arizonamike74

The entire Mac vs PC thing is irrelevant to the OP. You can get your email hacked regardless of which operating system you use on your laptop because your email is stored on a server(s) on the internet so it is extremely vulnerable. I use nothing but alpha-numeric, upper and lower case passwords and I had my GMAIL account hacked 2x in a week. I went into my Google settings and enabled 2-step verification - this means that the first time you try to access your gmail from a new computer/laptop/ipad whatever, it will send a text message to your cell phone with a six digit number that you have to enter after you entered your password to verify that you are who you say you are. Since then I've had zero hacks. After you've logged into a new computer once and used the 2-step then GMAIL stores a cookie on your computer so it will remember your computer and not require you to use the text message the next time you log in from this computer (or until you clear your cookies). You may also have some type of spyware on your computer that is allowing your ex to track your passwords so the safest thing to do is:

1) Take your computer to a reputable shop and have them backup your data, format your hard drive (insist that they perform a low level format), reinstall Windows, and reinstall your applications (Word, etc. - you'll need the CDs for this).

2) Purchase and install a good antivirus/antimalware/antispyware product. I really like Webroot Internet Security Complete as I've been using it on 5 computers and it has done a great job where other products I have tried have failed.

3) Change your password(s) to something random alpha-numeric, with upper and lower case letters and a special character at least 8 digits long. An example: Boga4936$ .

4) Enable 2-step authentication on all your important accounts (email, bank sites, etc.).

I've been doing this since the Commodore 64 was popular and floppy disks were not only current technology, they were still floppy! I wish there was an easy fix like "just buy a MAC", but everything, even smart phones, are vulnerable now to spyware. Usually it comes in the form of "free" software you download but it can come from web sites, emails, etc.. but if someone has physical access to your device there is little you can do other than format and start over after the fact. However, I do like the Chromebook for Google users since it essentially stores everything in the cloud and can be hard reset to the way it was out of the box with a simple click of a button, but I'm sure that will get a whole new off-topic conversation started.

Good luck,

Michael

A local Arizona band, the Refreshments, wrote this song, Mekong. It's based on the lead singer Roger Clyne's surfing vacation in Thailand when he was in his 20s:

The story, according to Clyne, goes like this: With their guitars on their backs, a few weeks of summer yawning out in front of them, and just $300 between them, Mike and Roger made their way to Thailand to "experience the culture." They promptly blew through their money, but found they could make pocket change by teaching guitar lessons. And that is how they survived for the next several weeks. Of the things they uncovered during that spiritually - and otherwise - awakening sojourn was a unique rice whiskey which, says Clyne, could take the white right off your teeth. The drink was called mekong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCm-FSPy0bA

Have a malaysian female friend.....she ranks thailand at the bottom of this part of asia, she says that thais only care about money......looks down on the mentality.....funny to mention though ....she regularly goes on holiday to phuket for diving.......so.....

She probably has lot of personal issues to even comment..................one way or another. Life is what we make it. The end.

Well....her father is very sick now...so u correct about personal issues. Lucky you are a stable factor in Thailand without personal issues, most likely.

According to her there are 4 categories of countries in this part of Asia....

A) singapore, south korea, japan and china

malaysia, india

C) thailand, vietnam, indonesia

D) Birma, Laos, Cambodia

As a Malay she wrote me this. Just her opinion. Need to say that she is an educated woman, travelled and has a good job at an international company.

I only write down what she told me so its not my opinion.

I have an American friend that lived and taught English in Seoul for 2 years. He told me that Japan, South Korea, and China are at the top of the totem pole in Asia and he said that SouthEast Asia is considered the "Mexico" of Asia because most of Thais in countries like Korea and Japan are housemaids, nannies, or just cheap labor.

approximately 0.00000001

With the exception of the decimal troll, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtful replies I am sorry if I started a poop storm since that wasn't my intention. I understand everyone's opinion varies based on their own personal experience. As stated in my original post I am a Windows Server Admin, not a programmer or web developer so although I do see quite a demand on jobs.db for programmers, I am not qualified for those jobs nor would I ever want to do that (I tried programming in 8th grade - not for me).

Since server administration occasionally requires hands on the actual hardware, working for a company based in the West is probably not going to work (not to mention the 14 hour time difference if I was to try remote support). My bachelor's degree is actually a BA in IT Management (I have an AA in Computer Service Tech. from 1996), so I could look for a management position but I imagine those are rare. I really would like to teach here or abroad as I'm a little burned out in IT after working on computers since I was 16; I only continue to do so because I can't make as much doing something else.

I've always wanted to teach and I spend a large portion of my day teaching the technicians under me and teaching end users how to use their computers and I enjoy teaching. I would try to teach here in Arizona but I play poker with two public high school teachers who started teaching the same time I started working on computers.18 years ago. They started out making 35K (dollars) a year and now they make about 38K a year. That comes down to about $2000 a month after taxes (somewhere around 60K baht a month), and not nearly enough to live comfortably in America; here in Arizona 3 bedroom houses rent for $1500 a month (up to $3500 in places like Boston).

I understand I'm not gonna be a "baller" on 30-60K a month in Thailand but I don't often drink or party. I just want to eat out (I love Thai food so that's fine), go to an occasional movie, go to the gym, and hopefully be near a beach or at least be able to spend some weekends at the beach (no beaches in Arizona;). It appears that unlike the estimation of 0.00000001 percent there are some Farangs with IT jobs in Thailand in management, programming, etc.. but it is just hard to find. I think I will try to put my nose to the grindstone so to speak and get my Masters in Ed. (I'm not sure if I'm going to get a K-8 Education or ESL Masters). I think my biggest expense in Thailand will be my daughters education at a private school which is another motivation to get on with a good private school so I can hopefully get her free tuition.

When I get to Thailand I will sign up for a TEFL course, get started on my Marriage Visa, and once I'm situated I can look for teaching jobs and IT jobs since I believe that the biggest obstacle is not being in the country. I think that local IT companies don't want to deal with Farangs that are not already living in Thailand. It's much the same in America; I apply for out of state jobs but rarely get any replies because they don't want to deal with having to do a Skype interview, wait for me to relocate, etc..

Again thanks for all the replies. I think I have a clearer picture now of the IT job scene in Thailand.

Michael

On jobsdb.com I see a lot of IT jobs but they rarely list the salary and when they do its often only 30K a month. I am married to a Thai national, we have a daughter together, and I plan on moving in the next three to six years - whenever I have enough put away in my retirement account for it to grow on its own (I'm turning 40 this year so not ready to retire yet).

I'm just curious if there are any members here that work in the IT field in Thailand, specifically what they do (programmer, Cisco engineer, etc.), and their ballpark salary. I'm currently a Network Analyst - I've been a Windows Server admin for over 14 years and I know a little Cisco (I could learn more if I thought that's what it took to land a decent salary in Thailand). I would be happy with 60K a month in Thailand but I don't know if that's realistic.

I've read some discouraging things in the past about Thai companies, even those run by Farangs, being unwilling to hire Americans, Europeans, etc. for local IT jobs. I've been resigned to the fact I will probably have to teach English in Thailand to survive until I'm ready to retire. I have Bachelor's Degree in IT and I'm actually considering getting a Masters in Education in order to make a better salary teaching in Thailand but it means getting into even more student loan debt. I would like to know what the members here think my chances are for landing an IT job and my expected salary.

Thanks,

Michael

I am planning on retiring from the I.T. field in the USA for a move to Ubon to become in teacher in 3-6 years. I'm attempting to get a handle on my anticipated expenses while I'm there since it appears a teacher still only makes about 30,000 baht a month. It seems my largest monthly expense may be for my children's tuition; I've done some searches and found tuition rates for private schools going from $150 USD a month up to $400 USD. However, even after reading the blog posting about Ubon schools and visiting school web sites I'm still not sure what they charge (they being YES, Ava Maria, Assumption, and 7th day adventist).

I'm hoping that if I'm able to land a job teaching at one of the aforementioned schools that they would offer my children free tuition (I currently have one daughter and will probably have one or two more children by the time we settle in Thailand).

I also would like to ask if a Master's Degree in Education would help me land a job outside of Bangkok paying 60,000 baht a month? I am about a year away from my Bachelors in Business Admin (I.T. focused), and I'm considering putting in another two years at my online university and encumbering the extra cost of a Masters Degree in Education if it could significantly raise my pay once I teach in Thailand. I've seen jobs in Bangkok that pay 60K baht per month but I really prefer anywhere but Bangkok. I prefer Ubon because it is near where my wife's family originates but I'm open to Chiang Mai, Chaing Rai, Hua Hin, or Pattaya if I could net 60K a month there with a Masters at an international school.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Michael