Hong Kong Phooey

OP, the idiom you might be looking for could be khet laap = to profit from experience, to be wary of a previous bad experience and not wanting to repeat it. Just use the negative mai before that phrase to indicate that someone hasn't learnt from a previous experience.

There's another similar idiom which is laap jam meaning to have learnt one's lesson and not wishing to repeat it (or insert the negative again using mai). My Thai gf tells me this is less commonly used though.

Source: http:// www .thai-language.com/id/589868 (no direct link inserted per forum rules).

HTH

I've just got my IDP in the UK. The RAC do it for GBP7.50 and Green Flag charge GBP5.50. The AA and Post Office also do them but I don't know their prices. Just check their websites. Both the RAC and Green Flag wanted copies of my UK Drivers Licence (photocard and paper bits) and also a photocopy of my Passport photo page, to confirm ID. They'll also only send it to an address in the UK, the one on your Drivers Licence. Turn around by snail-mail was a week.

I've actually got 2 IDPs this time round - just in case. You never know if dear ol' Somchai might want to "keep" the IDP in cases of "negotiation" over tea money, etc. It's happened to me before.

^ Just sent you PM, thairookie, with some info which might help.

^ Agree with the competition comment. My ex-gf owns and runs an internet cafe in Soi Rambutree, near KSR. 2 years ago she was doing very well financially. Now, business is very quiet. Last I heard, she'd shut up shop for a few months and gone back home to visit family. Said she'll return when the tourist trade picks as it doesn't pay her to operate the business with so few people coming in and having to pay out on staff wages.

I suggest you really do your research, especially with location(s). Also, if you're going to offer PS2 or PS3 etc., maybe consider setting up near a school. You'll likely have competition though.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

This is wonderful news ! Thanks to those of you - you know who you are - who made this possible. It's a great addition to TV.

And I hope members will post about their fishing trip successes (and failures) and we get to see some nice photos of catches, assuming that's permitted here ?

Great job.

I'm gonna add my support to this - a dedicated fishing forum would be a great addition to the board. At the very least, couldn't the admin give it a trial run for, say, 6 months and if there's not much activity then merge the forum with another ?

I've fished on and off in the UK since I was a kid. Equal split between freshwater and beach/sea fishing. Haven't tried it in Thailand yet but I have used the search function here to get tips on good fishing spots. Whilst it's useful to have recommendations for fishing tours, I'm more interested in posters' experiences of good places to fish without resorting to local guides.

Anyways, my vote is added.

*Sound of bugle and horses hooves getting louder*

Don't panic, mahtin ! The cavalry has arrived to help you. I'm a Brit, too, and I've brought reinforcements.

^ Like he said. Also, what do you consider to be "a competitive salary" ? A ballpark figure would be a useful starting point, e.g. "in the region of ..." Otherwise this ad seems a waste of time for any serious teachers you may hoping to attract.

Try these:

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-k/index/play.htm?f

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/play.htm?f

http://genkienglish.net/phonics.htm

http://www.beginningreading.com/Free%20Workshe.htm

All nice websites for toddlers. You may need to supervise your son initially until her gets the hang of navigating the sites on his own. I recommend you print some worksheets for him to colour in afterwards (see last link) as it reinforces what he's done on the computer and helps familiarise the shape of letters on paper instead of a screen.

Obviously I don't know you or your son but even though he's only 4, he may already be absorbing plenty of English and just not using it until he's ready. The more interaction he has with English speakers, the better. You say you're busy with work commitments, is there anywhere your son can go to socialise with other English speakers, like a playgroup ?

Anyway, hope these links help.

Maybe the mods could move your thread to the teaching forum ? You might get more response there.

Have a look at the Royal Thai Police website. Tells you all you need to know/do:

http://pcscenter.sb.police.go.th/eservice.php (you'll need the foreign applicant section)

Then click on >Location tab to get directions to their headquarters.

I needed a clearance certificate back in 2006 and the process was much the same then. The Thai police were very efficient and spoke excellent English. I had the option of having the cert mailed to me but opted to collect it, just to be safe. Also, my work permit had expired by that time and I was on a tourist visa but they processed my application for the clearance cert just the same. It didn't cost me anything at that time but if you're feeling generous, take some food with you - it always "oils the wheels" of Thai administration and is a nice gesture.

HTH

Not sure I'm allowed to post direct links to these websites so I've disabled hyperlinks. Just copy n' paste into your browser and delete space between dot and com.

http://www.ajarnjobspace. com

http://www.tefl. com

http://www.eslcafe. com/jobs/

http://www.teachasiaonline. com/pmwiki/index.php?n=Main.JobsAvailable (not updated very often though)

http://www.teflplace. com/jobs/

http://www.esljobsworld. com/

http://www.seriousteachers. com/index.asp?bypais=153

This should keep you going for a while. Failing that, try google.

^ Listen to what other posters suggest: get professional advice if you decide to go the non-dom route !

The UK's HMRC can demand detailed evidence from you to prove that you do, indeed, qualify for non-dom status. Forms P85 and DOM1 (downloadable from their website) are starting points in their paperchase but get professional advice from a suitably qualified accountant on it. Bear in mind also that the UK Govt may be sneaky and introduce retrospective taxation laws.

OP: Just sent you a PM. Hope it helps.

A similar request was made here 2 years ago:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Short-Nativi...lay-t92725.html

You might like to sift through this website for "extras/padding":

http://www.btinternet.com/~tony.poulter/xmas/xmastlinks.htm

I think the likelihood of success when doing this kind of activity depends on whether you choose to go with the traditional nativity theme or just sing songs like Jingle Bells, etc. Grade 1 kids will get bored quickly unless they're actively engaged in performing, and 31 kids is a large group to co-ordinate (even with Thai TAs helping and you using a whip and a chair ! ) But at least you can be comforted by the thought that if parents are watching the performance, they'll invariably sit there and just adore whatever their offspring do.

BTW, if you PM me an e-mail address, I'll send you a 3-page play script I downloaded from the TES for this age group.

Good luck !

Not sure hiccough - up should be in that list, Neeranam. The sound "up" at the end tends to be a regional trait to native English speakers and I've never come across the sound being taught like that.

From memory, your list is missing /u:/ (e.g. through) and / Ɔ:/ (e.g. brought, bought, thought, ought).

I'm not aware of any Montessouri schools in Thailand but that's not to say they don't exist, albeit "unofficially". A friend of mine back in the UK is a Montessouri-trained teacher and took time out to start a family. She's now back in the job market and commented at how many schools adopt much of the Montessouri philosophy but aren't "registered" as Montessouri schools. You may get lucky and find that to be the case in Thailand.

Otherwise, you're looking at Australia, USA or back in Europe for such a school.

Good luck in your search.

^ Like he said. I've never found any websites with freebie lesson plans available. The ones I have come across want subscriptions. So, if OP finds any we've all missed, please post here and maybe save us some time in future planning.

Meantime, I'll add a few which might be useful to the OP:

http://esl.about.com/od/englishlessonplans...EFL_Classes.htm ~ some conversation resources here

http://www.speakoz.com/english-directory/one-on-one.html ~ designed for 1-2-1 tuition but can be adapted

http://www.tefl.net/esl-lesson-plans/esl-worksheets-tp.htm ~ topical stuff here

http://www.eslpartyland.com/teachers/nov/conv.htm#Reading ~ good conversation topics here which you could intergrate into your lessons

http://iteslj.org/Lessons/ ~ scroll down for conversation resources

http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/EnglishP/esllesson/ ~ some resources here if you click links

http://hiteacher.com/dir/Teaching_Resource...ties/index.html ~ I've used ESL Lounge before and some of the resources are quite good for conversation work, especially board games

HTH

[MODS: hope it's OK to post links here, I notice previous poster hasn't, so pls edit if I've broken protocol, thx]

OP, what level are you looking for ? Also, are you teaching general English convo or something specific, such as for tourism, business, etc. ?

^ Hiring a teacher through your company is do-able I'd say, if they're employed on the basis that they bring "specialist knowledge" in the eyes of the Thai authorities (i.e. native English speaker). I don't know about the technicalities of work permits in such a situation but I'm sure a decent Thai lawyer could help. Maybe the one who helped you set up your company ?

As for finding a teacher in farangland, yes, I think you would probably be successful. There's always a newbie somewhere disillusioned with the system, especially in the UK right now, and looking for new pastures, so to speak. hel_l, if that woman who PB mentioned can find someone down south for her "little darlings", then you stand an equal chance - and you're offering a long-term gig. Definitely be cautious about verifying their qualifications, though.

I do think, also, that that you're gonna have to be more "hands on" with the set-up and running of your idea. Make sure the teacher you appoint gives all parents regular updates on the children's progress. Don't just assume that the teacher is doing their job OK. The person you're seeking is someone more than a babysitter (I hope !) Remember: these formative years of a child's life are the most important in their learning.

Good luck if you decide to go ahead with this plan. I know it's do-able because last year I met a Thai teacher through a mutual friend and she and her mother (both teachers who qualified in the USA to M.Ed. level) are doing something similar down in Hat Yai. Yes, actual home-schooling as opposed to out-of-school tutoring ! They saw a market for home-schooling and have set something up for a family-collective using an American system. I don't know any more details other than it's going quite well and they have a lot of interest in the scheme. It's nice to know that the Thai families they're working with seem more open-minded to diverse education systems than that currently offered in Thailand at present.

Personally, I have mixed feelings for home-schooling, especially the socialisation side of children being educated in such a way. However, the OP says there are 5 children so I doubt that's such a big issue in this case.

However, is it possible for the visa/work permit problem to be overcome by working with a language school ? I could be opening the gates of hel_l by suggesting it but is it possible for a language school to employ the teacher using their legal status and specify that the OP's house is the place of work ? For the language school's trouble, they could "cream off" a percentage of the monthly salary (not unheard of when they do this with schools).

Jeez, where to start ?!!

One of the main issues I've found is a reluctance (nay, resistance) by many Thai teachers to embrace any other teaching method than that which promotes rote learning. They either cannot, or will not, consider changing their teaching style. That said, I've worked with some very good Thai teachers who have been interested (outwardly, at least) in methods used in Western countries. Whether they've gone on to implement some of the tried and tested techniques I don't know. However, the fact they were interested is a good sign. This has been in Government schools. The upshot was initial confusion from students who'd been used to years of rote learning and then being confronted with a foreign teacher using different pedagogy. A learning curve for all of us, methinks.

In my initial years in Thailand, I also experienced some negative attitudes from Thai teachers resulting, I think, from my being the first foreigner to work at their school. Comments usually centred around their (inaccurate) perception that all foreigners consider themselves to be right about every aspect of Thai education. A couple of comments later translated for me expressed their view that they didn't see any need for change in their education system when it has worked adequately for decades. These comments were from young and old Thai teachers alike.

What amused me most was that I rarely ventured any opinions on such matters at all and just got on with teaching. I think maybe there was a fear factor involved which must have raised their hackles.

BTW, which uni are you studying at for your B.Ed. ?

May I contribute to this as well ? The OP could try some of these websites:

http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/greenwich/ac...primary%20menu/

~ scroll down to Support Materials section and click on whatever it is you want to teach. Some good stuff here if you take a few minutes to search around.

http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/greenwich/ac...of%20work/menu/

~ Schemes of Work for ICT based on the English National Curriculum and provided by Greenwich LEA. This link is for Primary School years 1 - 6 and covers basics. If you click on a theme you want to teach, you'll get lesson plans and supporting handouts. Could be useful for teaching correct language terms to L2 kids.

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/ict/ict1.htm

~ Some good bits and pieces here if you need to get the kids to practise certain ICT skills. Again, aimed at primary years, but useful nonetheless.

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/ict/index.htm

~ Love this site ! Use the index and scroll down to find what you're looking for, e.g. Website Creation. Great handouts and nice, clear instructions for you as a teacher and the kids. Resources for PowerPoint, Excel Spreadsheets, e-mails, etc. are also available.

http://www.w3schools.com/

~ Another poster threw this up a while back and it looks useful but I haven't used it yet. I'm not an ICT teacher but gotta say, it looks higher level than your regular webpage design site.

Hope some of this helps. If you have anything more specific you need to teach, post again and I'll ask my colleagues.

If my memory serves me correctly, then try:

http://www.cie.org.uk/qualifications/acade.../igcse/subjects

http://www.edexcel-international.org/home/

You might also want to have a look at this website for a school in Rome. If you click on a subject in the centre of the screen, you'll be taken to an outline of that subject and have the option to then click on the syllabus (as detailed by CIE and EdExcel):

http://www.newschoolrome.com/html/gcse.html

If you've got specific questions, I'd suggest e-mailing the exam boards directly. They're usually quite helpful.

HTH

No idea, mate, but I could amuse you for hours with stories of a guy called Martin who I used to work with.

He bought a cheapo bike at Big C. Looked OK, paid for it, got outside the store and started cycling up the road. Then the pedals fell off.

He duly returned to the store and got a replacement bike. Second attempt at leaving the store, the seat fell off (small bolt severed).

Next replacement - the brakes seized.

At the fourth attempt, he got a bike in working order and it's still going strong as far as I know.

Moral of the story: insist on doing a few laps inside the supermarket before you part with any cash.

Not sure if these are of any use to you but have a look:-

http://www.dramatix.org/Linkpages/Christmas.html - many free plays scripts written by Christians

http://www.links2love.com/christmas_songs.htm - freebie songs to download (useful if you fancy writing the script yourself ! )

http://www.outoftheark.com/nativity_play.php - some free scripts

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/drama.htm - free short play scripts written by parents of homeschoolers

I'll have another hunt through my favourites files and school stuff to see if there's anything else which might be useful...

I reckon you'll struggle to find a free play script incorporating the donkey-no-room-at-the-inn storyline though.