TravelTeach

Hi all,

There is a university I'd like to attend that's in a very awkward place. The google map link is here. While technically this is in Ayutthaya, it's so far south that it's right on the border with Pathum Thani. According to Google Maps, it is the same distance from "downtown" Ayutthaya to Future Park Rangsit. Awful, awful location.

What I'm trying to figure out is where to live. The commute from Pathum Thani to Ayutthaya looks pretty bad, but I'm just going from Google Maps. I've lived in Chiang Mai for many years and, while adept at driving a motorcycle, I don't own a car. Never driven one in Thailand, and don't have a license (though I could get one).

So it seems like the options are:

1) Live in central Ayutthaya, and drive a motorcycle to the school.

2) Live somewhere in Northern Bangkok and drive a motorcycle to the school.

3) Live somewhere in Northern Bangkok, buy a car, and drive that to the school.

Honestly, all of these options aren't great for me. Ayutthaya looks boring as <deleted>. North Pathum Thani looks boring as <deleted>. Buying a car is expensive. Driving a car looks daunting.

Any advice on any of this, or options I've missed would be most appreciated. I'd even take a bus if there was an easy direct one!

Thanks!

On 10/18/2023 at 4:33 PM, Bunny Silverhand said:

I've done it for three years and eventually got kicked out of the country.

I think 3 years is the limit.

But maybe if you choose to study something else, you might stay longer.

 

Thanks for the reply. I suspect your case is the norm, and even that third year in my case might ruffle some feathers depending on the officer or political winds or whatnot. 

So, it's either a Master's or a (gasp) job for me next year I guess.

On 10/10/2023 at 4:50 AM, Crazy Noobie said:

When we first came here, my son received 4 times (years) Education Visa with local language school, back to back. They wouldn't allow him to have a fifth year. So then he went to the University and entered into a degree program and received a Ed.Visa. which he is on his forth year now.

So if I've got that right, he's had a total of 8 years with education visas? Could I ask what he studied in Uni?

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Out of interest...how much does a 12 month ED visa cost all up? 

Let's see...

37,000 for the course

10,000 to change the tourist stamp into the Ed Visa

1900 x 4 for the renewals

= 54,600

Hi all,

I've just received my second education visa. That's not my second extention. I mean that I've already studied Thai at a language school for a year, left the country, and have now received a second new visa that I will be extending for another year. That will eventually make a total of 24 months.

One of the the teachers at my language school is adament that she knows a man here who has done this for 7 years, simply by going from school to school. I doubt this, but I'd like to know what people have heard.

I honestly do attend classes and study Thai. But I doubt I'd be able to switch language schools and take a third year of classes. So I was thinking about a Master's degree. But I wanted to hear if anyone knew of anyone successfully doing this.

Thanks!

16 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

You dont appear to be comparing apples with apples, The condo scenario mentions 100k investment, and the EFT senario mentions 100k investment "and" ongoing monthly deposits of $1,617.

 

Condo senerio over 20 years is 100k investment.

 

EFT senario over 20 years is 100k plus (1617 x 240 months) = 488 k

 

Of course the results will be different, the amounts invested are different !

I would be investing $1617 monthly in both scenarios. In the first I'd be transferring it monthly to the bank. In the second I'd be transferring it monthly to the ETFs. 

9 hours ago, topt said:

Any reason why have you posted this in a Thailand forum?

 

If you work in Thailand then maybe post in the Home Country forum or even Banking but I would suggest you really need posters with specific experience of the Montreal housing market if you want your numbers validated/rebutted.

Fair enough. Yes I do work in Thailand, but I see your point.

I've got a bit of a math/financial puzzle on my hands and hoping I could get some feedback.

I work and live overseas 11 months a year and have no property in Canada. I want to retire in 20 years in Montreal but I don't think buying a home there makes sense. I'd rather invest money in ETFs until 2037, then rent a home with the profits. I'd rent it in perpetuity since I'd only be withdrawing 4% from my saved income. Buying a home in Montreal now and paying it off would, according to my figures, be dramatically less profitable. Here's my logic:

Supposing I have 100k and use that now in 2017 as a down payment on an average Montreal condo, valued at 400,000. I get a mortgage at the average of 2.65%. So I owe the bank 300k plus interest.

Every year I also owe 250 a month in condo fees and 1.7% in property tax, or $6800. Combined that's $9800.

Supposing that somehow I got renters in there for all 20 years at 800 a month. I'd make $9600 (all of this not adjusted for inflation yet) so only have to pay $200 a year.

However, the interest on the mortgage remains to be paid. A mortgage calculator calculates this as a little under $88,000 over the 20 years. But I also have to pay off the principal, which if I divide by twenty is $15,000 a year. If I divide the $88,000 up into monthly payments and divide up the principal into monthly payments it's not mathematically accurate but I believe close. Please correct me if it's wildly wrong. I get 88,000/20/12= $367 and $15,000/2=$1,250. That totals $1617.

OR

I take the 100,000, put it in ETFs, and make monthly deposits of $1617. Assuming the rate of return is the historical market average of 7% and increasing deposits at inflation of 3.5%, my ETFs will accrue to 1.5 million in 20 years.

The condo, originally purchased at 400k will hopefully have increased in value at the rate of inflation (3.5%) to 800k.

This assumes I somehow got tenants every month for 20 years, I didn't pay tax on the rent, condo fees didn't change, the property tax didn't change, and absolutely nothing went wrong (repairs) with the condo. I'd also have to assume I didn't need a property management company because somehow everything took care of itself. Then, 20 years from now, I would still need to continue to pay those condo fees and property tax. AND I have no savings.

In the ETF scenario, I draw 4% a year from my 1.5 million, which is enough to cover rent in Montreal, food, and everything else within reason in perpetuity along with yearly escapes for 5 months to Thailand or wherever (I've already calculated all this based on projected inflation).

So...is there something I'm not thinking of. I am sure there are flaws in my math, but generally I can't see how buying a property makes any sense in my situation.

Alright that's fair. Then yup, I'm thinking this will work. I'll get the cash. Thanks again guys.

27 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

How many Visa-Exempts to Thailand do you have for All Time?  If less than 6, your odds are much better for not being rejected, because no alert will pop up on their screen, suggesting a further inquiry.  They will also, likely scan through your passport and see your other entries.  Not having any "Ed" visas helps, 

I'm honestly not sure. I've been visiting Thailand regularly for many years. Definitely more than 6! But long stretches away and no black marks. No Ed visas.

27 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

 

Most importantly - have at least 10K Baht in cash (I'd bring 20K), plus proof of where you will be staying, plus proof of the origin of your money, if possible.  Show the money at the first sign of questioning.

Good idea, and not a problem.

27 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

 

If still concerned, to avoid all risk, you could enter at Ban Laem land-border, and avoid even a remote possibility of detention at an airport.  But do NOT attempt via Poi Pet, though - which has become the worst checkpoint in Thailand.

That's also a good idea, but it does mean scrapping the flight. And cycling there. I like your word "remote". ? But I'll keep it in mind and mull it over.

Thank you all very much for the quick and, frankly, encouraging advice.

Just now, sapson said:

I may be completely wrong which would be good to know but isnt a calender year Jan 2016 to end Dec 2016, so if your last

 

exempt was June 2016, you dont have any exempts in calender year Jan 2017 to Dec 2017 so should be fine??

You are correct. I had an exempt in January 2016 (basically two days transiting from Myanmar) and then one more in June for about a week. The rest have all been the non-b. However those non-b visas did allow me to live in Thailand from July to December 2016.

I feel that's still a lot of time/visas in Thailand over the course of 12 months. Its more than half the year! But I don't really know how that affects the visa exempt, so that's why I posted this. ?

Hi all,

I am in Phnom Penh with a flight booked to BKK for Monday. I think I shouldn't board it, but I'd like to hear advice.

In the last calendar year I've visited Thailand twice visa exempt and had two non-b visas issued. Both jobs for the visas didn't work out. Yes, that sounds sketchy as hell, but it happened. I left Thailand early January. Since then I've been cycle touring around se Asia.

Since Cambodia is rough as anything, I want to fly to Thailand and continue biking from bkk through isaan up north for two months. My bike is with me, packed up in a box and ready to go.I've got plans outside of Thailand after that.

Due to very poor planning on my part (Songkran) I cant get a SETV before Monday. The flight can't be refunded.

If I get on the flight, do you think I would get another visa exempt when I land?Perhaps showing them the bicycle as proof? Or is it a serious risk of being turned away? I do have an outbound ticket (BKK to Malaysia) two months from now and a bank statement showing sufficient funds. Perhaps I could use Songkran as an excuse? Ha.

I should also mention that I do have several other Thai visa exempt stamps but outside of the calendar year. Not sure if that affects anything. My last visa exempt was late June 2016.

Thank you,

TT

I don't feel too bad about leaving. I don't think that missing a teacher for 2 weeks or so while another is found is going to affect anyone's life. I do feel bad about leaving some really cool kids I met.

But what to do? There's a point when it's just too much. There's a point when the schools just push and push and break promises and break promises and you have to decide what's best for everyone. The place I was working at had 4 other people quit in the first term, and hopefully the parents are starting to scratch their chins and say, "Can it all be medical emergencies back home?"

Because it's not like I can go to a union rep or a government office and start a fair and transparent arbitration, can I?

Yeah, and about that "next please" comment. The school didn't even care when I said I wasn't showing up. From what I've heard from the rest of the teachers it was more of an annoyance of finding someone over a weekend. Thanks.

Thanks guys! You know a lot about visas. It's almost as if this site should be called Tha....oh yeah.

I've just been back from showing an elderly person around Thailand for a few weeks. Due to the "elderly" factor, I wasn't able to rent a scooter or walk as much as normal. I used both Uber and Grab around BKK and Chiang Mai and it worked like a freaking treat. We took an Uber from the Grand Palace to Asok, got stuck in traffic and it cost me 200 baht for a 65 minute trip. Fair deal. Uber also avoided the tuk-tuk bargaining in Chiang Mai.

Only strange thing about Uber in CM is that the service is a flat 150 baht from anywhere to the airport. I've never seen flat fares with Uber anywhere else in the world, but it's a fair enough price.

Overall I found the prices to be the same or less than normal taxis. And the fact that they pick you up exactly where you are without any bs about which street to take or "too much traffic" is golden.

Long live taxi apps.

Hi guys,

Ok great thanks! That was the security I wanted to hear. Yes you're right: I won't be seeing that 5000 baht, but trust me, it's the better of several options.

Now is there anything else that schools ever do legal-wise? I mean do they ever get so angry that you've quit that they file legal challenges or do anything in the courts? As an interesting sidenote I have heard that there are scallywags and ne'er do wells that will begin work before the work permit is issued, thereby implicating schools in not-so-legal activities. I would think that if such action occurred, the schools would be extremely hesitant to pursue legal options as it would be an admission of guilt. Just a side note.

Or has anyone heard of more violent reactions???

TT

Hi all,

I got a job at a school, got all the paperwork, then left the country for Laos where I got a non-B, then came back in. I filled out more paperwork and gave the school the 5000 baht needed for the work permit. I have not yet had anything new (extension for example) stamped in my passport, nor have I gone to any government office. I don't know if I have a work permit, but I definitely don't have anything physical. My school said there was "more to do".

Unfortunately the job has not turned out to be what it was supposed to be. Long story. Short version: I will quit next week. But I'd like to stay in Thailand for the duration of my visa.

Is there anything the school can do to make me leave the country before the 90 days of my non-B is up? As I said, I don't know if they have submitted any paperwork for the work permit to a government authority.

My question is basically, has my status changed on a computer somewhere, or can I still stay in Thailand until the 90 days of my non-B is up?

Thank you!

TT

Hey all,

I guess MP3 players aren't really in style much anymore, but I prefer to use one when jogging, or rather than draining my phone's battery. Seems like a separate device to me.

Anyway, my Sony got destroyed on the beach and I'll be in BKK for a few days. Need to pick up a reliable one. I'm down for a new Sony Walkman if anyone knows where to get one, or happy ot hear of any other recommendations. Where and what!

Thanks!

I'd just like to comment once more and update on what happened.
.

I agree with the fact that learning a language is primarily on the learner. But there is a methodology, science, art, and willingness to teach anything. And there is an obligation to employ this if you're being paid. Being a "Thai language school teacher" is not a blank check not to actually teach and I think suggesting that's OK or to be expected is at best lazy and at worst racist.

I calmed down and approached the teacher with a lot of compliments and some slight suggestions to steer her towards more dialogue-based learning. I tried creating a lesson plan based on target vocabulary and sentence patterns. I even went so far as to bring in visual aids.

It became clear after a short time that this woman cannot deviate from whatever system she's learned. I think a good teacher is able to chunk down knowledge a student needs to learn, and can observe where a student is struggling. I mean that's just basic. And she can't do that. She's not interested in the person in front of her, and that won't change. I'm not going to go over step by step what I asked her, but I basically offered to create what I wanted to learn and she was pleased with that. I brought it to class, she translated all the words to Thai and said "what else?". I told her "just you speaking these words doesn't mean I now can use them", and she looked confused. And that's where the teaching comes in. If translation was all that you needed, then we'd all just get talking dictionaries and have no need for language schools.

So, the only solution was just to smile and say something like "I trust you to teach me." at which point she rambled on about a few things and I wrote down what I thought was important, occasionally asking her questions. Before I get attacked for complaining about this, let me just tell you she was trying to teach me the phrases "The southern three provinces of Thailand need to separate because they're Muslim." and "This city is where the Burmese are always illegally entering Thailand." Interesting, but perhaps I should learn how to understand directions to the 7-11 before using such information to go on political expeditions.

Unfortunately all the teachers were booked up so I couldn't switch teachers. However, her "reign" is over as of today and a new, far more experienced teacher will be taking the rest of the lessons -- with her showing up once or twice more, which I can handle.

I don't think this is indicative of all language schools, as I've studied at other Thai schools and studied other languages. I think saying Thai language teachers (or any language teachers) are bad is a bit like saying all mechanics will screw you over and don't really know how to fix your car. I worked in a garage and there were certainly some bad dudes, but overall the average person was alright. There's no need to tar them all with the same brush.

I also agree with the enormous amount of garbage that the language school textbook is trying to teach. Pages and pages on vocabulary that are unnecessary for someone just arriving in Thailand or learning basic Thai. Extensive variations on chicken dishes, or types of engineers are just not as important to me as being able to say "When will be laundry be done?" and understand the answer.(which I still don't know and couldn't get the teacher to explain today!!!)

Once this is over, and I have my basics, I'm going to review them constantly while increasing my vocabulary and doing ThaiPod lessons when I can. I think that's the best thing.

Thanks all for the help! If nothing else it was a good lesson in patience, and perhaps not to pay in advance.

If you paid for private lessons, why are other people in the class?

Can you not just say excuse me and ask her to do what you feel is correct? I doubt she/he would give a toss.

I know you probably have a genuine grievance, but i must admit i had a little chuckle reading the opening post, it all seems a bit pathetic needing to come on the internet to sought the issue!

There aren't other people in the class. Not sure why you said this.

Pathetic? Ok, your call, but this isn't my country. There are lots of countries where I know how to respond to this problem, but not Thailand. There might be a very right way and very wrong way, so that's why I'm asking.

She's not teaching. She's just talking. "What do you want to learn today?" indicates no assessment of the student or his needs.

And the course books at this school are all "shi$e" or useless for what you´d like to achieve in the next few weeks?

Exactly. "How are you?" "Is this delicious?" and most other common introductory phrases.

Let me first say these lessons are 600 baht an hour. Private lessons at a school that's been in business quite a while, has good reviews, and is licensed to get Ed visas. The school has a positive vibe with so far positive employees.

I appreciate the positive responses on here, and am not to sure what the "go home" or "50 baht" responses were about. Nobody should expect a teacher to have no lesson plan ready and I clearly explained my needs up front with the school before I signed up. So there was no reason to start with trying to teach me Hello. There's also no reasons to just say "What do you want to learn today?" which is what she said when I came today. I know it's a difficult role, but I explained it and I'm paying for it. If they can't do it, then they can't do it, but I want to see if I can fix the problem before being direct with them and saying that this isn't working.

And so, I need to know is the farang manager the person to approach, or is it the teacher. Because in some cultures people don't want to hear ideas directly, while other cultures would be upset you went around/over them. What I asked was how to broach this culturally, so that I didn't hurt anyone's feelings. I'm quite aware how to yell at someone -- it's not what I want to do.

Thanks again to the people who tried to help.

You're overthinking this. Just talk to the teacher with a smile and explain the situation. Avoid confrontational and demanding and you should be fine. There's no need to go to the boss.

Think of it this way. The instructor, being a native speaker, is at level 100. Normally, she teaches at say level 5. You want level 7. This will take almost zero extra effort on her part so you're not making an imposition.

She's not teaching. She's just talking. "What do you want to learn today?" indicates no assessment of the student or his needs.

Challenging an asian authority figure….insta fail…bound to end in tears.

No authority to me. A human who isn't doing their job. And doing it with my money. In a small school two can play at the "losing face" game, but I'd rather not do that.

Let me first say these lessons are 600 baht an hour. Private lessons at a school that's been in business quite a while, has good reviews, and is licensed to get Ed visas. The school has a positive vibe with so far positive employees.

I appreciate the positive responses on here, and am not to sure what the "go home" or "50 baht" responses were about. Nobody should expect a teacher to have no lesson plan ready and I clearly explained my needs up front with the school before I signed up. So there was no reason to start with trying to teach me Hello. There's also no reasons to just say "What do you want to learn today?" which is what she said when I came today. I know it's a difficult role, but I explained it and I'm paying for it. If they can't do it, then they can't do it, but I want to see if I can fix the problem before being direct with them and saying that this isn't working.

And so, I need to know is the farang manager the person to approach, or is it the teacher. Because in some cultures people don't want to hear ideas directly, while other cultures would be upset you went around/over them. What I asked was how to broach this culturally, so that I didn't hurt anyone's feelings. I'm quite aware how to yell at someone -- it's not what I want to do.

Thanks again to the people who tried to help.

Hey all,

I signed up for private language courses. I'm at a strange level that's not beginner but not far from it. That's why I signed up for private: because a regular beginner course would be several weeks, or months behind me, and my time is limited. I have time for a month of intense lessons before work starts.

The teacher immediately began teaching me basic Thai without asking my level or asking anything about my goals. I stopped her after a bit and explained my situation, so we sat down and had a productive 2 hours. To secure the time slot over the next month, I paid the school in advance.

But then in today's lesson the teacher showed up and said "so what do you want to talk about"? And so began a 2 hour lesson that was pretty random. She clearly hadn't planned much. After the lesson I looked at the textbook and said, "so which lesson did we do today? what should I review?" and she more or less blanked. Most of the class, actually all of the class, is her asking questions, without me asking anything.

I broached a few ideas for the class and she seemed to go a bit cold....

So I feel that there are two problems:

a) she doesn't know/care about my goals

she has no lesson plans

There is a farang manager at the school. I was thinking about writing a polite email to have her pass on the message to the teacher, then wondered if this will cause friction.

What's the best way to approach this situation? Again, already paid for the month of classes.

Thanks!

Ah really? I'm glad to hear that. I've been chased twice so far on scooters just in the past week looking for an apartment. I must be going to the wrong neighborhoods.