AjarnMartin

"He said the most suitable method is to use labour and machinery."

What, as opposed to dynamite???? You couldn't make it up if you tried... :-)

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

There is a fee chargeable if you travel outside the province where your bank account is located, albeit small. Hence, if one is travelling during Xmas and New Year, when you withdraw from your own account, at the SAME BANK, you get charged.

What I dislike most about this article and in fact most comments on education in Thailand is that they relate only to English Language Teaching and then transpose this to the whole system.

You're right Harrry. In addition, the OP was about the general malaise in the Thai education system and NOT surely aimed at only foreign English teachers. IMHO most Thai English teachers that I have come into contact with professionally, have difficulty stringing a simple English sentence together. What hope is there for the students being taught by these substandard educationalists in ANY subject. :-(

It's a while since I've been down to Pattaya and Jomtien but I always used to enjoy the breakfasts at Yorkies, the English pork butcher in Beach Road. What's the latest on it? :-)

How refreshing to hear someone with the balls to grab the nettle. I so hope, for Thailand's future, that he is a man of his word. On the street, there is no kind word to say about police activity currently and this would go a long way to lifting the status of the RTP and the confidence of the Thai population. Well done!

The job you can expect is mostly at langauge schools, which will want you to work in the eekends and after school hours. There is also the non-formal education, which is in large parts in the weekends. But will also depend on location. Outside the big cities it is probably mostly in the weekends.

Thanks for the input.

Anyone have any ideas about finishing in late Feb and finding work?

The language schools to which you aspire don't follow the conventional semesters like schools so the chances should be good for you to find work. Where are you going to live? If you message me I may be able to point you in the right direction? Good luck!

I have worked for one of Thailand's biggest 'computer and language schools' for eight years and hold a Bachelor's Degree in International Marketing and a Master's Degree in Business Management from UK universities. I also undertook the CELTA qualification back in the UK prior to coming here. The fact that neither of my degrees were 'education' related was not a problem for the school but the CELTA was essential.

When I applied for a Teachers' Licence they refused me, initially, and asked to see my transcripts but this is only essential when working in Government education establishments and I therefore didn't pursue the licence.

Both the degrees and the CELTA have been necessary to obtain my annual Work Permit.

Good luck!

Wouldn't it be better if they perfected the roll-out of 3G first? The service is atrocious and often reverts to 'E' with my smartphone and iPad in Phitsanulok. This is despite several attempts by the 'technicians' to eliminate the poor reception.

Under Swedish law he hasn't committed a crime.

... and isn't Pirate Bay a Swedish website (.se) - apparently??? 555

In my experience, I would wait. They haven't even got 3G stable outside of major conurbations. I live in Phitsanulok which is quite a big provincial town and my dtac 3G is sporadic to say the least. My workplace is five storeys above the ground and even 3G reverts to 'E' on a regular basis. I have thought of migrating to True but I understand their customer service is even worse than dtac and there is no facility for duplicating one SIM card for my iPhone and iPad like I have with my current supplier.

The story I got is that the seller (farang) his wife's friend needed to sell the car quickly to get some cash. I think it is a farang/thai split thing, but only guessing. Car still in Thai name.

My other concern is it is only showing 4800km on odometer. Seems low but car is in good condition. I am told winding back is common here? No log book and that is a concern.

You have to ask yourself why there is no Blue Book. It could be still in the possession of either the real Thai owner or a finance company? The Blue Book is essential for showing past owners, etc. I once bought a car (early in my Thai experience) which had two owners more than was advertised and had been 'clocked' 400 kms less. It cost me the same amount I paid for the car to get it up to my standard. 'Buyer beware!' And good luck.

Mr PM (or anyone here),

What is it about the AEC next year that means Thais will need better English?

Mr Macanello (and anyone else here),

What change in the AEC will means that Thais get a shock? In what way will this happen and what specific rule or change will create the shock?

FYI - I have heard that the PM speaks English very well - but as a cautious individual, he does not want to make a mistake in public so chooses to use translators. Many of us do the same in business meetings where Thai is spoken I guess.

One reason there may be a need for Thais to improve their English skills is that the AEC decided that the "lingua franca" of their joint discussions should be ENGLISH... It was an agreement ratified by the whole community.

Yes amazing theyt are talking about VISITORS, not the ones who are resident here. maybe some posters need to learn to read before opening mouths and putting their collective foots in them.

"Foots" - you mean "feet"?

I have recently downloaded and installed the above and am mostly pleased with the changes. However, I use the calendar function incessantly and on printing monthly or weekly diary pages, the week starts on a TUESDAY and not the MONDAY which is my default choice. The screen in the program is correct, but the print shows this anomaly. I have corrected the printout by defaulting to a day earlier and then printing which work but is hardly ideal.

Is anybody else having these difficulties and HOW do we relay the problem to Apple? I can find no means of complaining other than through 'Feedback' which is not responded to...?

Thanks, Martin

Sorry if this the incorrect way to query something, but under this OP this morning there was a contribution by someone which included a video clip of five people sitting round a table with a tripod-mounted camera and the person at the head of the table speaking to camera. It was in Thai and I wanted to get a translation of what was being said. It looked really interesting.

When I came to find the post again, to show someone at work and to get a translation, the post had disappeared along with the afore-mentioned video clip. Was it the 'powers that be' at work or did the contributor 'pull' his/her comments? I'm also sorry that I didn't take a note of the poster's name.

If you recognise yourself from this brief description, I would be grateful to receive the clip via a personal email through TV.

Just on a perhaps similar topic, I tried to read an article this morning from the UK Daily Mail about a professional footballer who had attacked a bouncer outside a nightclub and, "Lo and behold", the article had been deemed as unsuitable by the Thai military and had been replaced with the big, green notice of the Thought Police???

Thanks and welcome to George Orwell's world.

When I go back to visit the UK I rent a car using my Thai License. No problems with the rental company and I think it also helps with speeding tickets.

Chris

You will hardly be issued a speeding ticket by a cop on the roads in the UK. Instead, the car rental company will get one through the mail and your credit card will be charged with the fine.

... AND an 'administration fee' by the rental company. In my case, another £30... :-(

Win attests that he saw the victims having sex and yet in previous statements made by the Thai Royal Buffoons there was no DNA found from Miller??? This case gets odder and odder and should trigger international agencies to get involved on the basis of a complete lack of justice and the human rights of the unfortunate Myanmar scapegoats. :-(

Fit a dashcam:)

Absolutely! Although within months of fitting my dashcam for only 'forward' activity, they've now brought out a DUAL dashcam system which records both 'forward and rear' activity... :-) Got to visit Australia again... 555 Perhaps a 'camera dome' on TOP of the car is the only answer for 360 degree coverage?

Could be something to do with the 'currency' of a Thai degree ultimately having no perceived value to prospective Thai employers. Does anyone on TV know of ANY university student failing to graduate because their work didn't merit the degree? Typically, for example, a Thai Marketing degree results in the graduate getting a job selling cosmetics in a store - not the aspiration of a Western graduate, surely?

I always thought books were like kryptonite to Thais, apart from comic books of course

You thought wrong - data last year said that Thais were the top readers on the planet and it still has more bookshops per head of population than any other nation on earth. Any large mall in Thailand has two or three bookstores. Try and find that in the US or the UK these days.

Which data? Where? I would love to read this... But is was probably written and researched by the Thai literary equivalent of TAT for tourist data... :-)

Having recently done the same for a new Fortuner I found the process very easy through the finance arm of Toyota. Other contributors have answered your other queries so the only thing I subsequently found out was regarding the loan period and interest contribution schedule. If you suddenly find yourself able to settle the loan, through some good fortune, the interest payable remains exactly the same. :-( There is therefore no advantage in settling early other than you being able to get your hands on the "Blue Book" and selling the vehicle on. Generally, in the UK, if you settle a loan early, the interest is only calculated up to the settlement date. I believe if you take out a bank loan to fund the purchase, one could 'negotiate' with the bank for the interest settlement? Good luck and enjoy your new 'wheels'.

The overall problem is that the people that are working illegally as teachers are not getting a TL or a provisional license.   They are off the radar.   Some are on a retirement visa, some are married to a Thai and on an O visa, some are on an Ed visa.   I know one who is simply on an extended overstay -- quite extended, I might add.  

Hi Scott. Your entry seems to intimate that all teachers need a TL to teach legally? I have been teaching here for seven years now, being properly qualified but NOT working in a government school. I have also had a WP for seven years. I don't presume to know everything about the regulations but I was led to believe that the crux of the issue regarding TLs is that one is able to work in a Government school? Is this not the case?

Thanks and regards,

Martin

Would it not be helpful to list the provinces affected or is that a 'bridge too far'?

Barn Kanitha. Two locations, Sathorn Rd near the Sukhothai Hotel and a second near Sukhumvit 21. For years it has been considered amongst the very few best of the best classic Thai restaurants in Bangkok!

You and your wife will enjoy it very much!

Their business cards say "Baan Khanitha" and yes, it's excellent... :-)

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

So why does it take 10 years to bother to thank someone who was so important to your family? Call me cynic, but this is just hype press for no reason. And what??

Oz

A bit unfair Oz as both children were obviously young at the time and we're not in a position to 'thank' these people. On the other hand, their father, Nigel, has worked tirelessly to establish an orphanage on Phuket for other bereft children and has helped schools in the area. Rotary International has also helped his cause financially through the good offices of the Rotary Club in Patong.