allencraig

On 6/2/2020 at 5:56 PM, samsensam said:

i believe many people who work in massage in thailand are not qualified or trained to any professional level.

This might be the understatement of the year.

On 9/26/2020 at 11:50 PM, Thainess said:

Yeah, most of them in there are women with deep voices.

Actually, ladyboys are not allowed inside, which is one reason some like it.

On 10/7/2020 at 7:14 AM, nobodysfriend said:

Foreigners already in the country are no security risk , in what concerns the virus , to Thailand .

They spend their money here , help the economy to recover ... , ( just a little bit , but ... ) and should be allowed to stay at least until they run out of cash ...

This seems so blately obvious, doesn't it? I know Thai government folks struggle with thoughtful decision-making, but they can't be THIS oblivious—especially after receiving so much outside input on this for the past four months.

So I'm curious: what's REALLY behind Thai immigration not providing longer-term (if only temporary) visas for the foreigners already here?

On 10/5/2020 at 7:48 PM, Scott said:

The schools I was involved in had to have the transcript.   As a matter of fact, the transcript was more important than the actual degree.   I got my Teacher's License entirely based on the official transcript.   I long ago lost my original degree.  

 

Every teacher we put through the process of getting a Visa, Work Permit, and Teacher's License was based on the transcript.   In more recent years, the transcript either had to be sent directly to the Teacher's Council or given to them in an unopened envelope.  

Ah, interesting. Thanks! I will consider it "official" that transcripts are required and in fact, more important than the degree.

12 hours ago, teacherclaire said:

And it's not as easy to Photoshop as a fancy degree

Ha ha... Yes, I guess that's true!

On 10/6/2020 at 7:14 PM, LazySlipper said:

 

Hey bub... I answered your question better than any of the other answers you got from anyone else. Your trying to make yourself inyeresting here and trying to keep your thread going is obvious. Start another thread about your teaching wishes and whims rather than hijack your own thread to make it a monologue about you yourself and you

Actually no, your response was not "better" than everyone else. (Plus, it was wrapped in an insult.) You really think you're something, huh? I think you need get a life and stop trolling strangers online to make yourself feel good..

On 10/6/2020 at 6:52 PM, Sheryl said:

The best solution if topical antifungals don't suffice would be to first switch to a statin not in that group

Ahhh... that's a good idea. I'd researched a bit before settling on simvastatin, but if I'm committed to taking the oral antifungals I could (carefully) switch my statin and even if I wanted to, I could (carefully) switch back after i complete the antigungal cycle. Thanks!

On 10/6/2020 at 6:12 PM, CM Dad said:

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country.  If you expect a long Christmas holiday then your only option is an international school.  Are you a qualified, experienced, licensed teacher?  If not, then forget being a teacher here.  Just go home. 

I know the religion of Thailand. Thanks for that completely unhelpful and arrogant input. I'm well-aware of the working situation here, as well as in other nearby countries. And although I am a qualified teacher, I'm trying to expand my teaching experience—if that's ok with you. If you take the time to read and understand my post before shooting your mouth off, you'd understand that I'm trying not to assume or "expect" anything, so I want to figure out what's typical. (And any school that closes for a Christmas break is counting Christmas as an "official" holiday. So it's reasonable to ask if a position there pays for time off during official holidays.

On 10/6/2020 at 11:49 PM, khunPer said:

To my knowledge: Some schools might offer you Social Security, others might give their foreign teachers an extra 1,000 baht a month instead, and the teacher can buy his/her own insurance.

 

With a work permit you should be able to voluntary join the Social Security-system, which includes health cover on an assigned government hospital. The fee is (at the moment) 10 percent of the salary, minimum 500 baht a month, and maximum 1,500 baht a month. If you stay in Thailand after finished work, you can continue in the system for a modest fee, a little under 500 baht a month...????

Thanks KhunPer. I've gone to a few government hospitals on my own. With a lot of research I was usually (but not always) able to be treated by decent doctors, but the amount of time involved before my visits and especially during was a lot, so I'd strongly prefer having private insurance.

On 10/6/2020 at 5:31 PM, puchooay said:

Didn't you come on here for advice? I would suggest, if you can't handle the advice you are given don't ask for it in the first place. Either that or just ignore it and move on.

Yea, related suggestions or advice on my posted question. Not ignorant insults that are off topic—or do you think any time you open your mouth what comes out should be revered as relevant and valuable? Get over yourself and try being a little more thoughtful. That's MY all-knowing suggestion.  

29 minutes ago, recom273 said:

I was in a bit of a squeeze, I helped out for term and moved on.

Yes, I get this approach and have taken it in past, short-term teaching gigs. I would feel more compelled to honestly commit the full year with this current opportunity as I would be the homeroom teacher for two groups of kids, and I think it's important for kids this age to have reliable "authority figures".

2 hours ago, LazySlipper said:

Government is better than private if you pair it to a good hospital. it pays everything no questions asked. Private schools generally give ruby coverage which is squat and if you have any priors good luck being covered. Your thread is going sideways. Stick to your initial question. Your insecurities about the kinda job you can get don't belong here and to be honest if you are so insecure about your skills maybe teaching isn't for you.

I'll discuss my topic how I wish to discuss it. If you don't have any valuable contribution then please find other ways to procrastinate your time away. Your ignorant opinion isn't welcome, thank you very much.

On 10/3/2020 at 8:42 PM, dia1 said:

Don't you think you're overreacting? Mask usage in Thailand is heavily down now that there's been no local transmission for months. And occasionally the body has an uncontrollable cough. I don't think anyone is happy when a stranger coughs near them these days, but suggesting that you should assault them or be deported from the country is quite extreme.

 

Perhaps mall workers should be more diligent about reminding people to wear a mask when indoors shopping. Its too early to let our guard down... But let's also be reasonable.

The thing is, this is not the time to individually assess when it's REALLY necessary to take precautions. The way something like a pandemic is contained is only through complete precaution at all times without assessing whether or not it's REALLY necessary. That is why Thailand has had so few cases, and that is why Western countries have done so poorly. Especially the US, as their entitled, individual mindset drives their culture.

It's simply not fair for any one individual to take it upon themselves to make an assessment of safety for all those around them. (Especially when it's only waged against how cool or not they may look.) In fact it's f*cking bul<deleted> to think that your decision is what's best for everyone when someone could DIE because you calculated incorrectly.

So IMHO if you have the balls, go ahead and say something. Social pressure is what's behind herd immunity.

8 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why not teach business/corporate or exam preparation classes (e.g. IELTS)

Fair question, but I don't enjoy academic English instruction. Now that said, an adult/business course about communicating w/ English at a "higher" level, either for business or in a marketing or creative field, is right up my alley and I'd be exceptionally well-qualified for that. But outside of generic variations of this, this kind of course is rather unique and I've not been able to find opportunities that would pay fairly to deliver my interpretation of it. Open to suggestions, though!

Wondering if anyone has deeper knowledge on this beyond the general warning provided on the package insert.

I've been taking 40mg of Bestatin (simvastatin) daily and would like to begin a 12-week cycle of itraconazole, an oral anti-fungal, for a persistent, chronic toenail fungal problem (onychomycosis). It had been diagnosed as such by a doctor in NY years ago but his one-month oral treatment didn't do the trick.

Warning states "Itraconazole is also contraindicated for concomitant use with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), because of the increased risk of rhabdomyolysis."

I'm 54, thin, healthy, exercise regularly and have no liver issues as far as I know other than my general hypochondriasm. Should I avoid taking Itraconazole alltogether, or move ahead but with caution?

Thanks for any input.

2 hours ago, J Town said:

Schools are desperate for teachers.

Yes, I know this is generally the case—which is my opportunity as I'm not a formally trained teacher. I have a good, but unrelated bachelor's degree and a good TEFL. I have a few years of teaching experience in a few countries, but almost exclusively teaching business English to small groups. My classroom experience is somewhat limited and I'm looking for a decent opportunity to rectify this. So with much of the better qualified teachers out of the country I'm hoping to get a position I wouldn't otherwise have access to. (And this opportunity is to teach science and geography—two topics I enjoy—to an age group that very enjoyable (Kindy).)

But all the same, I don't want to be grossly underpaid or accept weak benefits that shouldn't have to. So I appreciate your opinion on this.

12 minutes ago, J Town said:

Both.

Ok, so generally speaking, private insurance is something that an expat should expect to receive when teaching for a private school. Ok, thanks.

I was disappointed to hear the bilingual school that offered me a position only provided the regular government health insurance. (They also wouldn't pay for the Christmas holiday time off, either.) AND instead of a contract completion bonus, they hold 3000thb salary as "security", to be returned only after contract completion.

58 minutes ago, whiteman said:

Yes

Yes expected, or yes appreciated?

52 minutes ago, J Town said:

It's been part of every contract I've ever had and seen for my friends.

Have you and your friends been with THAI private schools? (Or international private schools?)

As a foreign-born teacher in Thailand, how normal is receiving private health insurance in teaching jobs with private schools?

I assume all teachers at government schools only receive the gov't insurance that all Thai employees receive, but what about at private (not necessarily "international") schools?

Should it be expected, or just appreciated when it's offered?

6 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

It was a round stuffed animal..the kids wanted that thing as if it was an iphone, none of the teachers. let alone my teacher said anything about it, I was told in class about the head and feet....but will make a note

 

Can I forward this to the Immigration officers at Bkk airport and land borders in regards to my passport?

What are you talking about??