Mr Somtam

My predicition is that the EU will collapse and dissolve at some given point and that civil war in certain parts of it will break out due to mass immigration, religious conflict, unemployment, skyrocketing taxes, sharp increase in food and beverage prices, rents and general cost of living, the problems in Greece, Italy, France, etc... and spineless politicians in Germany, Sweden and Austria. Your money kept in a european account will either wither away or be impounded when banks go bankrupt, or during a currency reform, where all accounts are switched back to zero. The longer you keep your money there, the greater the risk. What I would do is to wait until the Baht equals 39/40 what could be in a few weeks or months from now and then exchange it, before it punges to unexpected lows. The market has been flooded with cheap money for too long. Hyperinflation and other horrors are waiting right at the doorstep! If you wait longer, the Euro might be gone already since this Euro experiment most likely will be coming to a quick and very painful end and then you will lose at least 50% of its value if not all!

That's fantastic. I have nothing already!

What a compasionate Buddhist he is...

Location: Small Anuban in Sisaket province. Dates of testing: 23. + 30. 4. 2015. Amount of Thai teachers who took the test: Six

Only one out of six scored B 1, (our coordinator, who was with me when I held a CEFR seminar to prepare teachers for the test, already a year ago)

One had A 2, the rest scored A 1. Those with A 2 are allowed to continue without attending seminars, while all the others with A 1 have to go to various seminars soon, until they reach B 1 level.

I would say a TEACHER must score C2, at the very least C1. The others are teachah.

Teachers should pass at least C 1, I totally agree. The testing the teachers, by using these CEFR tests is just the beginning. In the near future grade six students will have to pass A 1 level, while grade 12 pupils have to "master" B 1, or B 2 level.

CEFR tests will replace the always negatively discussed O-net tests.

The biggest problem I see is that teachers who scored A 1 in their tests won't learn proper English in a few weekend seminars.

And so they get fired, it's quite simple actually.

Location: Small Anuban in Sisaket province. Dates of testing: 23. + 30. 4. 2015. Amount of Thai teachers who took the test: Six

Only one out of six scored B 1, (our coordinator, who was with me when I held a CEFR seminar to prepare teachers for the test, already a year ago)

One had A 2, the rest scored A 1. Those with A 2 are allowed to continue without attending seminars, while all the others with A 1 have to go to various seminars soon, until they reach B 1 level.

I would say a TEACHER must score C2, at the very least C1. The others are teachah.

At the time of its creation, the Royal Thai Tourist Police placed notices in several local tourist magazines, organizing a morning meeting at a hotel to invite those wishing to become Foreign Volunteer Tourist Police Assistants. That was about 10 years ago. The program has taken several ups and downs since then as the concept was refined and the role of these volunteers further defined. At its height, the number of volunteers was about 30 here in Chiang Mai, and they could be seen in the evenings walking the streets of the Night Bazaar, around Thapae Gate, Chiang Mai Gate,Saturday and Sunday Walking Streets, and several major tourist attractions, as well as stationed at the Tourist Police Headquarters. Organizational changes reduced that number when the Tourist Police began 'requiring' a 20-hour per week 'donation.' These days, the organization still exists, but the number of volunteers is significantly reduced.

At no time did the volunteers in Chiang Mai have police powers, nor did they function as 'undercover' moles to ferret out criminals. At all times, the volunteers were simply a liaison between Police and foreign tourists, their main duty was to provide aid to the tourist seeking language, locations, directions, and asked-for assistance.

If you wish further information, or wish to contact this group, a phone call to the Royal Thai Tourist Police will get you there.

Bunch of wannabes who couldn't get to wear the paraphernalia of donut munchers in their home countries...

In fact, most of the volunteers did NOT want to wear police-like uniforms. They requested Blazer-style jackets instead. As they were not doing Police duties, they didn't think they should be wearing Police-style uniforms. However that idea was rejected by the Tourist Police. Thais do like military-style uniforms...

And governments...

I know Kenny it drives me nuts, i am always getting told if i complain "why you make big ploblem",the best one ever was in Chiang Mai,when the forgot or did not realise you have to take the plastic outer skin off the salami,before putting it on the pizza,i waited until we had all finished then told my wife i was going to tell them about it,she literally started shaking,and fled with the stepdaughter and stepson in tow,when i got outside she was most concerned i had not made "big ploblem'. They had the last laugh though as i went back the next day to get some air rifle pellets i had left on the table,first they denied all knowledge ,then i was told giggilingly,they were locked in the managers office and he would not be back for 2 days,i was leaving the next day,it left a sour taste in my mouth in more ways than one.

I hear you. My wife thinks I am being "negative" when I just am telling it like it is. Calling a spade a spade or whatever the saying is.

Don't be so hard on the lady, this is Thailand, not a real country!

Blah, blah, blah and even more blah!

Dammit, beat me to it!

My Wife wants to know this

The Thais used to work the land, then moved into gas stations and Tesco and security guards, now she says those jobs are more often being done by Burmese and wonders what all the Thais have moved on to?

Hammocks...

A lot of things need to change but they won't.

It's not my country so why bother. Go home dee kwah.

“We’re waiting for the election next year,” said Sakhon, 66, a retired agriculture ministry official.

You would think that as an Agriculture Minister official he would be most aware of what a cock-up the Shin Rice Scheme was. He must have been kicked of he 'gravy train' by the coup. Thankfully, he doesn't represent anyone's views but his own, selfish, narrow ones.

Which is his democratic right...

This is the 21st century. I pay all my bills on-line and now with auto pay just get notified when bill was paid, how much and what for. All I do is track and verify....

I don't live in Thailand but does that matter?

CB

I do the same with all my bills in The Netherlands. Would I do this in Thailand? Absolutely never! Where do you go when they accidentally take f.e. 120,000 baht instead of 120 baht?

I think many of you would be surprised as to their math skills!

Like needing a calculator for 4 times 4?

From the article:

He said the stable prices under Thaksin had allowed poor farmers to plan their lives, to borrow money and invest in their future.

Stable prices that have put the country seriously into debt. The populist program could not have been continued. Especially considering the slowing global economy.

The farmers would have been better off if the government just gave them money. At least a majority of it would have gone into their pockets instead of those up stream from them. And lost via corruption.

Education is the key here, methinks.

ahh next election the Thaksin party will promise everyone get rich, get a Pickup, a free iPhone, hot ice cream and 500 Baht for the right vote and they will get elected again. And if the Democrats over it than Thaksin will promise a free Ferrari for everyone and tell it is only the Bangkok elite who wants them poor....

Yes, and it's the people's right to vote for him if they want. Stupid or not. It's called democracy. Eventualy, without the military intervening, they will get smarter and the system can mature.

It is easy to switch labels on stuff you know...

It's called Chromium on Linux, it's OK.

Holiday?

Never seen an uglier nuclear shelter bunker facility than this one... You could not make this up. Morons... It's already an ugly beach - let's make it SUPERUGLY!

Don't let anybody tell you you are a cheap charley! I have had builders here doing really heavy work (roofing, welding, block laying, digging, pouring concrete) and they were very happy with 300 baht per day. That's about 6,500 per month for 5 days a week... So for your 20,000 plus extras I could get 3 people working their ass off... People around here would call that job a winning lottery ticket! Watering trees, feeding fish and animals, sounds like a holiday!

Well, a person that can read, write and is perfect in grammar BUT has terrible pronunciation (you can't tell what they're blabbering on about) is a failure in that language. Period.

And I can have a conversation with an English person, read a newspaper (and know what I've just read), write posts on TV. I have had 6 years of formal English language education. Many Thai people get 10+ years and Yes, No, Goodbye is what they know... It's just the truth...

You must be a very clever man reading your posts on this specific subject in this forum, aren't you?

I didn’t speak a word of English nor could I read the language when I went to the UK when I was 18 years old. Most of my education I received was in the UK and I am grateful for it. The quality of teachers and the teaching materials available made it possible to gain what was impossible to get in my country at that time, Thailand.

When I got married to a man that had to travel in his job as IT consultant I have learned that the proper pronunciation differs, depending on the part of the country you are in. I would advise you to travel from Shetland to Orkney and continue to Liverpool not leaving out Northern England carrying on to Wales and some other parts of the island. You will find that pronunciation is different depending which part of the country you are in and understanding sometimes is even more difficult.

When being over in the US I found it very difficult to understand people when visiting part of the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana and sometimes it was impossible.

By saying that you received 6 years of formal English training and Thai receive 10 to 12 years of it, you have already invalidated your argument. In one of your posts you write that you know that some Thai teachers don’t speak English and students that have left that school certainly haven’t gained a formal English education. The Netherlands compared to Thailand is a rich country that has a long history when looking at education and how to apply it. Most of all, they have the money to provide teachers with expertise that can teach the subjects. In the place of Thailand I live, our local school has no English teacher and the person to teach English, which is enforced by the curriculum, has been designated by the head teacher. So the children leaving that school can’t claim to have had a formal education in English as you certainly can.

and your point is????

It would appear that you have found the spirit to better yourself in life regardless of the pitfalls. That, however, has nothing to do with the system here which shortchanges the Thai student, and, if you have travelled as broadly as you say then you will recognize the intent of the comments made here, no matter that they may appear tasteless and frivolous.

The point is that education is like all other products, and it has become a product that isn't universally available for all anymore, is a money problem.

Since for most sectors of the educational system the government takes responsibility it should provide the money that allows levelling the playing field. Quality teachers, a quality curriculum and a will actually to do something and not only providing lip services would be a step into the right directions. I am not alone and there are many that if given the chance could achieve the same what their counterparts in foreign countries do.

Sure it doesn’t help to tell us Thai, everyday that we are inapt or unwilling to learn because most of the children today are not given the chance to show what they could achieve if properly taught.

I am absolutely nowhere blaming Thai students, I blame the education system and the dinosaurs they have working there called teachers. So does my Thai wife by the way. "Thai teachers can't teach " iswhat she often says.

Well, a person that can read, write and is perfect in grammar BUT has terrible pronunciation (you can't tell what they're blabbering on about) is a failure in that language. Period.

And I can have a conversation with an English person, read a newspaper (and know what I've just read), write posts on TV. I have had 6 years of formal English language education. Many Thai people get 10+ years and Yes, No, Goodbye is what they know... It's just the truth...

You must be a very clever man reading your posts on this specific subject in this forum, aren't you?

I didn’t speak a word of English nor could I read the language when I went to the UK when I was 18 years old. Most of my education I received was in the UK and I am grateful for it. The quality of teachers and the teaching materials available made it possible to gain what was impossible to get in my country at that time, Thailand.

When I got married to a man that had to travel in his job as IT consultant I have learned that the proper pronunciation differs, depending on the part of the country you are in. I would advise you to travel from Shetland to Orkney and continue to Liverpool not leaving out Northern England carrying on to Wales and some other parts of the island. You will find that pronunciation is different depending which part of the country you are in and understanding sometimes is even more difficult.

When being over in the US I found it very difficult to understand people when visiting part of the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana and sometimes it was impossible.

By saying that you received 6 years of formal English training and Thai receive 10 to 12 years of it, you have already invalidated your argument. In one of your posts you write that you know that some Thai teachers don’t speak English and students that have left that school certainly haven’t gained a formal English education. The Netherlands compared to Thailand is a rich country that has a long history when looking at education and how to apply it. Most of all, they have the money to provide teachers with expertise that can teach the subjects. In the place of Thailand I live, our local school has no English teacher and the person to teach English, which is enforced by the curriculum, has been designated by the head teacher. So the children leaving that school can’t claim to have had a formal education in English as you certainly can.

Always the excuse thatThailand is poor. thailand is actually very rich, only problem is the money is in the hands of a couple of people, most of whom we can not criticise. If Thais would stand up for their rights they could have a very good education system. Instead they are mostly busy playing Facebook, going to wats for lucky lottery numbers or watching Thai lakorn.

English is a hard language to learn , I am glad my parents grew up this side of the border !

I disagree.

It is a very simple language for basic communication, the listener will forgive and understand mistakes in pronunciation, plurality, and tenses.

''I go hopital''

''I am going to the hospital''

It is however, a very difficult language to master, and that is the real problem with the way Thais try to teach, they want to get the language in a headlock begging for mercy, when they should just go for a stroll with it first.

Yup, they want to teach boring grammar and vocab for ten years and then take a stroll with it. Like teaching music script, composition and allthat without actually playing a musical instrument.

And I score 25 out of 25 on the small test on the Cambridge English website.

Well, a person that can read, write and is perfect in grammar BUT has terrible pronunciation (you can't tell what they're blabbering on about) is a failure in that language. Period.

And I can have a conversation with an English person, read a newspaper (and know what I've just read), write posts on TV. I have had 6 years of formal English language education. Many Thai people get 10+ years and Yes, No, Goodbye is what they know... It's just the truth...

Typical "me, me, me" culture. What's better for me? What is someone else doing to improve life for me? Me, me, me.

Maybe time to stop focusing on yourself. What have you done for others. You will generally get in proportion to what you give.

Utterly brilliant post, just about sums up the economic migrants from the FIAT currency countries, nothing to offer, heck they cant even afford Thai health insurance.

Time for the Thais to beef up the laws, lets say for married to a Thai, 750k baht in the bank or 70k per month, for the freeloading Retirees, 1.5 million.

No need for grandfathering, fit in of ferk off.

Please mr immi man please introduce this now and clear out the farang kee nok types types.

But, but, if all pensioners would leave it would be a devastating blow to the Thai economy! Yeah right, couple of millions worth of beer money, gasoline and Mama noodles...