakids as it's best. They changed my life to better . I really enjoy working abroad with Mediakids. Life is really amazing to work here in Thailand with Mediakids. I will definitely recommend Mediakids because I've been part of the company since 2015.

PS. Be one of us 😊😊😊
More power and God bless to all of us😊😊😊

Your journey begins here. 😃

What would you improve about this program?

I think Mediakids must provide more seminars and workshop for teachers every semester not only for the new teachers but for all the teachers from Mediakids Academy. So we can gain more knowledge and to share to our students in the future.

Thank you 😉😄

Working with mediakids is great.Teaching in Thailand is not that easy, but, with Mediakids, everything is flawless, the uneased feeling has lifted because of the supportive staff.At first, it was not easy.I have made some adjustments especially with the culture.The best thing I have done is to learn how to embrace and love theirs as mine.In just more than a month when I realized that I am enjoying and loving my new environment.
If you want to learn and explore, do it while teaching.This is the best place to do such things.I maybe subjective if I say Mediakids is one of the best programs I have worked with but thats how I assess them.I cant imagine myself doing stuffs alone to be legalized as worker in this foreign country, thankful to be with Mediakids.With full support and assistance from the staff, no way to feel alone.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

To future travellers, enjoy not only the beauty of Thailand but also explore their great culture and the best way to do it is to teach with Mediakids.

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MediaKids Academy

Teach English in Thailand with Mediakids

Thailand

26 reviews2 interviews

MediaKids Academy is Thailand’s top English teaching placement...

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I had wanted to teach English in a foreign country, and when I got the email advertising the position, I responded because they said I could possibly teach where my girlfriend lives. I didn't get that city, but I am only around an hour away from her so I see her all the time. I am not sure but I think that they don't actually offer positions in the city I wanted.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

They told me what I had to do. I had to assemble all of the necessary documents required to get my tourist visa and to be hired. I had to buy my own flight to Bangkok, but they paid for the hotel I stayed at during orientation. They also paid for my working visa and work permit but I have to pay for the visa extension. It is very silly that I had to go all the way to Laos for a visa that doesn't even cover the duration of my contract.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Try to teach higher-level students. The students aged 12-14 (Mathayom one) that I teach barely speak English so it is quite difficult to teach them. However, the older students are mostly a joy as they know enough to make the classes fun. Also, the other school in my town with English teachers seems to be a lot nicer, so try to get the best school you can.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

On weekdays, I teach and then hang around my apartment. On weekends, I am with my girlfriend doing fun stuff. Monday through Friday are spent doing various productive things and by the time Friday afternoon comes along, I am itching to get away from the students so it is nice to leave my town and go to where the (relative) excitement is in Udon Thani.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be prepared enough to teach. My company provided me with most of the tools for success, so now it's easy. I was intimidated by the sheer volume of students in each class (some as many as 48) but after a few weeks, and after I'd established control (control is key to success!), that intimidation went away.

What costs are associated with this program?

You have to pay a bit for your accommodation, Visa extension fee, and Visa for Laos when you have to go there to get your Working Visa for Thailand. Other than that, everything is really cheap. If you're not an overzealous spender, you can probably spend only $60 (two days' pay and you get paid for every day and even weekends) in one week.

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Shiela L. Tirador

2018 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Thai people are so warm and welcoming that you quickly feel like you belong. My time in Thailand hardly feels like "travel" anymore, as much as it just feels like home now. The best part of being here is getting the chance to actually participate in the culture.

I was once dressed up in an old-fashioned traditional Thai outfit and led my school's parade through my little town for Loi Krathong Festival. The whole community came out and lined the streets to watch as the foreign girl paraded through the town all dressed up.

It was really funny, but also so touching to see how honored they felt that someone from the big country of the USA was there in their village participating and honoring their culture.

Other than within the country, teaching in Thailand has given me the opportunity to travel all over Asia. My favorite travel memory is from the time I went backpacking through Laos with one of my best friends from my GoTEFL course.

We decided to venture off the beaten path way up north to hike through the jungles and mountains and visit the villages. In one of the villages, the locals invited us to stay for the night. We slept in huts, watched the women hand weave scarves, played cards with a 4-year-old (she beat us), and drank homemade white whiskey all night while we clumsily communicated with the locals despite the total language barrier. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

As an American, I am prone to letting the trials and tribulations of daily life control me. However, Thai people are not like that at all. In America, I was constantly stressed about work, and my life was driven by my career alone.

Here in Thailand, they value work-life balance and having fun even in situations that should be stressful. It's been a really transformative experience here.

I've embraced the relaxed nature of their daily lives, and I've even learned quite of bit of Thai! I've learned to go with the flow and to simply let things go. It's truly been a life-changing experience, helping me to be a better and happier version of myself.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I've heard so many inspiring stories from GoTEFL graduates about their travels, teaching, and cultural experiences.

One of the girls who did the GoTEFL course with me trained at a Muay Thai gym right next to our accommodation during the course. She became close friends with the trainers, despite none of them speaking English.

She continued training in the town where she was teaching, but eventually moved back to Chiang Mai and started to seriously train at the same gym. She eventually went on to fight in real matches against great Thai fighters.

It's inspiring to see someone get so involved and push herself out of her comfort zone. I encourage everyone to get involved in the culture and the community to get the most out of your experience just as she did.

What makes your company unique?

There are many TEFL programs and job placement programs out there. But what makes GoTEFL unique is the combination of all the things you're looking for in a TEFL program:

Low upfront costs: 120 hour TEFL courses typically cost around $2,000. We provide the same course at a lower upfront cost ($1,200) to provide this teaching opportunities to more people. It's important to get teachers to come to Thailand to help improve students' English skills, and we don't want a high course fee to deter you from coming over.
In classroom training: most courses don't offer the opportunity to practice skills before you teach for the first time. Some programs do, but they are only within the confines of the TEFL classroom with only your trainer and peers in the course. We provide the opportunity for you to actually teach a full-length lesson with a classroom of Thai students at public schools in Chiang Mai. Most people get nervous about this, but that's ok! You'll have six practice lessons before actually going to teach on your own. You can hone and perfect your skills and figure out what your teaching style will be. Hands-on training is the best way to learn how to teach English as a foreign language.
Language and culture: We include Thai culture lessons as part of the course. This is especially important as the culture in Thailand and in the classroom are very different. Oftentimes, people fail as teachers because they don't know anything about working in Thailand and cannot adapt. It's proven that the teachers who receive practical Thai culture lessons are way more successful and happier in Thailand than those who come uninformed and unprepared.
Job placement: What makes GoTEFL particularly unique is the guaranteed job aspect. When we say "guaranteed," we really mean it. Before you even arrive to Thailand, we have a teaching job already reserved for you. Part of the interview process includes a chat with one of our placement specialists. They will ask you about your qualifications, your teaching preferences, your what your looking for in your experience in Thailand. This discussion helps us to find the perfect school and location for you. So there is no need to come to Thailand and compete with other teachers for interviews and teaching positions. We have that all booked and prepared for you as soon as you confirm your spot with us.

When were you especially proud of your team?

I'm especially proud of the team I work with because we have all worked in Thailand for many years and are dedicated to supporting you. While some programs are like a revolving door of TEFL students, we really take the time to get to know you personally and support you before, during, and after the course.