Ijustwannateach

As far as I am aware, Thai labour law applies to all workers in Thailand, even those without contracts (that is partly whom it is designed to protect).

While claims have been made that 'this or that' type of school is "exempt' from severance requirements, I have never seen this verified legally, and in most cases where schools have been challenged (a letter from a lawyer clears heads wonderfully) the required severance is provided.

Your mileage may vary, but do consult a lawyer.

There was a momentary blip of higher awareness recently in the 'fashionable' community hereabouts; but it seemed more commercially driven than government/public service. They are losing the progress they made during the original and highly successful campaign of the 90s/00s.

The system is so overloaded with often poorly done, poorly-designed, anti-educational tests that pointing out with their feet that this one is irrelevant to boot is a brilliant sign of democracy in action.

Search for their name online, possibly? It isn't really a smart thing for teachers to put up bad stories- or even good stories- about their employers online; too easy for them to become easily-identified targets.

(Frankly speaking, if they don't renew your contract as a result, you could also claim 30 days severance more on top for not giving you proper notice).

^Yup... and you couldn't just show up on the door; you'd have to go through the standard online system and compete.

Change 'If' to 'Because'. A wave of very unwelcome reality is coming.

Let's say an average of 15 workers of all kinds per venue- probably a bit low, but let's be conservative when faced with an alarmist article. Then for 800 venues (which probably is OVER 800, since they are being alarmist, but let's follow the numbers blindly) that's 12,000 workers. Infection rate is 186/12000, or 1.55%, in an environment which is claimed by the same article to be PARTICULARLY RISKY. Which, compared to the overall listed rate for Thailand (which is frankly probably a bit low considering the cultural trend here to 'hide the problem'), that means the rate in those bars was about 8.3 times the general population, assuming the worst case- not exactly odds that send me diving for cover. But as it is PARTICULARLY RISKY, why is this so surprising? I wouldn't be surprised if the REAL trend, if you could get a truly random sample, weren't a few times higher already itself.

I swear I've never seen a genuinely concerned article about epidemiological issues in Thailand which wasn't somehow completely buggered up either by bad original science, bad understanding of science, or the need to make alcohol and/or sex the boogeymonsters.

From what I've been able to tell among my married friends here, including Thai lady teachers I work with, this is a common trope in families. Indeed, some of those teachers actually owe more in monthly loans (which they can also get from the school!) than they make in salary; but this works because their jobs are 2nd jobs in the family and they pay the difference from their husband's income.

So it seems that these financial options are out there and considered societally acceptable in many cases- but as far as what it indicates about a family relationship, here are some possibilities:

1. Addiction to consumerist values (getting more prevalent unfortunately)
2. Bad habits (gambling or other addiction)
3. Family with bad habits
4. Family with a drama dynamic (behaving functionally just not exciting enough)
5. Genuine need that one partner has either not understood/communicated effectively

The time to avoid #1-4 is probably before marriage, but #5 could happen to any couple; mistakes are human. If that's the case, then I think it would be one of those 'for better or for worse' moments, but hopefully a chance to fix the communication problem or look for other shared ways to solve the genuine need that don't involve bad financial decisions.

Gosh but I bet the German wishes the cost of living in Germany were lower... and honestly, blue collar workers of various types still make good money - just ask real plumbers in first world countries, if you can find 'em. And good on 'em.

I very much doubt that non-NES teachers will find themselves edged out by those from the countries in the new 'zone', unless they are very borderline indeed.

As far as educational requirements, Thailand has at one and the same time (depending on exactly which rules and exceptions you are talking about) BOTH the most extremely demanding (if you are a teacher to whom the new TCT regulations somehow apply) *and* the most lax (if you are one of those completely off-the-books types who've been here for years that way) qualification requirements for teaching languages of any country I know.

Just can't take this thread seriously, but it was very entertaining.

Good luck with 'em, Dantilley. Your mileage may vary.

It's the *software* that helps the language skills- though I really wonder if there was anything like a 'control group' in this study. But you don't get kickback money at an institution that buys software- you get it for the hardware.

Yes- if you own the location you're subject to the shakedowns, and as an illegal business it could only be one shakedown before you are either jailed or deported. And you *can* theoretically open a school, but there are very, very high entry barriers (including having suitably qualified Thai educational professionals).

Individual schools (and their directors) have a lot of discretion in this regard. Obviously the main holidays are off, but the answer to your question is, roughly, March through May (if it was school holidays you're asking about).

In part of southern Negros (one of the southern provincial islands of the Philippines) there is an enormous undeveloped ore deposit where it is fairly well established for decades now that the reserve may be in excess of 25 million tons (of gold). Why has the development never taken place? That's an easy call. People would be killing each other's and their own family members over the ownership, profits, and relevant financial subsidiaries. The same is likely true here- so I wouldn't expect to see the mine operating anytime soon.

And if it ever did, you can imagine (as several other posters have) the environmental costs.

I've consistently heard complaints from woman friends and coworkers about unwanted and antisocial attention directed towards them in public here. Hope OP finds a solution; it must add quite a bit of stress each day to go out wondering if you will be dealing with that POS.

If you want the 'true blue' places, you need to go ISAT or have a local connection and be willing to accept a less rewarding contract by going outside that system. If they're not hiring, they're not hiring.

Chiang Mai- for whatever reasons it is popular- IS popular, and you will find that the supply-demand curve has the usual economic consequences, especially as many well-educated semi-retired folks are up there.

If you were more flexible about the place, you'd have more options.

'30,000-35,000' is NOT the going rate at real international schools for truly qualified, licensed, home country, etc., teachers.

Mr. Hammer, I know exactly what you mean, and the difference you mean, too- eccentrics are ok, but there are far too many pathologically antisocial types moving here. They cause us trouble, they cause the Thais trouble, and they more or less cannot be stopped until they are arrested or go home.

I make it a standing rule, more or less, not to befriend any foreigner here until at least 2 trusted contacts vouch for that person- quite often that still goes wrong. Many people manage to survive here primarily by virtue of Thais giving them too much slack for 'foreign difference.' Sociopathic people at the office are very, very common.

My experiences of random encounters of foreigners here include:
a man who stiffed the bartender when he left
a young couple who seemed to be looking for someone to tell a hard luck story to and buy them food... I secretly paid my own bill and left suddenly. The look on their face was priceless.
a man who decided that being the only other foreigner in the establishment entitled him to paw over both me and my foreign female guests
idiots panhandling in restaurants or transit stations

So I try to avoid those random, otherwise potentially pleasant encounters that you describe, Beetlejuice- but from my travels in OTHER countries, I know what they are like!

To place everything in perspective here, it is not only Lao expats who display a low esteem towards Thai expats, because Thai expats themselves often have little regard for their own peers and have a sort of disdain for each other.

Firstly, including myself, many do not consider the forever tourists or visa runners as the OP describes them, as expats at all, but more rather as drifter foreigners of little wealth who are considered as the lower forms of life in the evolutionary scale of Thailand long term stayers.

There is also an extreme of mistrust between expats and it is difficult to get up close and befriend them, plus those of dubious nature, into some form of illegal activities or other, con men, the dodgy bar, business and property owners.

The problem is that expats cover a whole spectrum of characters; personalities, ages, persuasions and some are just simply oddballs who do not fit into any particular category. These various types do not always gel well together, therefore they intend to either keep a low profile and keep to themselves, only socialising among their own circles or within their own cliques or stay low doing a little bit or this and a little bit of that or whatever it is they do.

In my experience of working in Europe for over 25 years, I found that the expats living or working in any specific European country were as a whole much more hospitable, inclined to befriend and support each other more and in some areas could be described as real expat communities, the Brits, Germans, Americans, French and so on.

Those settling in Thailand for the first time and perhaps in some of the neighboring countries, will maybe as surprised as I was when they discover how remote many expats can be from each other and their attitudes here.

Many seem to bare an intolerance towards other expats. Perhaps because they feel that the chances are that these people will not be socially hospitable, they are encroaching on their territory or could be several reasons for which I do not understand.

I agree with your observations above, and I can add a few potential reasons for this.

There is a very high percentage (comparatively) of socially dysfunctional and/or crazy people in denial among those coming here, largely because in the past the tourist sector was able and willing to absorb them for their money. You can see the effects even on this website, in terms of the high levels of displayed antisocial behaviour and denial of personal responsibility for one's own behaviour.

Nevertheless, Thailand's barriers to entry are still *relatively* low, and their tourist sector is still *relatively* popular compared to many other SE Asian countries- and far cheaper still than many of the European ones. So this is where the crazy, less-than-rich people land to stay in denial. It isn't working as well anymore, so they are getting grumpy and disillusioned- but still NOT responsible, oh, no.

Laos, as others have said, is a bit harder for those who want to stay a long time- and there are more legal and social restrictions on people. So it's less popular and attracts fewer of the same type.

Unfortunately, I fear that as Thailand loses (fortunately) more of that crowd, they will wind up in some other undeserving but poorer country.

OP, I don't want to minimise your situation, but this was entirely predictable. Now that the government has changed hands, it is time for a change of pork at the trough. So new 'guidelines' and therefore new 'schools' will now be offering these 'useful' 'courses', so the money for them- the only justification that has ever been possible- trickles into new places.

Inconvenience for the teachers and schools in the meantime? That's not money. Why would they worry, until it becomes a public embarrassment.

I believe there are ways for the school to vouch for you, if the director writes letters and whatnot- that would probably be the best road to take, if no others are open. Wishing you best of luck.

Another cultural difference in Japan is the way small shrines and temples are 'managed'- many of them are privately owned by families who pass them down through generations. So there can be a lot of 'individualism' in the way they are run and many idiosyncracies.

A friend of mine whose mother was a mama-san in a Kyoto bar told me the 'naughty' monks from Kinkakuji would go there after hours........

The more chances for profit, the slower it will be built due to factions arguing over their share. I'm betting on TWO technological ages before they get around to it, now.

Dave- your scenario is humorous and I'm sure that it can happen in reality if the child knows that he can outlast you, but the solution is to repeat the timeout and reward good behaviour consistently, and not have less patience than the child. If *that* doesn't work, then you may need to consult a child psychologist. I have been working continuously with children of various ages the last 15 years and while I have had to use my adult size to block a child's path, separate fighting students, or force a child to surrender a contraband object, those are RARE instances, and I have NEVER had to hit a child . Usually even if things are getting out of hand, even in large groups, the worst I have to do is raise my voice a bit. If you really have to use physical force routinely, it shows that your relationship with the child is *already* dysfunctional, or the child has such serious issues that both of you need help.

Most children want to be well-regarded by those around them, and if this is not the case there may be serious problems in the child's life.