The answer is simple, time and money.

Thailand is one of the cheapest countries to take CELTA, considering it costs about US$3,800 at the British Council in Singapore and only US$1,660 at ECC Thailand (after early bird discount, if you apply 45 days before the course commences). Do some simple calculation and you will realise that it is cheaper to do it in Thailand even after adding your (budget airline) tickets, accommodation and living expenses. We’re talking about budget guesthouses to mid-range apartments and simple meals of course.

CELTA at the British Council in Singapore is offered on a part-time basis, or so they claim. It is two days per week, from 9am to 5pm over a 10-week period. That hardly sounds part-time to me since I’ve got to be extremely fortunate to have a very understanding employer who’d allow me to take two days off every week, or quit my day job. Over at ECC Thailand, you will complete the full-time course in four weeks.

Did I mention that they also throw in a locally (Thailand) recognised TEYL at no charge?

Application

After a lengthy application form and a 45-minute phone interview, I have been accepted for the CELTA course! Here are a couple of tips for filling up the application form:

1. Do your research, Google is your best friend.
2. Borrow relevant books to read them before, during and after applying.
3. Double check for grammatical and spelling mistakes.
4. Answer the question. Not all of them require you to define or give textbook answers.
5. Keep your extended writing task short and sweet (but stick to the 300-word minimum)

Regarding the phone interview, you won’t need to fret too much if you’ve done your homework and completed the application form on your own.

Visa

ECC Thailand does not provide an official admission letter and they will advice you to apply for the 90-days Tourist Visa instead of the Non-Immigrant Visa-ED. Contact your country’s Thai Embassy for more information.