Criteria and Supporting Documents for Renewing a Professional License for Foreign Teachers in Thailand

Currently, Thailand has approximately 11,200 foreign teachers throughout the country (Ministry of Labor, October 2020). Foreign teachers working in Thailand, both in public and private educational institutions, must obtain a professional license according to the Teacher Council regulations issued in 2016. This license is valid for five years. When it is about to expire, foreign teachers working in Thailand must apply for renewal of their foreign teacher professional license. The request should be submitted to the Secretary of the Teacher Council within 180 days before the license expires. The details are as follows:

1. Must have qualifications and not have prohibited characteristics as stipulated in Section 44 of the 2003 Teacher Council and Educational Personnel Act as follows:

Qualifications

1. Must be at least 20 years old
2. Must have a degree or equivalent qualification, or have other qualifications recognized by the Teacher Council
3. Must have taught in an educational institution according to the curriculum for at least one year and meet the evaluation criteria of teaching practice according to the standards, methods, and conditions set by the Teacher Council.

Prohibited Characteristics

1. Must not have improper behavior or moral defects
2. Must not be incompetent or nearly incompetent
3. Must not have been imprisoned in a case that the Teacher Council believes could damage the dignity of the profession

2. Must have professional knowledge and experience standards
3. Must have job performance results according to work performance standards
4. Must comply with the professional ethics standards as stipulated by the 2013 Teacher Council Act, including:

1. Ethics towards oneself
2. Ethics towards the profession
3. Ethics towards service recipients
4. Ethics towards colleagues in the profession
5. Ethics towards society

Documentation required:

1. Report card/Diploma or Certificate/Qualification certificate (1 copy)
2. Front page of passport and current visa page that has not expired (1 copy)
3. Front page of work permit and current page that has not expired (if any) (1 copy)
4. Evidence of performance according to work standards, no less than 3 activities within 5 years from the date the license is issued to the expiration date of the license, and the activities must not be the same for all 3 activities
5. Evidence of name and surname changes (1 copy)
6. Half-body photo, facing front, dressed appropriately, taken no more than 6 months ago (1 original copy). Scan the actual photograph, save it as a .jpg extension, and attach it to the system

     Note: The copied documents must be signed to certify the copy and then scanned to attach to the system

     Once the officer has verified that the application form and all required documents are correct and complete, and the application has been approved, the license issuance date will be a date contiguous from the old license. In this case, the proof of payment serves as proof of application submission and preliminary qualification verification. The applicant will receive a license once approved by the Professional Standards Committee. Those who receive a license to practice education profession, but do not practice education profession, and wish to renew their license to practice education profession must have academic qualifications, or qualifications and professional experience, and must pass training or testing of professional standards and ethics set by the Teacher Council Committee.

Data updated on June 17, 2023
Source: Digital Government Development Agency
Tel. +66 2612 6060