way2muchcoffee

The Opposition Party took a lead role in getting constitutional amendments on the parliamentary docket, only to back out at the 11th hour immediately following a phone call from our man in Dubai.

The PAD/NPP always opposed charter amendments.

What is the point of continuing under the current circumstances?

I should add that once you can come to terms with the ground rules you can begin to seek strategies to help the academically weak or terminally lazy. A concerted effort by all teachers, with the support of admin, can help almost any student to legitimately pass a course. Creativity must be applied. And I don't mean creativity in marking the work. I mean creativity in establishing an infrastructure designed to ensure students do not slip through the cracks. We have had success this year with the policy mentioned in my above post. When I say success I do not mean the improved pass rate. I mean that weak students actually learn the material to the lowest level deemed acceptable by a 50-55% mark.

I believe that working for solutions begins by accepting the requirements set forth by an administration that is ultimately responsible for all aspects of a school. It is their school. They have the duty to set whatever policies they feel best suits their school. As teachers we have the duty to educate children. We, as employees, also have the duty to adhere to school policy. Improvements can be made, no matter what obstacles an administration may place in the path of teachers and students.

We get 8 weeks of holiday time annually, not including public holidays. They are divided as follows: 2 weeks in October, 1 week over Christmas/New Year, 5 weeks for summer. The summer break is actually 6 weeks. This is extra time given to make up for the public holidays occur in the break periods.

Last year and the year before we began failing students. We developed a remediation program for students in danger of failing that kicks in on the second of third week of the year. The cast of students in these mandatory classes changes based on improved or deteriorating performance. Several students ultimately failed and were made to come in over the summer break for self study and further testing. Most ultimately passing, but a few graduated the school with a failing grade in subjects the MoE states that a student can fail (additional mathematics in this case).

Things have changed now though. Parents were in an uproar. Our EP Head was nearly replaced. Word came down from on high at the beginning of the year that we were to immediately cease and desist the practice of failing students. So now we continue with the early remediation efforts, but we also provide retesting for all failed quizzes (for a reduced score), and allow late work to be handed in (also reduced in score). Extra credit can be given, differentiated to the actual level of the student so that they will at least benefit from doing the work. When, in the few inevitable cases students still fail, they are given further opportunities, but in no case will they ultimately fail. Failing students end up with precisely a 50/100.

A score of 50/100 is universally recognized in the Tertiary system as a failed course. Students with these marks in too many core subjects do not get admitted to top schools in Thailand. It seems to be the way that everyone can save face: parents, teachers, administrators, admissions officers, etc. Everyone knows the game and how to interpret marks given to students by their teachers. It is this simple fact that has allowed me to slug it out day after day this year with my integrity intact.

I worked for an agency several years ago. At the time my net salary was 37k. The agency received only 5k per month. Of course the only service they performed was to come pick up my salary on payday, take it back to their office, take their cut, then wait for me to arrive to pick up my share. Oh, also they made the initial introduction. After 1 year I was able to leave the agency and become a direct hire for the school, whereupon my salary increased about 8k per month. I remained another 2 years. By they end I as earning 54k per month. Fair or not fair is irrelevant. I signed with the agency. They got their 60k. I got a job. There were no illusions or pretenses on either side.

I have used another agency for tutoring gigs. They state flatly 60% to the tutor, 40% to the company. Take it or leave it. They also make no claims or pretenses. They will assess the wealth of each potential customer an quote them the highest rate they can get away with. Depending on the subject and the level the teachers get between 500 and 1000 bt per hour. Not bad, at least on the top end.

I like the way these companies did/do business. They state everything up front then give you a choice. Period. They provide a service and can expect compensation. There is overhead, clerical salaries, rents, taxes etc, that they are liable for.

There is huge variation between agencies, however, and many are less than scrupulous. These ones should be avoided.

They did the same with marriage registration for my wife. Unbelievable.

Ministers and MP should have immunity form prosecution for what they do or say in their role as member of the government or parliament, otherwise a government, a country cannot be run anymore.

I disagree. When, in the course of their duties, a member of parliament or cabinet, or any other government officer violates the law, especially constitutional law, they should be prosecuted. If the security of the country relies on that particular government officer there may be reason to delay the judicial proceedings until their term of office is completed.

"well Heng of course it wouldn't just be a 34% tax for you since you make X00k a month, we'd have to actually keep 97% of your monthly gross income as a tax so that you'd be making the ideal 25k a month that everyone should have in a *fair* Thailand."

You're too generous! We'll actually only need about 50% in your case....

All my second hand stuff goes to the relatives. Whenever I visit either grandma's house or my sister in law's place i see loads of stuff that I purchased. Occasionally my wife gives stuff that is almost brand new that we still use without bothering to tell me. Mostly it's her stuff, but sometimes mine, and that causes friction. Oh well. They need it more than I do I guess, and the inconvenience to me pales in comparison with the convenience it provides to the relatives.

In my opinon a full month rent as deposit is not totally fair.

I'll be honest Guido but every apartment I've ever lived in here I've paid 2 or 3 months deposit.

it was'nt really a deposit. The deposit was 2 months rent if we would have moved in.

This 11K was a reservation fee. and it was never mentioned verbally or written that it was non-refundable in case we would cancel.

Sounds like a mis-communication. An apartment retainer deposit is typically a few thousand baht until contract signing time when the full deposit of two or three months is paid. You paid a large deposit, indicating to the apartment owner that you would definitely be moving in. In future you should try to be clear with all monies given precisely what they are for, and get it in writing.

You must be kidding. You, as an adult, had a responsibility to monitor the behavior of children you bring to the zoo. The mother is fiscally responsible for the actions of her daughter. You and culpable as well, being a responsible adult who was present and neglected your those responsibilities. If the relationship with your gf is a long-term one and you have hopes it will last you should pay. Try to set up a payment plan. Have the daughter do odd jobs around the house to ensure that she accepts some responsibility as well. Send the gf to work as well and have her chip in. Perhaps a payment plan could be set up with the zoo. Bottom line, you do have some responsibility in this matter and to even consider running away is ridiculous.

The best schools are: ISB, Bangkok-Patana, NIST, Shrewsbury, Ruamrudee, and Harrow.

If you want more Thai students you would probably want to look at Ruamrudee. If you want the best education then probably ISB or Shrewsbury would be your best options, though the others are decent as well.

RIP Yeti. We never did get to meet up. Sorry for not bringing over those 'Oz' DVD's. I am shocked and saddened.

Two valid complaints in this thread.

1) Debit card use for purchases takes longer. Yes. Go to Tops supermarket. It always adds time when people are paying with cards, debit or credit. Their refusal to simply hit the ATM before doing their shopping makes the wait lines longer in high customer retail shopping outlets.

2) People who take ages to count out correct change to make their purchases are annoying. A little counting and sorting at home would make this process go more smoothly. Taking ages to fish the billfold out of the purse and count out the correct bills also takes some folks an inordinate amount of time. They could easily have removed billfold while the checker was tallying the items. Again, these behaviors cause excess wait time in limes.

3) I'll add one, checkers who are incompetent. Take forever to ring up sales and make change if change is due.

If one prefers 18 carat jewelry go to Emporium or Central. Westerners seem to prefer the stronger, lower purity gold in jewelry, and these department stores are happy to accommodate.

most jewelry you buy in thailand is 23 carat or 96.5%.

! BT Gold = 15.2 grams = 16,000 TB currency = 325 euro (or thereabouts)

http://phuketindex.com/update-gold-e.htm

I would think one tenet of forum decorum would be to not slag off other forums.

With regards to the OP, newbies are pretty much welcome at most forums, including TV. I think things can get a little rough and dirty at times and for somebody new to forums altogether it could be frustrating. Nevertheless, once people have developed a thicker skin they normally get on ok.

Once looked into street-shop clothes vendors. Rents varied from 300-1500 daily, depending on location. That was rent only and didn't include any police or mafia tea monies which was information we were unable to obtain.

still, there is nothing stopping a yellow or blue shirt putting on a red shirt and provoking the police & escalating violence. .... then the media will blame it all on the red shirts

Absolutely correct, MC2.

Similarly there is nothing stopping a red shirt protester, or group of protesters, from provoking the police & escalating violence. Then they can blame a third hand, while Thaksin reaps the benefit of more upheaval in the nation's capitol.

It just goes round and round, and there will be no way for the general public to know the truth.

Isn't it interesting that in a midst of all these debates over ISA, no one mentions the agenda of that rally.

This is an interesting point. I've recently been considering a new thread in general along these lines. I'd like to know more broadly, what is the red agenda? Obviously there is Thaksin and recovering his position and money, but what is their platform? What issues do they support? What ideals do they strive to live by? What changes would they legislate if given the opportunity to control the government? What is the party line?

I can't really determine clear answers to these questions. The only think I can work out is that they want Thaksin back. They want Thaksin to have his money back. They want TRT back. They want to change the constitution. Beyond these highly sensitive issues, what do they really stand for?

I charge about 5 different prices for a stem of white denobrium orchid.

If this is true could you please post the location? I'd like to make sure never to shop there I might mention this to 5 or 6 others too. So please, go ahead. If you truly believe this practice is acceptable you will post the location. If you won't wost the location then you are, be default, admitting that tiered pricing is unethical and immoral.

Obviously you won't, nor should you, post your location. It'd probably be against the rules here somehow anyway. So consider the argument above as a hypothetical.

It would be interesting to find out, if for no other reason than humour, what assault is caused by throwing a bag of fermented fish at a stationery cavalcade.

If you were to be pelted by bags of fermented fish on your way out the door, I strongly suspect you would see the illegality of it after one or two times.

I see nothing wrong with some guys who've been around a while, speak the language, and who want to help tourists and newer expats navigate through difficult situations. I suspect most of them are doing this for good reasons. Probably some get off on the power trip and those are the unfortunate ones.

The Dems implemented the populist polices when the country clearly needed it (see the global financial crisis), while Thaksin did it when we didn't.

I must disagree with you here ThNiner. The neediest people have always needed any populist policy that might make their lives just a little more manageable. Whether good economic times or bad for the country overall, there are always poor people who need assistance. Thaksin realized this and capitalized on it.