According to many people on Facebook teaching groups (although there are many who refute it), China is on the verge of introducing (or enforcing an already established) law that requires teachers to hold a bachelors degree, much like Thailand and many SE Asian other countries (and most other countries around the world for that matter).

Add that to the recent report that I read on the BBC website about foreigners resident in Thailand (many of whom are teachers) being targeted in a government crackdown and given huge fines because they (or more specifically, their landlords) didn't register their address in the required 30 day period. Apparently it's the landlords duty to do this, but if they don't, it's the foreigners who are responsible for the fines(???) This is leading to many foreigners becoming frustrated and disillusioned with the bureaucracy there and wanting out.

As one of the few countries, especially in SE Asia, where foreigners can easily obtain long term visas, reside here without too much bureaucracy and teach English with or without the legal requirement to hold a degree, I get the feeling things are going to change drastically in the teaching market here. Currently, so long as you can string a coherent sentence together with a vaguely western accent and you have the right skin colour, it's an employees market, not the the other way around.

But if surrounding countries are either changing their laws to require a degree, or making their immigrants feel that life there just isn't worth the hassle, I can see a lot of teachers looking at Cambodia as a viable alternative, resulting in the teaching market here changing drastically from an employees to an employers market.

I'd argue that the reason Cambodia doesn't currently require teachers to hold a degree is because they know that the lack of English teachers already would only decrease even more if they did. Most people who want to teach English abroad and have a degree would probably not choose Cambodia as the number one destination on their bucket list. Most teachers come to Cambodia specifically because there is no requirement to have a degree here, and residing here is, subjectively, hassle free. But that could easily change if the market became saturated. It could even result, if the market became too saturated, in Cambodia following suit and requiring degrees also.

Foreigners who complain about TM30 in Thailand are just idiot.
Nobody needs to visit immigration when not extending a visa, and nobody needs to extend a visa if crossing a border every 3 months instead.
It's just the old idiots who pretend to be good guys by following a stupid law who have problems. Anyway the fine is only a maximum or 2000 thb once a year, who cares ?!
I can't see many teachers leaving Thailand bu China maybe, because anyway most of them are already wondering what they are doing in this $hithole country ! hahahaha...

Cambodia does not even require teachers in their own high schools to have a college degree. It is said that many did not even have passing grades when they were in high school (flunked the graduation exan which is why they did not go to college). I guess pay is not comensurate with education and experience so those with a college degree are not going to teach in Cambodian public schools and make $250 a month.

What is the pay for English teachers in Cambodia compared to Thailand or China?

Any newcomers will have a lot of competition from South Africans who are already working for considerably less than others.

Actually, I believe that Myanburmar is the current or soon-to-be TEFL frontier. Anyway, some may head there (not sure what the regulations are though but I imagine there's growing demand), some to Cambodia and some to Vietnam, where there is also plenty of competition but a much larger market than Cambodia (pop. 96 million, robust economy humming along). Some may even move to Laos. A few will head back home for one reason or another.

Burma pays much better than Cambodia

I thought Thailand was fucked because of the strength of the Thai Bhat. It's crucifying the garment industry.

jrjrjr wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 10:49 pm Foreigners who complain about TM30 in Thailand are just idiot.
Nobody needs to visit immigration when not extending a visa, and nobody needs to extend a visa if crossing a border every 3 months instead.
It's just the old idiots who pretend to be good guys by following a stupid law who have problems. Anyway the fine is only a maximum or 2000 thb once a year, who cares ?!
I can't see many teachers leaving Thailand bu China maybe, because anyway most of them are already wondering what they are doing in this $hithole country ! hahahaha...

You do not, and have never lived in Thailand have you? Not long ago you had to go to do 90-days report 4 times a year at the immigration, for instance. You might be able to do it online these days, but just a year or two ago it was not possible. There are indeed plenty of teachers leaving Thailand, some of them come here. While I may only have anecdotal evidence, the situation in Thailand right now is the most ridiculous in the decade I've been in SEA.