SEETEFL 4-Week Course: What to Expect and How It Stands Out

Thinking about taking a TEFL course in Thailand with SEE TEFL? Here’s my full review based on my discussions with real students and their experiences.

I’ve talked to many English teachers in Thailand over the years. They said that taking a TEFL course in Thailand has been one of the best decisions in their lives for two main reasons:

• They teach you how to teach in Thailand with cultural tips and real classroom experience that you can’t find in an online course.
  
• They help you find a teaching job in Thailand, which is a good way to gain teaching experience.

While there are many TEFL schools in Thailand, one school that stands out from the others is SEE TEFL. They are one of the oldest TEFL schools in Chiang Mai and have been providing the course for almost two decades to thousands of students.

In addition, they are licensed by the Ministry of Education in Thailand since 2004 (License number #54/2547). It’s good to know that not all TEFL schools here are licensed. They are also located in my favorite city in Thailand, Chiang Mai.

In this article, I’m going to review everything you need to know about the school, including their teaching methods, instructors, who you’ll be studying with, what kind of people should join their course, what to expect, and more.

Disclaimer: This article may include links to products or services offered by ExpatDen's partners, which give us commissions when you click on them. Although this may influence how they appear in the text, we only recommend solutions that we would use in your situation. Read more in our Advertising Disclosure.

Why SEE TEFL?

Location: 141/1 Kaew Nawarat Road, Wat Ket, Muang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000 (Near McCormick Hospital)

I asked John Quinn, the training director of SEE TEFL, about what makes their TEFL course different from others. He said, “Onsite training is the only way to acquire practical classroom skills. Our 6 observed teaching practices are at a range of local schools.”

I totally agree with this statement. I’ve talked to other English teachers in Thailand before. Some of them had a TEFL certificate from an online course. While they had the knowledge to teach, they struggled with teaching methods since it’s totally different from the West. So, they couldn’t control the classroom at all, and many of them ended up taking a TEFL course in Thailand to learn how to do it properly.

In addition to that, SEE TEFL has been highly rated on various teaching-related review sites such as GoOverseas.com, TEFL Course Reviews, GoAbroad, and even Google Maps.

Based on what I’ve gathered so far, here’s what students are happy with:

• Their teaching method isn’t just about English skills. It’s about how to be an effective and successful TEFL teacher overall, which is a lifelong skill.
  
• They help you understand English grammar and teaching methodology better.
  
• The course includes 6 practical teaching sessions in a local Thai school, so you’ll experience exactly what it’s like to teach in Thailand.
  
• Their staff are kind and helpful. You can reach out to John Quinn directly, and he’s always willing to give full advice about teaching in Thailand. And it’s not just about the TEFL course. If you need help setting up your life in Chiang Mai, they can advise you on that too.

• You’ll also make new friends from all over the world who are starting a similar journey in Thailand.

Location

SEE TEFL is located at 141/1 Kaew Nawarat Road in the Wat Ket area of Chiang Mai, just a short walk from McCormick Hospital. It’s an easy spot to get to. If you live in the city area, you can just take a scooter and get here within 5 minutes, or even hop on a local songthaew.

See SEE TEFL’s location on Google Maps

About the 4-Week TEFL Course 

The TEFL course I’m going to review in this article is their 4-week TEFL course. As the name suggests, it’s a 4-week program, 120 hours in total, that teaches you everything you need to know about teaching English in Thailand.

The course is split into two parts:

• Weeks 1–2: Focus on developing classroom skills, grammar and language awareness, cultural understanding, and basic Thai language. Classes run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to about 4:15 p.m. at their school, which is conveniently located near Kaew Nawarat Road in Chiang Mai, close to McCormick Hospital.

• Weeks 3–4: Dedicated to the six observed teaching practices, you are going to prepare, rehearse, and deliver real lessons at SEE TEFL partner schools. Daily schedules may vary depending on school visits. You will be carefully observed during the practice sessions, and both verbal and written feedback are provided.

At the end of the course, you’ll gain a lifelong skill as an effective TEFL teacher, receive a TEFL certificate, and get job support, including a half-day “Finding Work” workshop and a CV writing workshop to help you land a teaching job and work in Thailand. In fact, many of their students get a teaching job right away after finishing the course.

Class Size 

The maximum number of students per course is 20. However, the average class size tends to fall between 12 and 16. 

Classmates at SEE TEFL

In general, courses consist of about 70% native speakers and 30% non-native speakers. Ages range from 20 to the late 60s, with the majority of students between 25 and 45 years old.

You will mainly meet three types of people:

• Those who are planning to change careers or take a break from their current career
  
• Those who are looking for a job that allows them to live in Thailand
  
• Those who want to get a qualification so they can travel and teach around the world

Course Materials

About a month before your course starts, SEE TEFL will send you a set of pre-arrival materials to help you get ready. This includes a grammar terminology review and some videos explaining the PPP teaching method (Presentation – Practice – Production), which is one of the most commonly used methods for teaching English.

Even if you haven’t studied grammar since high school, the materials are designed to ease you back into it without being overwhelming.

Advertisement

Job Support

While SEE TEFL doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a teaching job in Thailand, the majority of their students are able to find one without a problem.

Here’s what they do to help you land a job:

• A half-day “Finding Work” workshop and a CV writing workshop
• Access to jobs at their partner schools, including language schools, formal schools, colleges, universities, online teaching, and private classes
• Introduce you directly to agencies or schools

A few weeks after the program ends, they send a follow-up email to ask about your job situation in Thailand. If you need help at that time, you can let them know. Of course, if you already have a job and want to keep it private, you don’t have to disclose it to SEE TEFL.

In case you’re a native speaker (such as from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand), based on SEE TEFL’s observation, you should be able to find a teaching job in Thailand without much trouble after completing their course.

On the other hand, if you’re from a non-native English-speaking country, particularly from South Asia or Africa, it can be more challenging to get a job here. This has nothing to do with SEE TEFL or your skills, but rather the preference of many schools in Thailand, which tend to favor teachers from native English-speaking countries.

Important: To get a teaching job and work legally in Thailand, you need a Bachelor’s degree, a non-immigrant B visa, and a work permit.

Ongoing Support

This is another thing I like about SEE TEFL: they offer ongoing support even after you finish the course.

During the 4-week course, you can approach their instructors anytime with questions or concerns. And it doesn’t have to be just about TEFL or teaching in Thailand. You can ask about everyday life in Chiang Mai too, whether it’s about your visa, accommodation, or getting settled. While they don’t provide these services directly, they can give you helpful local know-how to point you in the right direction.

After graduation, you can still contact them with any job-related inquiries. They might be able to connect you with their partner schools or teaching agencies.

SEE TEFL Course Cost and Value Analysis

SEE TEFL charges US$1,395 for their 4-week course. While they are slightly more expensive than other TEFL courses in Thailand, which are normally around US$1,300, the price difference is minimal.

Compared to the value you get from them, I would say it’s a good price.

Of course, it’s much more expensive than an online course. But I don’t think it’s a fair comparison, since online courses can’t give you practical classroom experience, which is one of the most important parts of a TEFL course.

Please note that you are responsible for your own food, transportation, accommodation, visa, and other personal expenses.

Also, you need to pay a deposit of US$495 during registration. The remaining US$900 can be paid on the first day of your training.

Additional Program

There’s also an optional US$100 upgrade to a Level 5 Ofqual-regulated certificate. Please note that this is for a digital certificate only. You can request a hard copy certificate for an additional fee. 

Which Visa Are You Going to Have While Taking the SEE TEFL Course?

In most cases, you can come to Thailand under the visa-exemption scheme, which allows you to stay for 30 to 60 days, depending on your nationality. This means you don’t need to apply for a visa in advance. You can just come to Thailand right away.

Once you are in Thailand, you can get a visa extension for another 30 days at the immigration office in Chiang Mai. If you need to get a visa beforehand, you can apply for a tourist visa, which gives you a 60-day stay in Thailand.

This allows you to fully complete the course and gives you some time to find a job in Thailand.

Once you get a job, your school or employer will help you apply for a non-immigrant B visa and a work permit, which allows you to legally work in Thailand.

Real Student Success Stories and Reviews

To find out what the experience is really like, I reached out to several SEE TEFL alumni. All of them gave very detailed feedback. In fact, I had to read through paragraphs of insights and stories. None of them were short on praise.

The first person who gave me feedback was none other than Joanna Horanin, a travel writer from The Blond Travels. She initially planned to take a course in Koh Samui, but after doing more research, she found SEE TEFL.

What was the training like?

When I was choosing the school, I thought I could go to Koh Samui and do the course there. I read the reviews of different schools. It seemed to me that a lot of people go to the islands not to actually learn, but to party. I decided that if I wanted to spend so much money, then I want to learn something, too. That’s why I chose SEETEFL because it seemed to me that they were the most professional out of all the schools in Thailand.

The training was great. First of all, I had a lot of fun and met great people. We had two weeks of theory during which I refreshed my grammar knowledge and learned how to teach. This was really invaluable as Thailand has a different system of teaching and learning and SEETEFL helped me to understand that. The teaching practices were tough as we had to do a lot of prep work. This was my first time teaching in front of a class and I was nervous, but John and the team really helped me to overcome stress and prepare for the lessons. In general, I think SEETEFL keeps it fun and engaging, but they are also demanding.

Did you feel prepared to teach?

Yes, I did. When I finished the course, I was ready to teach. I had all the tools. SEETEFL also helped me to find work and then they supported me during my first few months. I was always in touch with John and he advised me on a couple of things, which was great.

My advice

Be ready to work. These 4 weeks are not a holiday. You’ll have to study and do prep work, lesson plans etc. You will also learn a lot. But don’t worry, you will have plenty of time for fun activities, sightseeing, trying good food and going for trips. Remember that if you have any questions, SEE is always there to help you out. They are truly supportive and will help you out if you’re not sure of something. The course is worth the money and it’s great especially for those who really want to become teachers and want to settle in Thailand.

Joanna Horanin from the Blond Travels.

Then, Dave Spencer, another alumnus, told me that he took the 4-week course from SEE TEFL when he was 50 years old. Thanks to the course, it changes his life, and he’s been able to teach all around the world. Here’s his story:

My 50^th birthday was a watershed moment in my life. It was then that I took the decision to quit my mundane, (and expensive) life in the UK. After a lot of research and soul searching, in 2007 I found myself in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Here, I was about to embark on a 4 weeks TEFL Course, that would change my life! I would spend the next 4 weeks at SEE (Siam Educational Experience), learning how to teach English as a Second Language.

The course, though intensive, was expertly delivered by John and Ying Quinn, the owners of the language school. I passed with flying colours and was instantly rewarded by being offered a Senior Teacher’s position at Wacharawit School in Chiang Mai. Here, I was responsible for managing the Foreign teach staff as well as teaching. I was fortunate in that most of my staff had also completed the SEE course, so we were on the same page from the outset. It was a steep learning curve, but I feel like I adapted well to this new chapter in my life.

I’d already spent time on vacation in Vietnam and liked what I saw. So in 2009, I said “laa gawn” to Thailand and “Xin chao”to beautiful Vietnam. Over a four year period, I worked at two language schools in Haiphong, North Vietnam. Haiphong is a city about 90 kilometers from Hanoi, and near the wonderful Halong Bay World Heritage Site. I also did some freelance teaching in Haiphong, which is financially rewarding as it usually entails teaching wealthier clients on a 1-to-1 basis. More often than not, they are usually business people who have no time in their busy schedules to attend language schools.

Again, I wanted more…

After leaving Vietnam, I spent about three years in Malaysia working on a project for The Malaysian Ministry of Education. This involved mentoring local English teachers in rural areas of Malaysia. This was an exciting time for me, and I think if the Malaysian government hadn’t changed when it did, the project would still be ongoing. On leaving Malaysia, I wanted to connect with my European roots again, so I spent almost two years at a language school in Rzeszow, SE Poland.

The African continent has always been a mystery to me, so in 2012, I had the unique experience of volunteering at an orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania. Situated at the foot of the world famous, Mount Kilimanjaro, this was an eye-opening time, seeing beauty side by side with abject poverty. It was here that I met my future wife, and mother of our son, Dylan. Unfortunately, TEFL jobs are difficult to find in East Africa, where schools mainly rely on volunteers.

So again, it was time to move on-this time with my family in tow!

From 2017 to 2023, I was teaching at The University of Puthisastra in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. UP is a Health Sciences University, so I was responsible for teaching English to future doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses. The accent here was focused on English for Health Science Professionals. This was another exhilarating chapter in my teaching career.

So there you have my brief version of my TEFL life so far. Eighteen years have flown by so quickly, with many wonderful experiences on the journey. People often ask me which was my favourite country to live and work in? I can’t answer that question truthfully, as each place has its plus and minus points. All I can say is, the decision I took all those years ago, to take a TEFL Course at SEE in Chiang Mai, has taken me to places I never even thought existed.

…and still I want more!

Dave Spencer, a former English teacher in Thailand, has also taught in Vietnam, Malaysia, Poland, and now Tanzania.

Louis Leal, a content creator, took the course in 2016. Because of SEE TEFL, He got a job immediately at Prince Royal’s College before he even finished the course.

Hello Saran, My name is Louis Leal. I graduated from SEE TEFL in 2016. I was 54 years old and had come here from Honolulu Hawaii. Starting SEE TEFL I was quite overwhelmed with all the information that was presented. Within a couple weeks, I felt much better and felt energized and ready to teach at the sixth outside teaching practices that we had to do in order to graduate.

I had applied at Prince Royal’s College before I even finished the course. I was hired immediately at the interview. I started teaching that May and went onto teach till the year 2022. The first two years, I was teaching four different classes English daily. My Last four years, I became a homeroom teacher where I had 40 students that I taught English, art, maths, stem, and PE.

It was very rewarding working at Prince Royal’s College. All the Thai teachers were very nice and I have lifetime friendships with most of them now. By my sixth year of teaching using the same course books and lessons plans it became quite easy to both teach and help the students grow into responsible adult adults. We incorporate lots of music into our teaching. I will include my YouTube channel Link and you can see some videos I made with my students over the six years.

Louis Leal, a former teacher in Thailand.

As you can see, these former students were all satisfied with the course. They praised how intensive and practical it was, and most importantly, how it helped them land teaching jobs in Thailand and beyond.

If you’re ready to start your teaching journey, click here to learn more about SEE TEFL or apply for the course.