up-country_sinclair

Hi,

Where is the best Wifi spot in Hat Yai?

By best I'm primarily referring to download speeds and security, and secondarily to the environment of the establishment---for example, a quiet coffee shop would be more to my liking than a place with 30 teenage boys playing online games.

Thanks.

UCS

AFAIK, all the foreign films at Tesco have a Thai language soudtrack.

According to the owner's manual of my Honda Jazz, I am past due for scheduled maintenance. But I'm wondering if I really am past due and it's not just a money making ploy.

The scheduling is determined by both mileage and time. For example, 10 K or 6 months, 20 K or 12 months, 30 K or 18 months, etc...

I've had the car for slightly over 24 months and according to the manual I'm due for maintenance....but I'm nowhere near 40 K. In fact, I'm not even at 27K, and I changed the oil, oil filter and air filter at 23K (for my scheduled 30 K or 18 months).

So, because I've had the car for 24 months the manual states that I should change the auto transmission fluid, the oil, oil filter and air filter. I called the local dealership to ask them their opinion, and not too surprisingly they strongly recommended that I change everything mentioned in the manual. I'm thinking that I should only change the oil and the oil filter, but replacing the air filter and the auto trans fluid should be based on mileage and not time.

Do you agree? Or am I just being stingy...and that it will probably end up costing me more on repairs in the long wrong run.

Thanks.

How did you get on?

Just hope there was a happy ending!

No luck yet.

Approximately three years ago my wife and I took in two dogs off the street, and they've been a real joy to share our home with.

However, our job is taking us out of Thailand and that leaves us wondering what we will do with the dogs.

We've explored every imaginable possibility, and taking them with us is just not an option.

Are there any dog lovers here who would be interested in taking in two wonderful medium sized dogs?

They really are fantastic pets....very friendly and loving, smart, great with kids, and good guard dogs (all bark no bite---as far as I've seen).

They are both females that we had spayed, and they have all their shots.

PLEASE contact me if you are interested or know of anyone who might be. We live in Krabi, but would happily drive them to the right home and owner.

Thank you.

Here are a couple of photos....

maybe you can consider taking them with you?

We've explored every imaginable possibility, and it's just not an option.

i'm sure somebody will want them.

I really hope so.

Approximately three years ago my wife and I took in two dogs off the street, and they've been a real joy to share our home with. However, our job is taking us out of Thailand and that leaves us wondering what we will do with the dogs.

Are there any dog lovers here who would be interested in taking in two wonderful medium sized dogs?

They really are great....very friendly and loving, smart, great with kids, and good guard dogs (all bark no bite---as far as I've seen).

They are both females that we had spayed, and they have all their shots.

PLEASE contact me if you are interested or know of anyone who might be.

Thank you.

Here are a couple of photos....

I left the country and got a new visa.

Thanks for your reply.

My previous Non-O expired two 6 weeks ago, and I just recently got another one....not an extension, but a 'fresh' one.

Do I need to go down to the local immigration office and notify them of my address all over again? I'm staying at the same address, and still have the slip of paper from immigration stapled in my passport.

Thanks.

Most universities will offer extra teaching hours over and above the normal load. You should find a starting salary of around 40-45,000 without the extra load. But probably a fair bit less in a government university and perhaps more if you're lucky elsewhere. Try different places to find out what's on offer and make comparisons.

Thanks for your reply KhaoNiaw.

Since the academic year begins in May..... do you think it will be difficult to find a position in Sept. seeing that it is the second semester?

Also, do you know if someone has already compiled of list of private universities and contact information for their English Departments? If so, could you point me in the right direction? I hope this doesn't come across the request of a lazy man but I don't want to unnecessarily 'reinvent the wheel' as it were.

We'll let it stand a bit, but really you should read the infinitely long "Questions About Qualifications" thread, or at least the last 10 pages or so of it. That's where this thread will eventually be merged.

Thanks for your substantive reply to my post. To be honest, I didn't notice the Q & Q thread until you mentioned it here. Per your recommendation I read the last ten pages and picked up quite a bit of useful info.

With your background, I would imagine you could qualify for some of the in-house TEFL teaching done at some true International Schools (which could put you close to 100K). However, those positions would most likely go first to local contacts. Second in terms of salary would be private high schools and the richer EP programs, but once again these are hard to jump into (if you manage it, you're looking at between 50-70K). However, at the moment most of the good jobs are already taken (because the school year has already started for most places, or will start very soon).

Although I do have an MA TESL, I'm not a certified teacher in my home country. Do you really think a "true blue" international school would hire me at that type of salary?

Also, the question that I posed to KhaoNiaw is also worth asking here....will it be significantly more difficult to get hired in September because it is the second semester?

Thanks again to you, PeaceBlondie, and KhaoNiaw

IME most students don't like sitting in assigned seats, but I ask my classes to keep the same seats for the first month or so.

I ask them to bring in a wallet size photo that I attach to the seating plan to help me memorize their names. Also, during that first month whenever a student raises his or her hand in class I reference the seating chart/photo and then state their name.

Using Picassa as paulfr suggest is a good suggestion.

As I said, it usually takes me a few weeks to a month (depending on the class size), and the most students appreciate the effort.

I hope this type of thread isn't frowned upon, as I'd really like hear some opinions from the posters here.

I'm considering moving to Bangkok in August or September, and am wondering what type of salary I could reasonably expect to make teaching adults or university students. I really don't have the patience to teach children or high school students.

My qualifications: I've been teaching English for a little over ten years, and have an MA TESL and BA English from US universities. I've mostly worked at universities in N. America and Asia, but have also done corporate English language training.

I assume that high incomes can be achieved by doing lots of part time work, but I'm really only looking one job. If I were to work at a university, I'd certainly be open to doing extra classes for an overtime wage, but hustling from job site to job site in the traffic is simply too stressful.

I would also be interested in learning about the possibility of a DOS position at a language school, but don't know if I'm qualified as I've never held this type of position before.

So based on the above, what are my prospects and what type of salary could I expect in BKK?

Also, with my MA would I still have to take the culture course I've been reading about?

Again I understand that if everyone started one of these threads it would be tedious, but I'm hoping the mods will let it stand.

Thanks.

If you want to do your classes online, I can recommend Ajarn Ja in Krabi who does classes via Skype. She has an MA in Linguistics from Thammasat and is really patient.

She's got a website.....www.thai-teacher.com which has details and contact info.

Is there a complimentary bus service from Krabi town to the Tesco Lotus?

Sorry, no.

I'm just providing the details on what I submitted....and what they collected.

Which, by the way, didn't include a ticket.

Good luck to everyone applying in KL.

Here's a link to the KL embassy which indicates they want an medical certificate from a Thai hospital...

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/1387.php?&id=2882

You might want to tell the KL embassy about that.

IME, it's a fairly common requirement.

Simply go to a local hospital where all they'll probably do is check your blood pressure and weight. Costs around 100 baht.

We have seen positive reporting on obtaining one year non immigrant O visas from both Penang and KL recently so do not believe there is any ban on issue.

And here's a bit more.

I picked up my 1 year, multi entry, Non-O this morning at the embassy in KL.

Thanks to all who kindly offered info and advice.

Thats good news.

What documentation was asked for?

The embassy specifically asked for:

KL embassy application form (x3)---I don't know if their form is different from other embassies, but it does say Kuala Lumpur at the top.

Copy of wedding certificate

Passport photos (x3)

Copy of house registration

Copy of wife's ID card

Medical certificate

Copy of my passport photo page

MR 550

I also included:

Letter from my wife's employer stating that she was gainfully employed, and that we were married.

Letter from wife asking the embassy to grant me a visa.

Bank statement

Copy of rental agreement on our house.

BTW, I found the embassy staff to be pleasant and efficient.

We have seen positive reporting on obtaining one year non immigrant O visas from both Penang and KL recently so do not believe there is any ban on issue.

And here's a bit more.

I picked up my 1 year, multi entry, Non-O this morning at the embassy in KL.

Thanks to all who kindly offered info and advice.

I've been told that the Hotel Fortuna in Bukit Bintang might be close to the embassy. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks lopburi3.

Oh...."local' refers to your home country not the country where you are applying for the visa?

When you apply for a visa, you are generally supposed to be outside Thailand

and then "local" refers to the country of the used consulate, maybe not your home country.

I realize that one is generally supposed to be outside Thailand. In fact, I believe it is a requirement.

And that's my point of my question.....I don't know anyone in Malaysia who would or could be my guarantor.

Anyway, I simply put the name of someone in my home country.