# If I move to China, what do I do with my Thai gf?



## Eien (Jul 18, 2010)

I'm going to be interviewed for a position in Beijing later on this week, so I've been digging my way through possible scenarios after possibly being selected.

Everything else seems pretty clear to me, but the thing with my fiancee has been bugging me. There would be no problems if she moved to Sweden with me, but how about China? I guess the visa approval would be almost as the visa for Sweden, but how are Thais doing in China?

I just fear that it might be harder for her to get employed there than in Sweden.
My fiancee speaks good English, but for what I know getting employed in China requires both Mandarin/English, or English-only employer -- in a nutshell.

I also didn't find any info that if one is learning the language as immigrant, are they getting paid some amount of money for support? Money is not the real issue here, but always would help if I didn't have to pay the living of two persons.

Other than that, I've somehow gotten the mental image that Asians tend to be "hostile" against each other, but is there any base in this?

I know I might be over-reacting to the whole situation, but that's just my nature.
Personally I would love to move to China for some time (1-5 years), but I wouldn't like to ditch my girl for that experience


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## taiyuan irish (Aug 11, 2010)

*Eien and his Thai gf*

Hi Eien,

I am working as a teacher in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. There is a Filippino guy working here as an English teacher, so the bias against Asians teaching English in China might not be as pronounced as you think. If your Thai gf has good English she might have a chance of teaching. Having a degree, or a recognised TEFL certificate would help too.

Best of luck with it!


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## Attilio (Nov 20, 2010)

There shouldn't be any reason why you can't get a tourist visa for her, it depends what she plans on doing though. If she wants to teach English it will be very difficult to first get a job and then get the correct documentation. 

Attilio


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## MoTo77 (Oct 31, 2010)

My wife is Thai and LOVES Hong Kong, though she doesn't work at the moment. She is an RN and worked as a key account manager for the largest stem cell banking company in Asia, but I travel too much for her to take employment anywhere right now. (She liked working, but prefers traveling.)

Asians can definitely be hostile to each other; especially fair Chinese and Japanese toward darker Southeast Asians. If your fiancee is light and can pass as Chinese-Thai, there will be no issue. If not, they will probably assume that she is a maid (or worse... there are a lot of Thai and Filipino prostitutes up there) and treat her accordingly.

Frankly, if they aren't paying you enough to support two people comfortably, I wouldn't even consider it.




Eien said:


> I'm going to be interviewed for a position in Beijing later on this week, so I've been digging my way through possible scenarios after possibly being selected.
> 
> Everything else seems pretty clear to me, but the thing with my fiancee has been bugging me. There would be no problems if she moved to Sweden with me, but how about China? I guess the visa approval would be almost as the visa for Sweden, but how are Thais doing in China?
> 
> ...


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## andrewrh (Dec 21, 2010)

The truth is that, unmarried partners find it difficult to get a residence permit, without already being promised a job. A tourist visa needs to be renewed regularly with a flight to South Korea/HK etc. If you were married it would be much much simpler.

A further detail - often,Chinese schools prefer natural English speakers as teachers. (and of course, as would the parents of the children). I know at least 2 large cities that make this rule.


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## hownowbc (Jul 11, 2010)

What is teaching English in China like or should I say what is it like teaching English in China. My wife has a B.A. and TEFL with experience. As an Irish person whaT IS life life like there?
BC


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## taiyuan irish (Aug 11, 2010)

*if i move to China.....*



hownowbc said:


> What is teaching English in China like or should I say what is it like teaching English in China. My wife has a B.A. and TEFL with experience. As an Irish person whaT IS life life like there?
> BC


Hi there! As an Irish person, I can say that i am totally satisfied with life teaching English in China. The Chinese people are warm and friendly and have a good sense of fun. In many ways they remind me of the Irish. The only thing that bothers me about China is the level of pollution in some of the cities. I live in Taiyuan, in the north-central province of Shanxi; and the city is the commercial centre of this area. It is also the main conduit for the coal mining region and the motorways are full of diesel belching trucks that carry the coal from the mines in the surrounding mountains to other areas of China. This causes a lot of air pollution. In addition, Taiyuan is also the main hub of the Provinces Steel industry, and the factories use coal as their main source of energy, which adds to the pollution. But luckily I live in a residential area, to the north of the city, where the university I teach at is situated. It is two bus rides from the city centre, and out here the air is of a much better quality.

As for teaching itself: I found the Chinese students ( 19 to 23 year-olds) very reluctant to speak any English to me at first. The problem here is that Chinese people do not like to lose face in front of their peers; they are afraid of being laughed at if they mis-pronounce words or make obvious grammatical errors. So you need to be sensitive to that and not pounce on them when they make mistakes. But after a few weeks they will open up, particularly if you show some sensitivity to them, and i always lace my lessons with a good sprinkling of irish humour, which they really appreciate. Also, class sizes tend to be on the larger scale, anywhere from 45 to 60. So it does take time to put names to faces. Make sure they all are given an English name, otherwise you haven't a hope of remembering who is who, unless you're very proficient in Chinese, which I'm not yet, though I intend to put that right in the coming years.

If your wife had a BA and experience at TEFL teaching she will have no problem getting a job here. But I would advise her to try for one of the State-Run schools at the outset, unless she gets to know the run of the land here in China. Some of the private schools are not licensed to hire foreign experts, though they might say that they are. And you can easily end up working illegally, the punishment for which, if you are caught, is instant deportation. So make sure the school you contract to is licenced to get you both a working visa, as well as a Foreign Experts Certificate. Also ask to speak to a foreign teacher who has worked at the school. If you don't get the right answers, walk away. There are many other schools, properly licensed, who would be much more suitable to your needs. So take your time before you sign any contracts.

I wish you luck. But do your research before you come, particularly on the levels of pollution in your chosen city. Some are cleaner than others. Also check the climate of the region you are going to as there are vast variations. It is a huge country!!! But the most important thing about China is the people. I really like them. All the best to you, and to your wife.


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## Hangzhou Outdoors (Feb 17, 2011)

Aside from your gf's visa & her having to adapt to BJ's cold winters, you shouldn't be worried about any issues. Teaching is always an option but she'll need the credentials for that.


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## GrahamWeifang (Dec 14, 2012)

andrewrh said:


> The truth is that, unmarried partners find it difficult to get a residence permit, without already being promised a job. A tourist visa needs to be renewed regularly with a flight to South Korea/HK etc. If you were married it would be much much simpler.
> 
> A further detail - often,Chinese schools prefer natural English speakers as teachers. (and of course, as would the parents of the children). I know at least 2 large cities that make this rule.


.
Just what Andrew has said, and I will ADD.............

To be honest, the "looks" of the teacher has to follow the expected profile of what a native English teacher must look like.

Generally, one should be white, gets you many points, (sorry to the non whites)
One should have blue eyes, gets you more points,
One should have fair hair, this gets you more points.
Now that the "looks" are over, it is down to your accent.
From my experience, the school wants the above people with almost no accent.
For example, a Glaswegian, (a person from Glasgow) of from the far north of Scotland, as well as some speakers from say Norfolk, would have a bit more difficulty getting a teachers post, just because their accent is not what the school is looking for.

Imagine a whole school ended up speaking like a Glaswegian, or farmer Giles from Norfolk !!!

One must fit the profile as close as possible.

Lastly, the TEFL, of any other paperwork, is quite often irrelevant, not needed, surplus.

As long as you look right, and sound right, that's the main criteria.

Generally lessons are blocked into 1 hour segments, and you will need talk, teach or whatever for 45 minutes.
The other 15 minutes, is "student prepare or relax time.
You will want a minimum of 100 quai per 45 minutes, some schools offer up to 140 quai for the 45 minutes.

Some schools will want you to deliver for 50 minutes, instead of the more normal 45 minutes.

Gra.


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## vona62 (Oct 4, 2009)

Is your Thai GF willing to move to China.


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