ozlegend

Bravo Garro. Thankfully the farang with just one month's training and usually no degree is the minority in English Language Teaching around the world.

I often hear the comment on this forum (and other forums) that westerners should not really be considered proper teachers because of their motivations for joining the profession. Another favorite complaint is that the Thais do not respect the western teachers and this is why we don't need to act like professionals. Let's look at both these points.

The idea that your motivation for joining a profession should determine your ability to become a member is a joke. Have these people ever met any professionals? The idea that people in the West join professions out of a pure noble-calling is the stuff of fairy stories. I was in a profession before arriving in Thailand and I met many people from other professions and the usual reason for joining was job security or trying to please their parents. I met many nurses who joined the profession in the hope of meeting a rich doctor, but this did not stop them from being professional. How is this different from somebody joining the teaching profession in Thailand because they wish to live here? I can think of far sinister motives for joining a profession.

The second argument is less idiotic but more damaging. It is my conviction that respect needs to be earned and if you want to be treated professionally then you must act like a professional. The argument that, 'if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys' just does not suffice and is ultimately self-defeating. There are constant complaints about the Thai administration and regulations but much less examination of our own standards. A professional group should try and self-regulate instead of waiting on the governments to regulate. If the problems were solved internally then there would be less need for the government to meddle. If western teachers were more professional there would be less need for the Thai government to attempt to impose professional standards.

I recently needed to attend the culture training course. I felt a bit annoyed with the TCT for this, but decided to make the most of it. The attitude of some of my fellow westerners at the course moved my anger away from the TCT and more towards our own behavior. The pure open lack of respect for Thailand was embarrasing. Teachers arriving in beach-clothes and when they weren't bithching were sleeping off hangovers or trying to flirt with the instructors as if they were hookers. This is no way to gain respect as a teacher. So I would say that the reason that Thai people do not treat us like professionals is because we don't act that way.

I believe that if we want to improve the situation we need to concentrate not only on our own behaviour but also protecting the profession as a whole. The way you protect a profession is by not encouraging bad elements into joining it. I think that it is important for us to only encourage those with suitable personal qualities and academic qualifications into the profession. Of course, ultimately it is up to school administration but we need to ensure that we are not part of the problem. Encouraging anybody and his dog into becoming a teacher in Thailand is not the way to go - in my opinion.

In 2007 my wife and I missed the Loi Kratong festival in Chiang Mai for a few days. It wasn't bad in Ao Nang, but we were told that the 'real thing' is in CM.

My information is that this year Loi Kratong will be from 12.th to 14.th of November, with the main event held on the 13th. Is that correct?

I would guess that the best place to join the crowd will be near navarat bridge. What do you suggest?

Thanks for all your information

-Peter