midasthailand

Figured it was time for a bit more input from me. I would like to say thanks to those of you who have wished me luck in my chosen path and to those of you who have come up with valid reasons why teachers tend to get bashed. Having read the thread, I guess I now have a better feel for why there are some negative perceptions about farang teachers of English in Thailand. I must admit that prior to reading this thread I had never heard of Stickman, but it would seem that his site has a lot to do with the perception that all male teachers of English are here more for the extracurricular activities than the teaching?

Unfortunately for me, I will have to settle for teaching in a Government school, as I have no formal teaching qualifications apart from TEFL (a qualification that a few posters seem to think is not worth the paper it is written on). I do however have five tertiary qualifications in Electronics (3), Leadership and Management and Thai language. I do not have a job to go to, but have a mate who works with Siam Computer and he believes that they will hire me in a heartbeat. It is my intention to have a holiday for a few weeks first, then start searching for a job, then find somewhere to live that wont require a 4 hour commute every day.

I must admit that I wasn't aware that my original post would garner so many responses, but so far it has been a good read and a bit of fun, so I'm glad I put it up.

Again thanks to those that wished me luck.

Cheers and beers

I definitely need to learn some basic Thai if I want to penetrate deeper into the society.

Nice double entendre there ;-)

LMFAO!

Hello there!

I have a question that bothers me and my friends for long time: why do Thai girls always hold hands with their farang boyfriends/clients? We often see Thai girls walking on the streets, while holding hands with their farang, sometimes they wouldn't even let go while walking down or up the stairs or entering BTS etc. Is that included in the price?

Strange question? I never really noticed it, but that would be because I find it natural that a man and woman walking together that are romantically involved would hold hands. I always found it disconcerting when Thai Senior Officers wanted to hold my hand as we walked through their military base but apparently it's quite natural for men to hold hands in Thailand?

I agree with the OP that teachers get bashed unfairly here.

I am curious how the OP became a "fluent Thai linguist" in the three years he was here. Or is his experience in Thailand more lengthy than the 3 years he mentioned? OP?

In answer to your question about my fluency in Thai, I was selected for the position at the Australian Embassy not only because I was a good looking dude but because I had been tested for language aptitude and found to have aptitude to learn all languages (nothing to do with intelligence, I hasten to add). Having been selected, I was posted to the Australian Defence Force school of languages at RAAF Point Cook in Victoria to undertake a 44 week intensive Thai language course. The course was taught by two Thai Ajarns, 7 hours/day in the classroom with 4 hours homework/night, 5 days/week with 10 hours homework on weekends. Graduation standard was level 2+ for reading, writing, speaking and listening and level 2 for translating and interpreting (level 5= native speaker).

So I arrived in Thailand speaking Thai, spent three years there where I had to speak Thai to their military and had to read the Thai papers for intelligence information. After returning to Australia, Timor flashed up in 1999 and the Thais had the second largest contingent there after Australia, they needed an officer to act as liaison between the Thai Army and INTERFET Headquarters and I drew the short straw, so ended up living with 1,500 thai soldiers for five months with no other farangs within cooee. Needless to say my spoken Thai ended up pretty good.

I was over there (Thailand) earlier this year and the Thais tell me my Thai is still pretty good. I consider my Thai a bit rusty, particularly writing and reading, but who am I to argue with the experts.

I haven't been a member too long but really enjoy the cut and thrust of TV. one of the things I've noticed is that teachers seem to be a fairly easy target here, why? I don't know, it seems if somebody is working as a teacher in Thailand they must be illegal, incompetent and causing the reputation of westerners to be tarnished by their actions.

Well, it is my intention to travel to Thailand in the very near future and seek employment as a teacher of the English language and I believe that I am doing so with the best of intentions. I lived and worked in Bangkok for three years in the late nineties and developed a deep respect and affinity for the Thai people, culture, climate and food. Whilst there I had the chance to observe Thais at all levels of society, being a military officer attached to an Embassy and formed the opinion that generally the Thai people are honest, hard working and friendly, I also found that there was a premium placed on proficiency in English, with those having a proficiency able to seek better jobs and higher salaries.

Therefore, having retired from the military and completed a TEFL course I thought why not go to Thailand and try and teach English. I have no formal teaching qualifications apart from 36 years in the Navy where on occasion I was required to teach Electronics theory but have the advantage of being a fluent Thai linguist.

At the end of the day I am looking for an understanding of why the members of this forum have such a downer on those unfortunates that come to Thailand and teach English for a paltry 30K/month. I am sure I would be able to work for a multinational company and earn a lot more but at the end of the day would I be doing any good for anyone? As a teacher of English in Thailand you give children the opportunity to improve their lot in life and what greater satisfaction than that is there in life?

My sister is getting married! On Sunday, this Sunday 30th September... here on Phuket!!!

The entire family is here from Oz for the grand occasion - except for my big brother (his wife was afraid that their 2yr-old may meet some germs)

Anyways, after 21 years in a 21st century relationship - and a teenage daughter later - we have a wedding and me and my neice are wearing identical gowns on the waterfront at Friendship Beach, Chalong.

Anyways, if you would like to pop down and witness the most ceremonious occasion of the year...

I'll be there!!! (4pm)

All the best to your sister andher betrothed, I hope the weather is kind to them and that you all have a wonderful time.

Hi guys,i have a few questions about some of the questions there asking for the 48r tourist visa to australia for my g/f

firstly do we put the thai year or the english year for the date of birth of the applicant?

Q18,my g/f has a sister in australia who is married to an australian,she has been here for under 1 year,

is she a citisen or permanent resident of australia?

I took over the 48r app form with me to thai in july this year to help her fill out,allthough it was one that i printed out some time ago.

I have just looked at the oz booklets site and see that there is now only 41 questions but on the form i had printed out had 48 questions.

Has it slightly changed/reduced questions?would the form we allready of filled still be ok?

I thik thats it for now,getting ready to submit app next week

Cheers

Applied in May with TG, granted within 7 days, attended CC tower in Bangkok with completed form from internet, let in door by security guards and first thing they do is look at completed form and state she has to complete the form in Thai language, they will give you thai language form.

My advise is to make sure you have all the documents required and you shouldnt have a problem, reading this forum and others lots of others will tell you the TG will need to prove they have something to return to thailand, ie job. My TG has not had a job for a number of years and has no steady employment history, I emphasised my strong employment history and the funds to support her, made statement that she would not overstay.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I will help if I can.

So should i get her to just fill out the thai version of 48r and disgard the english verision?

is the english version for if you applying for it in oz?

thoughts on this appreciated...

The Immmigration section at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok employs about 16 Thai nationals so yes she can fillin the Thai language form, but make sure you are with her as she fills it in to ensure you follow the advice given thus far.

Put a positive balance on your credit card and withdraw funds through an ATM in Thailand, maintain a positive balance at all times by transferring funds from your savings into your credit account and you will be better off (allthough the Credit Card companies hate it when you put the card into the black).

With dress, I believe it is pretty much what you have already been advised except age is a factor, if you are over say 50 you should probably wear long pants and a collared shirt.

As for gifts, I have always found a quality bottle of red wine is appreciated and of course things from your country of origin that are unlikely to be available in Thailand.

Enjoy your trip and if you ever need advice - this is the forum to get it. (but not necessarily from me).

It's funny you say that about red wine; my Wife's family and friends hate it, she did too until she came to the UK and acquired the taste. A bottle of Scotch Whisky goes down as well as anything and you can pick one up cheap in the duty free. One of the surprising things that went down well were Underberg Bitters - I took them as a joke to watch their faces when they tried the vile stuff but, her mum and her uncle liked them.

A lot of Thais started to drink red wine after the King had his heart problems and the doctors advised red wine was a good drink for his health. I have many Thai friends that really value a quality bottle of red (Australian of course, none of that French garbage).

I may sound crazy, but I am a little worried, my boyfriend and I are moving to Bangkok this week for a few months for work. We've been together for 6 years but he is a flirt and asian women seem to love him, he's tall, white and a friendly guy...I'm worried about the women in Bangkok, are they really as agressive as people say they are? I'm going to be out of town on business for 1 week and feel nervous to leave him in Bangkok alone,....he loves to party and go to bars, I mean if he's going to cheat, he's going to cheat..but still, am I an idiot for moving to a country where there is more opportunity to? What areas should I avoid? Also are the women really like this? I am stressed out about all this.

My wife and I lived in Thailand for three years in the nineties, whenever we had visitors from Australia they of course wanted to go to Patpong Etc.. While my wife took them through the shopping exercise I would go for a quiet drink in the Safari bar where we were well known. Without fail I would be offered sensual pleasures, I would always respond with "I'm happily married" their response was always "your wife not here, no matter". If you don't trust him before you get here, you have no hope.

Thanks for the pic, saved me googling her. Looks good to me and she must be pretty special to be a Khun Ying and not be married to a military Officer/Politician/Police Officer.

So there's this young Aussie playing his first tounament as a Pro and after three rounds he's leader by three and he goes into the clubhouse with his playing partners for a drink. As he walks in he spots a gorgeous blonde sitting alone in the corner. Anyway he's having a drink and a chat when the blonde comes over and asks "aren't you the young Aussie that's leading the tounament?" "Yep" he says, "well why are you sitting here when you could be up in my room making love to me?" With that, the young bloke excuses himself and follows the blonde to her room.

They get naked and get down to it and when he's finished he starts to get out of bed and she says "what are you doing?", he says "I'm going to ring room service and get some champagne sent up with some flowers and food" she says "Jack Nicklaus wouldn't leave a lady after one romp", so he thinks to himself, "I'm not going to be outdone by Jack Nicklaus" and hops back into bed to give the lady a second helping.

He finishes and gets out of bed and she says "what are you doing", he says "I'm calling room service for champagne, flowers and food" she says "Jack Nicklaus wouldn't leave a lady after only two" so the young Aussie gets back into bed and gives it to her again, he stumbles out of bed and she says "what are you doing?" He says "I'm ringing room service for food and champagne I'm hungry", she says "Jack Nicklaus wouldn't leave a lady after only three" The young Aussie, getting rather weary now, nonetheless gets back into bed and makes love to her again, having finished he stumbles from the bed and starts towards the phone when she asks "what are you doing?" to which he replies.....

I'm going to call Jack Nicklaus to find out what the par for this hole is!!

Put a positive balance on your credit card and withdraw funds through an ATM in Thailand, maintain a positive balance at all times by transferring funds from your savings into your credit account and you will be better off (allthough the Credit Card companies hate it when you put the card into the black).

With dress, I believe it is pretty much what you have already been advised except age is a factor, if you are over say 50 you should probably wear long pants and a collared shirt.

As for gifts, I have always found a quality bottle of red wine is appreciated and of course things from your country of origin that are unlikely to be available in Thailand.

Enjoy your trip and if you ever need advice - this is the forum to get it. (but not necessarily from me).

As God is my witness, I am. I'm just not white, is all. Grrrl...why couldn't my mom have married that nice English bloke who was pining for her, instead of my Dad! Asian+Asian do not a white girl make. Maybe I'll just marry a farang and be done with it, ya know, so I can get a Native Speaker's Passport. Yes, I'm in that perfect state of drunkardness right now. It gives me the ability to conjure up grand and mighty schemes that I'd never think of when sober. Woe is me.

I really didn't want to go near the Filipinos thing coz I have a really dear friend who's one and she's got a uni degree but has been working in my country for the past 8 years as a maid and no, her English isn't all that but I can deal with it. A fair number of them despite being graduates and some even with honours, have resorted to working as domestic helpers in other wealthier Asian countries because there's just such a shortage of jobs back home. I don't know how high up the ladder you have to climb to be in Super Upper Class rung but I've met IT engineers, computer science majors and even architects (major props to them coz I can't draw to save my ass) whom I've sometimes strained to understand and to be understood and no, it's not a matter of accent. Hardly. In fact many of them tend to speak with an American accent, at times heavy-handed, oftentimes inconsistent and hilarious (mean I know) but that's beside the point. They're just so much more comfortable in their native tongue which is almost always Tagalog, unless they happen to meet someone from the same province, then they'll use the province's particular dialect. An aside, the regular Filipino who is educated locally pretty much speaks with an accent similar to that of the Latinos. However, their level of written and reading of English is many times better than their spoken one. I guess it's just from lack of practice and the opportunity to use it. I think I've belaboured this subject enough.

Going back to the whiskey now.

I'm placing my input on this thread here because I am in awe of your written English, it is better than most of the "white" posters on this forum. My take on the OP's problem is this: The reason that most schools hire white/caucasian teachers of English is because that is what the parents of the students want to see standing at the front of the classroom. For some reason, they are unable to accept that a non caucasian is more than capable of providing first class English language instruction to their little darlings. As far as recruitment companies go, one must recognise the fact that Singapore along with the Phillippines is considered a country that requires teachers of English as a second language, whereas Thailand is a country that requires teachers of English as a foreign language.

I hope you are able to get over the rage Fennielyn, if not you could always change boyfriends, or drink more whisky, or both!

My maid of almost two years abruptly quit today, and I can't figure out why. Perhaps someone can shed some light on Thai culture, and help me figure out why she quit. Here are the basic facts (as impartially as I can make them).

Before she worked for me, she was a janitor in a school, making 5,000 baht a month, working six days a week, like a slave, for an awful boss. I've been paying her 9,000 baht a month... in addition, I buy her stuff EVERY DAY. For her kids, for her... I've never gone to the market and didn't bring her back something to take back... I would guess it's about 150 baht per day extra that I spend on her. I bought her a washing machine... one day she said her electric went out, and I gave her 4,000 baht to get it repaired. I let her sleep an hour or two PER DAY whenever she wants. I never yell at her or order her around. In short, I thought she had it pretty good.

The husband called and said she works too much, and her young kid cries in the afternoon, cause she doesn't leave her til 5 pm. She was working for me Monday to saturday, 8 Am to 5 pm, but i always let her leave on Saturday by 1 pm.

There is no way I could believe she wasn't happy here... it has to be a problem from the husband.

Do you think he was being all "macho", cause maybe the wife was bringing back more home than him? Do you think he didn't want the wife working for a homo? I honestly can't think of anything.

if she came to me and told me this, I would have told her leave instead at 4 pm, and take saturdays off... but I didn't even have a chance to counter anything.

Why would a maid so abrupty quit?

The only other thing I can think of was that she was cooking breakfast and lunch for me, and I sit in my air conditioned office or go swimming during the day... could he be jealous of that?

I think I've given the full story here, but I haven't a clue what the REAL problem could be. I'm certain it's not from the maid, but it has to be from the husband. I thought I was really helping take care of this nice lady.

To quote Aretha Franklin, "sometimes it hurts like hel_l..." I'm really quite upset about this.

Any thoughts on what I might have missed, or if I might have done something wrong or insulting? I can't think of anything even remotely close...

Having read all the other responses to your original post I feel there is one possibility that has been overlooked. My wife and I lived in Bangkok for three years in the late 90's and had a wonderful maid who we paid much more than the other maids in the complex. We treated her like one of the family and she was very happy. After 2.5 years she turned up to work one morning with her mother in tow and told us that she had to quit, no reason given buts lots of tears shed. I don't know if the labour laws are still the same, but in those days you were required to pay one months salary for each completed year of employment as a bonus to staff leaving your employ.

Some weeks later I visited our ex-maid after her mother had returned up-country and spoke to her at length. It turns out that the mothers husband had gambling debts and the mother forced the daughter to quit and give the bonus to her.

So maybe your lass has a husband with gambling problems?

Two texans were discussing their favorite sexual positions, One guy said "my favorite position is the rodeo position" the other guy said "the rodeo position ? aint never heard of that one, how do you do it?"

Well said the first guy, "get the wife on all fours and mount from behind, reach around and cup her breasts in both hands and then lean forward and whisper in her ear that her sisters breasts are softer...... Then try and stay on for eight seconds!

ขณะที่

are there any other ways of saying "on the other hand"

i read ขณะที่ more as 'whilst'

( nit picking i know , but its a quiet sunday morning.)

Lexitron says, "on the other hand [idiom] ; ในทางตรงข้าม"; a related term, it says, is "ในทางกลับกัน."

Another source book shows a bunch of synonyms for ขณะที่ but almost all deal with the temporal meaning of the phrase, such as, ตอนที่ ในระหว่างที่ ในเวลา เมื่อตอน etc.

Interesting distinction in your English: "Whilst", chiefly a British term, can mean "during the time that" and "at the same time that on the contrary." You imply that you want the Thai equivalent of the latter, not the former. (We Americans are too hillbilly to use a sophisticated term like "whilst".)

ในทางกลับกัน would be my preference for "on the other hand"

I think it would change the minds of many would be murders, rapists, and child molesters etc. The prison systems back there are getting way out of hand, with gangs, drugs, and murders in prison. There would be far less crime in the long run.

but there is a capital punishment in the us of a - and is not a deterrent for the murderers.

as to rapists and child molesters there is no capital punishment anywhere in the world (with exception od some backward muslim countries ruled by the sharia law).

those convicted of rape and child molestation and sentenced to prison do have a very hard time there - including group rape and murder. They know it before commiting the crime - they still do it.

capital punishment for them is just saving them from tortures by the inmates.

the prison system in the usa doesn't work despite being developed within the last 20 years from trapping 200k to 3mln convicts - it's no more now than a tool of class oppression against the poor and dispossessed

Not so in Australia, Paedophiles, when convicted, are placed in protective custody and away from the rest of the prison poulation. I for one wish they would put them in with the ordinary crims so someone could slip a shank into them! Scum of the earth.

I retired from the Royal Australian Navy in 2004 after 36 years service. At 55 years of age I feel that there are a few miles left in the tank and would welcome the opportunity to live and work in Thailand again. I hold the following Tertiary qualifications:

Graduate Diploma in Electronic Engineering Management;

Diploma of Engineering in Electronic Systems;

Graduate Certificate in Electronics Analysis;

Advanced Diploma of Thai Language;

Diploma of Leadership and Management and

TESOL Certificate.

I was attached to the Office of the Defence Attache, Australian Embassy, Bangkok, from Feb 1996-Nov 1998. Since that time I have been the Weapons Electronics Engineering Officer on board HMAS KANIMBLA from Feb 2000- Sep 2002 and the Executive Director of the SHIPSAFE Board for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Sep 2002- May 2004. In my last position I was responsible for all aspects of safety relating to the surface fleet of the RAN.

My Thai language skills are at about level 3+ (level 5 being a native Thai speaker) and I am willing to consider any offers. I will be arriving in Bangkok on 17th Oct 07 and will be available for interview from 1st Nov 07. Interested? please PM me.

regards,

Dave Buck

Enjoyed it - made me smile a lot.

Thanks people, will post more as I submit them,

My thai is polite? Well, actually I think my thai, reading back on this story for the first time in 7 years, is rahter crap compered to then. The family and staff have learnt to understand what ever language it is I speak, no it ain't thai by a long shot, nor inglich

There is a sequile to this, with Claude Von Dammit, which I thought I wrote but hadn;t, so will soon.

Till then, tomorrow is my son's 2nd birthday, so I have to keep stirring the stew

Thanks!

Dare I ask, Dog stew?

I like that ผบทบ -the missus!

Is a counter coup against her possible? Unlikely I feel!

Regarding acronyms, I found it useful to buy an exercise book, mark the pages according to the Thai alphabet and then file in acronyms according to their first Thai letter with the meaning in English and full wording in Thai. Create your own mini dictionary as it were. That way it's easy to reference them later when the acronym crops up again.

A point to remember is new acronyms are constantly being created and used in newspapers, an example being the recent anti coup movement- นปค if I remember rightly, so obviously dictionaries can't keep up to date with these.

Seems like a good idea to me, consider it done. By the way have you and Snow Leapord decided whether it is accordingly or appropriately yet? LOL

Leopard

I like that ผบทบ -the missus!

Is a counter coup against her possible? Unlikely I feel!

Regarding acronyms, I found it useful to buy an exercise book, mark the pages according to the Thai alphabet and then file in acronyms according to their first Thai letter with the meaning in English and full wording in Thai. Create your own mini dictionary as it were. That way it's easy to reference them later when the acronym crops up again.

A point to remember is new acronyms are constantly being created and used in newspapers, an example being the recent anti coup movement- นปค if I remember rightly, so obviously dictionaries can't keep up to date with these.

Seems like a good idea to me, consider it done. By the way have you and Snow Leapord decided whether it is accordingly or appropriately yet? LOL

Hi guys and gals, I read the first eight pages of this thread and then jumped to the end, so I am not sure if these have been mentioned here before.

(Sorry unable to write in Thai font at this stage, not technically minded enough).

1. Mia taharn nap khuat bhlaow, mia damruat nap satang. = soldiers wives count empty bottles, policemens wives count money. = no real equivalent in English

2. wela khao muang dta liew dtong liew dta dtam = when you enter a villiage where the people wink you must also wink = when in Rome do as the Romans do.

This site has some real Thai scholars, and it is a great pleasure to watch the battles of wits that often seem to erupt over seemingly innocuous differences in interpretaion. Keep it up guys.

Thanks, Dave

For some of us, including me, the most difficult part of reading the Thai newspaper is the myriad of abreviations. Here is a list from the article above along with the pronounciation and translation:

ร.ต.อ. – ร้อยตำรวจเอก [rói dtam-rûat èk], police captain; Pol. Capt.

กย. – กันยายน [gan-yaa-yon] [N] September

ตำรวจ กก. – ตำรวจกำกับการ [dtam-rûat gam gàp gaan] [N] superintendent; chief of police

สว. – สารวัตร [săan-wát per Thai2English but commonly pronounced săa-rá-wát] [N] (police) inspector

มิ.ย. – มิถุนายน [mí-tòo-naa-yon] [N] June

บก.ป. – กอง "บังคับการปราบปราม" [bang káp gaan bpràap bpraam] Police Crime Suppression Unit

Sorry no Thai font available here but here are a couple more (fairly common usage):

Paw Baw Taw Baw = Phu Bangkap Taharn Bok = Chief of Army

[edit: ผบ.ทบ. [N] Commander-in-Chief of the Army Syn. ผู้บัญชาการทหารบก]

Paw Baw Taw Baw = Phu Bangkap Tee Baan = The missus

[edit: ผบ.ทบ. ผู้บังคับที่บ้าน]

By the way, fascinating and very useful thread, thanks guys.

All very interesting but I would like to know about the rest of the reshuffle, anyone know where I can lay my hands on the full list? I'd particularly like to know about General Songkitti and Special Colonel Charoenporn both of whom served with me in East Timor in 99/00.

From today's Matichon, some new words:

" . . . นายสมิทธ ธรรมสโรช ผู้อำนวยการศูนย์เตือนภัยพิบัติแห่งชาติ กล่าวถึงอุบัติเหตุเครื่องบินสายการบินวันทูโก ตกรันเวย์ที่ จ.ภูเก็ต ว่า มีความเป็นไปได้ว่าอาจจะมาจากกระแสลมที่กระโชกแรง ประกอบกับการตัดสินใจที่ผิดพลาดของนักบิน ที่พยายามจะนำเอาเครื่องลงจอดทั้งที่สภาพอากาศไม่เอื้ออำนวย จากประสบการณ์สมัยเป็นอธิบดีกรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา ก็พบเหตุการณ์ทำนองนี้อยู่บ่อยครั้ง และที่ตั้งของสนามบินภูเก็ตมีลมกระโชกแรงอยู่มาก ดังนั้น นักบินจึงต้องมีความชำนาญ และใช้ดุลพินิจในการนำเครื่องลงอย่างมาก"

" . . . Mr. Smith Thammasarot, the Director of the National Disaster Warning Center, spoke about the accident involving One-Two-Go Airlines which missed the runway in Phuket Proivnce. He stated, "there is certainly a possibility that [the accident was caused] by a wind current that gusted unusually hard combined with the erroneous decision of the pilot who attempted to land the plane in these unfavorable atmospheric conditions. From my experience as the Chief of the Weather Service, we often encountered these conditions. The position and location of the Phuket airport [fosters] frequent windshears. Therefore, pilots [flying there] must posess [a great deal of] expertise and exercise a significant amount of good judgement and discretion in landing aircraft [there.]

(BTW, my translations tend to emphasize relationships to the Thai words, rather than facility in the English so as to relate the two as best I can. Brackets insert words which are not found in the Thai.)

New words and phrases:

ลมที่กระโชกแรง [lom têe grà-chôhk raeng] - windshear

สภาพอากาศไม่เอื้ออำนวย [sà-pàap aa-gàat mâi êua am-nuay]- unfavorable atmospheric conditions (I think "paap" should be "falling", not "low", tone.)

ดุลพินิจ [doon pí-nít] - judgement and discretion (The RID has the pronunciation "dun-la-pi-nit")

Any suggestions or corrections?

That's pretty well spot on David and I agree that "paap" should be falling tone.