Jowels

Pat - She was particularly unpopular when she was dating Paradorn. My students used to take great delight in 'slagging' her every day.

Is she in her mid-20's? I've always thought she looks older, although she does look sexy in the new vid!

It's a sad reflection on the music industry that such talentless artists become so popular.

It's possible, but you'll certainly have to live frugally.

Your first month may work out a little expensive. Although transport's cheap in Thailand, if you intend seeing a significant amount of the country it will soon add up. A little info on where you intend visiting would be useful.

Regarding renting a bungalow. Non air-con bungalows with a cold shower are available on islands like Koh Samui for as little as 300 baht a night. If you intend staying for up to a month you may be able to negotiate a discount. If you're prepared to purchase food from the street vendors you should get by adequately on 100 baht a day.

While staying for three months is feasible, why not make it a two-month trip. With a little 'party money' you'll have a much more enjoyable time.

topics and opinions concerning the royal family can not be discussed on the forum.

/admin

guess the server's located in the Kingdom...

Do a Google and see what Les Majeste means.

I have never heard of, nor seen, any example of that being even the slightest justification for censorship of that topic here.

And, no, the server is not in Thailand, but that doesn't lessen responsibility for breaking the laws..

There is LOTS of reasonable discussion concerning the King and the rest of the Royal Family in Thailand, Check Pantip.com boards some time... The Mods there do their jobs of keeping it legal- and their server is in Thailand..

So, what's with all this seemingly unjustified paranoia here, George?

I feel that if there's to be censorship in this publically accessed forum, the managers who choose to censor topics should have some real justification or even an indication that censoring is neccessary- and should freely communicate that to the people who support this website. Sometimes I feel the management here is holding their cards too close to their chests, and being virtually non-responsive much of the time.

Well discussion here pertaining to the Thai Royal family are O U T Go back to Ajarn ...isn't that a term a tad beyond your station. You are a two bit teacher.

Why is your ego soo ###### fragile? I made a serious and reasonable post, asking serious and reasonable questions, and you reply with nothing but a low-class personal insult....Typical of many of your responses, but I always give someone the benefit, and hope that reason will beget reason. Obviously, with you, that seems a waste of energy on my part.

Mai Pen Rai

A very fair point Ajarn. Unfortunately Dr. Patpong regards himself (and this forum) as above criticism even if it is constructive. There was no need for him to respond in such a petty fashion. I wouldn't hold out for an apology though - his ego is too big!

A shame really. He and other mods on this board generally do a fantastic job.

Regarding uni salaries. The standard govt. package is usually 17,580 baht plus 8,000 baht housing allowance. In my experience this is negotiable, particularly for lecturers who aren't teaching English. I know of several people who earn more than 40,000 baht per month.

I think maybe their classification is different than 'Ajarn Piset' (can be a Thai, too) which I don't think has a negotiable salary....Maybe 'Foreign expert' or 'Visiting Professor', which doesn't have the same salary restrictions, in my experience.

I have no idea what their official classification is, but they're certainly earning more than the standard govt package. At the uni I work for the salaries vary tremendously from faculty to faculty. The Faculty of Medicine has wealthy students and thanks to the exorbitant lab fees they pay their English teachers earn 15,000 bpm more than the rest of us

I think to a great extent it depends on who you know. One of the International Program directors has recently employed a BA qualified lecturer for 45,000 per month. Hmmm......not a bad salary for someone with a four-year Bachelor degree. Do you think it has anything to do with him being her son's best friend?

Anyway, my point is that whatever the uni execs claim - salaries are negotiable. For your info, I am an English teacher, but I earn more than 17,580 + 8,000 baht per month.

As long as you're not too dark skinned, and your accent isn't too strong you should be fine mate! Maybe even classed as a farang (if you look like one) kind of! Who told you you'd have problems? Generally if you're a non-native speaker, but not Asian or coloured, it shouldn't be a massive problem for you.

^ I agree with Ken. I know a Dane educated in the UK who's teaching English. I also know a US educated Chinese girl working here. Due to her Asian looks she can't pick and choose jobs, but she still found something pretty quickly.

I don't think you'll have much success looking for a lecturing position in Isaan. Would you consider a change of scenery? Several universities in Thailand offer International Programs in Food Science and they're often crying out for English speaking teachers. I know Prince of Songkla University's Pattani campus may be looking for someone soon. It's not a place I would recommend working (a PSU student was shot by a Muslim extremist last week), but it shows that their are positions out there.

Regarding uni salaries. The standard govt. package is usually 17,580 baht plus 8,000 baht housing allowance. In my experience this is negotiable, particularly for lecturers who aren't teaching English. I know of several people who earn more than 40,000 baht per month.

I hope this is of some help. Good luck!

(BTW - What's happened to the Greek football side? )

I lost a wallet last year in Pattaya and went back to where I'd thought I lost it (Baywatch Cafe Beach Road) and they hand me back the wallet with all my cash in it and my cards.

Brilliant!

I once left a wallet containing 60,000 baht (I was going to buy a new motorbike) in a phone box in Hat Yai. A local market trader found it and when I returned there in a blind panic two hours later he returned it to me. Much to my surprise all the money was still there!! Needless to say his reward would have kept him in Chang for several weeks.

- saved money to go play Pac Man and Donkey Kong

...or even Space Invaders sat at one of those fancy smoked glass tables. Let's also not forget the legend that was Daley Thompson's Decathlon - available on Spectrum 64

Although I knackered plenty of joysticks on DT's Decathlon, I never recall doing it on a Spectrum 64???????

BTW - Was 'Garbage Pale Kids' the American name for what us Brits called 'Cabbage patch Kids'?

I was a little bemused watching this as well. The pixellated stuff seemed to include a shot of a lady removing her top. Maybe, it's just my twisted mind, but did it involve porn?

I live in Songkhla province. The speaker equipped vans that crawl around the city adverstising the latest movies really p*ss me off. They usually start at 7am even on Sundays. The noise permeates my balcony doors and ruins my lie-in.

^ If it's in Paris I can't see the Irish getting a draw. It could be a different story if it's at Lansdowne Road. Anybody know what time this game is on?

I wouldn't be surprised if England vs Wales finishes 1-1.

Drunken Monkey - You won't have a problem finding somewhere to watch it. Thais are crazy about football and every pub and bar in BKK will show it.

Is it all falang orientated?

I mean, is it only in tourist areas?

Do all the Thais have to knock off at 1am?

Places falangs don't venture?

If the falang sex industry is only the tip of the iceberg as such, then surely the nightlife, licensed premises etc is proportionate?

Is it just me, or is the whole place seeming more unfriendly to certain sectors of tourisim?

One could go out earlier, but it dosen't work like that does it?

Then again, if theres one fickle place it's gotta be LOS.

No Medicinebox it's not just you. I live in a city in the south. Bars in the tourist areas have been closing at 1am for the past three weeks and this is being strictly enforced.

Last weekend I ventured off the beaten track to some of the thai orientated bars. Surprise, surprise these were open until 3am. Most of their clientale were Police!!

Sadly, under Thaksin, Thailand is becoming less tourist friendly.

Could the original poster kindly inform us how much the Police and Mafia are after?

I never realized Internet dating was so popular.

I did meet one girl last year through a Thai based site. We didn't hit it off, but she's a great girl who's now my closest Thai friend.

There's a group of American DEA officers working in Songkhla now. For obvious reasons they're trying to keep a low profile.

Are you sure their DEA??

I don't know specifically what they're doing, but I'm 100% sure they're DEA. I have a contact in the Thai government who's working with them. They'll here until 2006.

There's a group of American DEA officers working in Songkhla now. For obvious reasons they're trying to keep a low profile.

Ajarn - I'm definitely having 5% deducted from my salary each month. From memory I paid 4% last year, but it increased to 5% with effect from 1/1/2004. Given the benefits SM mentioned it seems to be a good deal.

Yes the uni I work for is a government uni. My salary's a little more than you mentioned, but not significantly so. I suspect my tax liability won't be much more than the 1,200 baht you paid. Thx for that info.

Re one-year visas. Nobody I know has encountered problems. Aren't teachers exempt from the new minimum income criteria? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

SM - Thanks for another informative reply. It's good to know that I'll have a Thai baht pension when I retire Also, thx for the website link I'll check it out later. Good to hear you're still about on Ajarn - let's hope the board isn't hacked again.

And soon, unemployment insurance!... 

Ajarn: FYI this became effective as from 01.01.2004.

I'll wager no falang has succesfully claimed it though.

Re the 'free' health cover that Ajarn refers to. I thought we all make a statutory contribution of 5% of our monthly salaries - up to a maximum of 750 baht. The cover is good, but I'm not sure I would describe it as free!

On the subject of taxes. My university isn't deducting it so I'll have to make a payment myself at the end of the year. I would like to budget for it, but asking the local tax office for some help with the calculation is a waste of time. Didn't there use to be a tax calculation spreasheet linked to TV? If so, could anybody direct me to it?

Sumitr Man - It's good to see you contributing. You used to make some of the most informative and helpful posts on Ajarn. I appreciate you were p*ssed off when your posts were lost, but it would be good to see you over there again.

While shopping in Tops (Songkhla) yesterday I noticed a slab of Cheddar cheese has gone up from 112 baht to 135 baht.

Having a VIP room is elitist and wrong. It only serves to antagonize those who aren't invited. Surely everybody's participation in this forum is equally valuable.

So what exactly is the criteria for becoming a member?

^ Even at language schools? I find that hard to believe (although I could well be completely wrong and I've never been there....yeah I'll shut up now then!).

Yes Ken's that's 100% true. A couple of years back none of us had work permits, but things have improved dramatically over the past twelve months. To give you an idea almost everyone I know working full-time has a WP and teaching license.

Jowels, do these co-workers of yours with work permits have degrees, or did the schools find a way around things to obtain the work permits for them?

With one exception they all have degrees. Admittedly I don't know if they're genuine. At least two of the large supposedly respectable schools encourage their teachers to obtain degree certificates using whatever means necessary. The only person I know who doesn't have a degree is employed as a consultant. Before you ask yes - he does teach as well!

Ken or IJWT (stop asking the same bloody questions u numpties!) - re outsourcing. No the school I'm referring to doesn't outsource it's teachers. Nonetheless, I know of one local language school that does and it's now ensuring it's WP's are location specific i.e. they cover the school where the teacher is actually working. I'm told it's an administrative nightmare, but they get there in the end. Incidentally my WP covers two locations the local uni and a weekend language school.

I don't know why things have improved so dramatically. Despite having the relevant qualifications I spent 18 months working on a tourist visa. Back then the schools simply didn't seem to take it seriously. I can only assume they received a warning their was going to be a crack down and decided to get their houses in order. BTW - My WP has been checked at the weekend language school twice in the past 12 months. Is this unusual? Perhaps the authorities down south have decided to get serious!

Apologies Drummer, I trust you can understand why we all jumped to conclusions. Good luck with your gfs education. Hmm.....is this thread in the teachers forum? If not it may be worth posting it there. IJWT and Kenkannif are experts on the Thai education system.

The bg scene is very much a part of Thailand and I see no harm in discussing it. I'm not sure it warrants so many threads though.

Wouldn't Crush have more fun on th bangkoktonight forum?

Same old Same old, what is it with all these BG threads...

I'm going to have to go mental and have a mass locking spree on any thread with the word BG in it... the admins might not like it but it will sure as h**l make things more interesting <sigh>

Don't just talk about it - do it!

This forum has a reputation for sensible discussion. It would be nice to see it retained.

Crush,

Forgive me for saying, but you seem to have an unhealthy fascination with bar girl threads. Aren't you getting bored of it yet?

Manus,

Can you post a link to the article on www.karmabar.net, or better still copy it here?

This in an issue I'm interested in, but I can't post a reasoned response without first reading it.

Thx in advance.