Moving to Rach Gia

You are right, there aren't many expats in Rach Gia. Most of the foreigners you see in town, are tourists on their way to Phu Quoc.

But like most cities of this size in Vietnam, there are language schools, some of which employ foreign teachers.

The Yorkshire cafe,in the new part of town ,is owned by one of them. That might be a good place to get the latest on the expat situation in RG.

I am hoping to be there in November and will spend the winter at least.(Maine US winter Nov-April)

Hoping to find other expats myself.(who also speak English)

Unfortunately, I don't have the credentials to teach English, but will look for other work opportunities while I'm there.

I am a media specialist/videographer/editor and hope to find work, but will likely need to work online editing.

Always open to suggestions for work?!?!

I will definitely look up The Yorkshire Cafe.  Thanks for the tip.

Also, I will be looking to buy a bicycle while there.   Any tips in that direction?

The main "credentials " for teaching English in Vietnam is being "CAUCASIAN ". It's sad ,but true.

There are a couple of bicycles shops in Rach Gia. If you don't want anything fancy, they might do. I ordered my current bicycles ,while living in Rach Gia, from  a bicycle shop in Hanoi . The only thing I had to pay for in advance was 15$ for shipping, the rest on delivery. Had my Giant bike in less than a week.

    The main "credentials " for teaching English in Vietnam is being "CAUCASIAN ". It's sad ,but true....   

    -@thecyclist

Actually, it's neither sad nor true, unless one had intention of working illegally in VN.

The days of taking a TEFL training course and becoming an English teacher in Vietnam is thankfully a thing of the past.

Take a look at post #3, here, and also the link in that post titled

"New Foreign English Teachers Requirements Decision 4159/QD-BGDDT"

@Aidan in HCMC

In HCMC that might be true. In Rach Gia, I doubt it.My money is on that there are more illegally working teachers than legal ones in RG.

You wanna bet?

@thecyclist thank you so much for this tip! Ill  definitely check that cafe out.

    @Aidan in HCMCIn HCMC that might be true. In Rach Gia, I doubt it.

Decision 4159/QD-BGDDT is a nation-wide regulation/requirement for foreigners who wish to teach English in VN. Precisely why would you think that it "might"  apply to teachers in Saigon yet not to teachers in Rach Gia?

My money is on that there are more illegally working teachers than legal ones in RG.

That may very well be, and is why I included in my initial reply to you "...unless one had intention of working illegally in VN.". The reason for my directing readers to the links I provided was/is to dispel any belief in your statement that...

The main "credentials " for teaching English in Vietnam is being "CAUCASIAN ". It's sad ,but true.

Our new member Brian999 (welcome to the forum,Brian999) was truthful (and humble) in stating quite clearly that they do not possess "...the credentials to teach English, but will look for other work opportunities while I'm there."

My concern was that your statement might possibly have lulled our new member, as well as casual readers of the forum, into believing that one's ethnicity was the "main" credential required to teach here. It clearly, legally and unambiguously is not. My intention was to gently nudge the flow of this thread back to within the boundaries of the forum's Code of Conduct (i.e. not to promote/condone illegal activity).

You wanna bet?        -@thecyclist

No.

You appear to have taken my response to your statement as an affront to your experience and knowledge of VN. It was not intended as such.

@Aidan in HCMC

Actually, it's neither sad nor true, unless one had intention of working illegally in VN.

The days of taking a TEFL training course and becoming an English teacher in Vietnam is thankfully a thing of the past.

Take a look at post #3, here, and also the link in that post titled

"New Foreign English Teachers Requirements Decision 4159/QD-BGDDT"

As i have mentioned previously, very few of the people who meet these requirements will be teaching in Vietnam as they can get much better offers in other countries with monthly salaries, paid flights, bonuses, perhaps accommodation. and other benefits as well as overall better, more professional management. The schools and centers themselves don't want qualified teachers, only people who will accept low hourly rates with long hours and extra unpaid duties.

Thankfully, much information is currently being shared on social media so an increasing number of people are aware of the risks and disadvantages of the TEFL industry in VN and are simply bypassing the country altogether and going elsewhere.

...The schools and centers themselves don't want qualified teachers, only people who will accept low hourly rates with long hours and extra unpaid duties.

I have little doubt, prior to adoption of the current quoted legislation, that the VN gov't was well aware of exactly what the schools and centres wanted. It does not seem to have affected the gov't's decision.

Thankfully, much information is currently being shared on social media so an increasing number of people are aware of the risks and disadvantages of the TEFL industry in VN and are simply bypassing the country altogether and going elsewhere.        -@jayrozzetti23

I absolutely agree. As you said, "...an increasing number of people are aware of the risks and disadvantages of the TEFL industry in VN..." but judging from comments in this thread not yet enough people.

No sense wooing people into believing that their securing a legal ESL teaching position in VN is possible whilst attempting to circumvent established legislation.

I'm offering no opinion whatsoever as to whether the current legislation is in the best interest of VN. Politburo members, well above the pay-grade of any expats in VN, shoulder that responsibility.

No, I did not take it as an affront to my knowledge. Rather, I take your repeated citing and harping on laws and regulations the Freudian way, that you might characterologically be anal retentive.

These laws are not new, they have been around in some form or another for a long time. The problem is enforcement in a highly corrupt country. They have tightened the law several times,  there might have been some progress, usually transitory ,but fundamentally nothing changed.

It's often the schools that fail to comply with the law. I know of cases where the teachers had all the required paperwork, but the schools couldn't be bothered with applying for a work permit.

They are often well connected to the authorities.The smaller the city the higher the likelihood that schools "don't care " about the law.

In addition,  some schools are able to get work permits for teachers who do not meet all the criteria. They would be kind of illegally employed legal teachers.

And even for those who are fully legal, being white is a massive advantage. It's kind of a Vietnamese fetish that they associate white with linguistic competency. A white American ,for example, will have an easier time getting hired, will ,on average, get payed better than a black or Asian American. The latter might have much more experience and be more competent, still, most schools will hire the former.

You can keep citing Vietnamese law till the cows come home, it will not change the "facts " on the ground. If you want to change those,  you will have to change the Vietnamese mindset.

White fetish might be an overboard assessment and also condescending. It’s not the same as white male fetish toward Asian female. it might be correct to assume that vnmese ppl generalize and perceive that foreigners, especially european or look like them, are native speaker of english. it’s the same as they wouldn't hire a European, even if he has vietnamese citizenship, to be a policeman in vietnam.  it’s all about looking like the role.