razer

For some reason, I don't think 3 years, 1 month, and 2 and a bit weeks is long enough to solve the English language problems!

You reap what you sow. This ASEAN AEC is going to cause big problems for Thailand.

Thailand does not offer attractive salaries for good foreign Teachers. Full stop.

wow a 140000 baht fine....................so when tis all over lets see how many people get fined????? I think we know the answer already. Thai love Thai

A law must be enforcable to have value. The Japanese showed the world what national pride means. Time for Thais to learn that national pride is not the king or temples or beaches. National pride is what they do as a people and this is what the world sees.

This is based on one post from someone's Twitter page, and it is news? Should it not be a little more substantiated than this to be put on the Bangkok Post web site?

The only criteria for "newsworthy events" is that they generate more foaming at the mouth by the Thai Bashers, Police Bashers and Little-Old-Ladies-of-Fair-Complexions-Contingent.

If after reading an article you can grunt:" ummm Thai bad, farang good," then it's passed the editorial scrutiny hurdle.

Humm...I always had the impression Thai good foreign national bad. At least that's the impression I got. Should I use gook instead of Thai? kinda same same farang.

The Economist reported that 100 Chinese-Thai families control the Thai economy. In my former life I made feasibility studies for my company's foreign investment. Thailand would never be a recommendation and this article is an example of just ONE reason why.

so the 40 people who own 12% of Thailand's wealth want a bit more?

The Economist reported that 100 Chinese-Thai families control the Thai economy. The Economist is a reliable source.

i seem to remember something like this emerging from Phuket before - methinks some official has got a bit of a complex? (forgive the pun)

I never saw 40 or 12% in the article. Are we reading the same article?

Personally I hope Thai Immigration squeezes all the foreigners (and their money) out of Thailand. Now they single out older people who are not competing for Thai jobs, who are not rich criminals, (rich criminals get permanent residence) … they hassle the people who are just getting on with life in an affordable place and put new money into the economy. Coming from the oil industry, I have lived in ten countries on five continents and never experienced government immigration like Thailand. One big reason I am leaving. This propaganda of foreign residents being here because they are addicted to bar girls or they are alcoholics is out of date. Get over it. Deal with it Thai people. Stop blaming the ills of Thailand on foreign residents.I believe the respectable foreigners living here far out number the less respectable.

This has to be really one of the most asinine posts I have ever seen on this forum. Let's see: I am a farang. I detest Thaksin. Therefore, I must be not only a sexual degenerate and alcoholic, but perhaps a criminal as well. Well, I am none of these, and while not a "sexpat", since I live in America, I do like Thailand for many reasons. Women are probably number one....

Followed by if not quite an asinine response, then at least an ill thought out one.

In any country, why would you ever label your primary fascination as being the women if you were NOT a sexpat?

Oh, sorry... you're a social anthropologist after all.

Those who think Thailand is the epitome of sex tourism haven't traveled much. Ever been to a sex club in Holland and get a free live show thrown in?

Taksin was the first real hope for Thailand to become a real democracy as opposed to the mock democracy it is now and always has been.

1. Taksin rose from the non-elite to the elite by forming his own political party and winning the popular vote.

2. Taksin was the longest serving elected prime minister in the history of Thailand.

3. It was up to the voters to get rid of Taksin, not the army. The army once again killed any hope for a real democracy.

I am not pro-Taksin but I do support some of his populist initiatives to improve the lives of the working poor. More work needs to be done in this area.

I have taught in several countries and I never saw anything like Thailand. The Thai management in Education relish the Master - Servant role. When they learn how to be managers and when they see their foreign teachers as an asset rather than a necessary liability, there will be huge improvements both in the quality of foreign teachers and in the quality of education

Thai teachers have to be at work 40 hours a week. In your country where you come from you probably have to be at work 40 hours a week. Chances are you don't have to do as much as the Thai teachers do. What makes you better than Thai teachers?

I am starting to think that hiring foreigners to teach international programs is a mistake. If you hire Thai people that speak English just as good as native English speakers who are also highly educated and qualified to teach the subject they are hired to teach, and pay them the same wages you pay foreigners, they would probably perform much better than western teachers.

It doesn't make sense to hire someone for more pay when they work less and complain more.

This doesn't speak to the issue at all. They're apparently changing the contract for no good reason, that's the issue. And I'm pretty sure you have never worked as a teacher in one of these schools, or you'd realize there is really no good reason at all for staying on campus beyond teaching hours, there's really nothing to do. I have worked in government schools, and this was not required of me. Why do you assume the writer here is complaining more than the Thais do, or saying he's better than the Thais? That's all coming from you, not from the substance here.

And you are definitely out of touch if you think there are many Thai teachers that speak English anywhere near as well as native English speakers. That's not to say there aren't a lot of incompetents being hired, but NetFan has been working there 10 years, and is probably a great teacher. Anyone who enjoys it the way NetFan apparently does is very likely getting the job done well.

NBT just reported that 4,000 out of 4,000 senior high Thai students failed the National Education Proficiency Tests. So much for hardworking Thai teachers as a generality. There are, to be sure, some excellent, hard working Thai teachers who should be admired and respected but I believe they are the exception rather than the norm. Many of the Thai teachers I have worked with may do 40 hours but they are lazy, don't care about student attendence,do little if anything for class preparation, administer relatively easy tests after practically giving the students the test during review week and never fail a student no matter what. When ASEAN kicks in 2015, you will be begging foreign teachers to upgrade the Thai system . I dare say one of the greatest assets to the Thai education system is the foreign teachers. Reality bites. Facts are facts and if Thailand wants to join the rest of the world they need to start with better education for their kids.