Cheap online TEFL courses under $200 may get you an entry-level teaching job in Thailand because they only serve to tick a box on the work visa application, but they won’t prepare you much for the classroom. This is because cheap online TEFL / TESOL certification courses asses their trainees through quick multiple-choice assignments or reflection essays instead of giving trainees the opportunity to practice the ESL lesson planning frameworks they need to become a successful ESL teacher in Thailand.