igotworms

I could stuff some sausage for ya. Just tell me where to put it.

Update!

The computer and home theater system was sold.

1. The Honda Dash 125cc is now going for B15,000 firm.

2. Xbox, 85 games, 4 controllers, High Definition AV Pack. B15,000 firm. Must sell both items by Saturday August 6th.

Sale closes in 2 weeks. Here's a picture of the home theater system.

These items will be available at the end of July. Contact Terry at [email protected]

1. Onkyo 5.1 Digital Surround Stereo System (silver colour)

-total system power: 600 watts (100W x 6 channels)

- DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II Audio Receiver-Amplifier

-2 front speakers, 1 center channel speaker, 2 rear speaker and 1 earth-rattling 10" subwoofer

-2 digital audio connections (coaxial cable and optical)-ideal for DVD, xbox, cd player and several analog audio connections (ideal for UBC)

Purchased last August for B25,000.

Will sell for B20,000 (includes speaker cables, digital and analog cables).

Website: http://www.intl.onkyo.com/products/mini_sy...s670/index.html

2. Computer

-2.8 GHZ Pentium 4 processor; Windows XP Professional

- 512 mb system RAM

- 80GB Hard Disk

- ATI 9600 XT 128MB Video Card (easily plays Doom 3 or Half Life 2)

- Creative Soundblaster 5.1 Live Audio Card

- Creative 5.1 Surround Sound Computer Speakers

- 15" flat screen monitor

- Canon Scanner

- BIPAC ADSL modem

- Computer desk, chair, mouse, keyboard, USB hub, web cam included

- Half Life 2, Doom 3 (original)

- 5000+ mp3s (can be deleted)

- UPS battery back up

The whole package for B30,000

3. 1996 Honda Dash 125cc Motorbike

-2 stroke, 5 gear automatic

-very fast, agile and fun to drive

-farang owned and maintained

-has many kilometers, but has been completely rebuilt and is in excellent running condition

B20,000 obo

4. TV Stand/Entertainment Center

-dark stained wood finish

- easily holds many components (i.e. currently contains my tv, dvd player, stereo amp, xbox and ubc receiver)

paid B4000 for it last July, will sell for B2500 or best offer

All of the discussion above makes for thoughtful reading and consideration.

I've asked before and I'm asking again, especially so in that you all seem to be aware of the diversity of credentials, reputation vs. real instruction, etc.: is their input any of you are able to share regarding secondary level schools?

I've researched and asked questions on many forums, including this one, but so far there have been no responses other than to do my research and to take a look at Chiang Mai.

We are a family of three consisting of me, mom; one son, 8th grade; and my other son, 10th grade.

I know I have do do the assessment of school quality on my own, but opinions are considered, valued and appreciated.

Uncertainties and decisions await us on most fronts.  I'd just like some ideas..

Living near the sea will help preserve my sanity.  I'm excited, hopeful and somewhat scared.  My touchstone is my oldest son who lives in Bangkok.

I apologize if this is off-topic.  I'm a bit desperate for absorbing others' thoughts and opinions.  Seemingly, you all have experience living in the LOS.

Thanks.

sj

Here's a website containing list of international schools in Thailand. The only quality secondary school in the south is British International School (formerly known as Dulwich International College) which is located in Phuket. There are many good schools in Bangkok as well. Good luck.

http://www.isat.or.th/member_schools.asp

Igotworms posted, "Out of 20-25 foreign teachers at Kajonkiet, only one of them has a legitimate teaching degree. This should set off the alarm bells immediately. "

I'm assuming by "legitimate teaching degree" you mean a degree in education.

I disagree in regards to 'setting off the alarm bells'.  In the US I was advised at university by the counselor in the school of education that is was better to have a degree in the subject you wish to teach than it was to have a degree in education.  In addition you must go through their program which includes all of the core classes for the ed. degree but does not require elective courses in an educational specialty. Someone finishing their regimen for the non-degreed track will be knowledgeable in educational psychology, curricululm development, evaluation, policy, governance, and administration....along with direct classroom teaching experience under the guidance of an experienced teacher......but you will not have a degree in education.

I agree with you on this. I believe having a 4 year undergraduate degree is a valubale asset to a teacher (and imperative to secondary teachers). However, for a person holding an undergrad degree it only takes one year to get an education degree on top of it (PGCE in the UK). So, the logical step for prospective teachers after obtaining a 4 year education in a field of study (i.e. science, math, history, etc) would be to pursue another year of study on how to effectively teach that subject.

A question for Igotworms, are you a Dulwich (or ex) teacher?  You sound very defensive. 

I am sorry.  I feel that the British curriculum is stagnant and as such, is not the best curriculum around.  The IB curriculum is far more progressive and there are other school options coming on line in Phuket very soon.  At present, Greenhouse is gaining in popularity since they started a new class for upper primary and middle school students.  They have been on the scene in the preschool and kindergarten years for a while now.  They are following the IB curriculum and are set to be a force to be reckoned with in Phuket. 

The school formerly known as Dulwich does have superior facilities, I will give you that but it is not the be all and end all of education in Phuket. 

Kajonkiet is not a bad school and I feel it is unfair to say that most of the teachers are unqualified.  Do you know that for a fact?? 

Education is not all about facilities, it is an ethos, a good way forward for our children and we need to start looking at the big picture and not the little world that was Dulwich.

In terms of Thai bilingual schools in the south (excluding Bangkok), Kajonkiet may be above the standard. The problem with Kajonkiet, when you offer uncompetitive salaries to foreign teachers, you won't attract the cream of the teaching profession.

However, there are good teachers there doing their best with limited resources. But in such a stressful working environment, these good people will only last so long until they seek other work at a school where they're more appreciated and given the right tools to do their job effectively. This problem plagues most Thai schools and is the reason why teachers come and go at ridiculous rates. Thai school administrators are quick to write foreign teachers off as a transient bunch, opposed to looking at themselves and their utter lack of professionalism and ethical standards.

As for the education degree debate, we all know the various types of farangs who come to live in Thailand. Most choose the teaching profession as their only option to remain living here. Of these farangs who go this route, how many do you think are truly dedicated to teaching and are truly willing to learn and develop their teaching skills? As for a teacher with an education degree, you are somewhat guaranteed a level of professionalism and training unmatched by the non-educated teacher.

Teaching is a very hard profession. The more you are prepared, the better you are at it. A simple premise. An education degree provides this essential training. Four years of psycology, science, or history does not. It only takes one year for a person holding an undergraduate degree to obtain an education degree. So, if a teacher was truly dedicated to the teaching profession and only held a undergraduate degree, the logical and ethical step would be to obtain the education degree.

Out of 20-25 foreign teachers at Kajonkiet, only one of them has a legitimate teaching degree. This should set off the alarm bells immediately.

Sure, there are some good teachers without proper qualifications but the main point about Kajonkiet is this: no matter how good the teacher is, they cannot compensate for the shocking lack of resources, guidance, a concrete curriculum or any semblance of common sense when it comes to administration and management.

The foreign and Thai teachers are ridiculously underpaid, overworked and treated as an unvalued commodity. Teachers come and go each symester because of this. It is commom for Thai teachers to physically reprimand students for misbehavior, or for even failing to understand a lesson.

The bilingual curriculum is based upon the Thai Government's national curriculum, translated over to English. The curriculum seems to change each year and the teacher is progressively bombarded by growing paper work.

Although the fees at Kajonkiet are reasonable relative to Dulwich's tuition costs, Kajonkiet is subsidised by the government, but charge a tuition much higher than most bilingual schools in Thailand.

Dulwich hires only qualified teachers that teach a well-established curriculum within a campus that provides amazing resources and facilities. There is no comparison in my books. If you have the financial capability, Dulwich is the only option for a legitimate and recognised primary, secondary and I.B. education in Southern Thailand.

  I'm glad the transition appears to have gone smoothly. 

Dulwich is one of the schools I'd been considering for my boys.  ###### pricey, though!

I wonder if the fee structure will remain as it has been, or if in light of Phuket's financial hard times, the admission and tuition costs will see a bit of a drop.

I'd be more inclined to commit to enrolling my boys if there was any significant reduction in fees.       

If not, I suppose I'll stay open-minded and continue looking for a bit of a less expensive school.  My yearly income would be hard-pressed to dole out the high cost of education at what is now the British Curriculum International School, Phuket.

 

On the other hand, if there are no other less well advertised schools that are nearly equivalent in educational standards ~ well it's bite the bullet, maybe... 

Less well advertised school, good standards ~ do they exist?  Where?!    I've not been lucky yet in finding one.  But maybe ~  any help with this? 

So far, there are no websites nor much mention at all  of EP schools that I've found.  I keep looking..

I can recommend "KajonKiet" School on Chao Fa Road just past Phuket Animal Hospital in the grounds of Phuket Villa 5.

Hasn't got the sports facilities of Dulwich but in my opinion has a much better educational programme.

One of the spellings in my 8 yr olds test was palentol... palientolij..... see what I mean

Are you kidding? Yes, there are a few good teachers at this school, but otherwise, this place is a joke. Curriculum? They have no curriculum. Its based around a few measily textbooks. The teachers sometimes have to develop it as they go. Dulwich (BIS) uses the national British Curriculum. There is no comparison.

Scampy,

Why didn't you let your feelings be known first? Or got drunk together sooner? A little bit of liquid courage perhaps could have solved that dilemma.

Where to begin?

Its interesting to see the venom leak out from various patrons of TV when someone mentions farang girls. Is it territorial? Is it jealousy? I fail to see what is so wrong with western girls. Sure, some of them are portly, but hey, I'm sure many of us Chang swilling fiends aren't exactly slim and fit ourselves.

I figure the farang female bashing is based on one of two character types:

1) old, TV farang guy married to a sweet, subserviant Thai girl, wondering why some naive <deleted> would risk a relationship with an equal partner

2) young or old TV guy, unable to attract a female in home country, completely lacking any social skills or personailty and compensates such lapses in character with language barrier and money

I'm sure there are many other character types, and yes I realise I too am stereotyping the steroetypers but, this outward hatred for western women is downright ignorant and reeks of insecurity.

For me personally, I try to remain open to any female with any cultural background. Why narrow the field? The chances of finding the perfect partner are so slim anyway. In all honesty, I figure my future wife (if I'm lucky to find one) will be western raised whether she be Thai or farang, or Venezualen, because long-lasting and fulfilling relationships are based solely around compatibility (i.e shared values, ideals, interests and humour).

Scampy...sounds like your luck is changing. Great to hear. I hope everything works out for ya. Chock dee.

Gamecube? The Nintendo console future is looking bleak. The Gamecube is heavily marketed towards children and the games follow suit (not including RE4). The majority of gamers these days that spend cash on video games are in their 20s and up. The xbox is the best of this current generation...one look at xbox live, ninja gaiden, halo(s), jade empire, etc....Microsoft kicks ass for software. The best bet for the next gen consoles will be xbox2 (or xbox 360...or whatever they call it). Xbox2 should arrive 3rd quarter this year....with massive 2nd and 3rd party software support (japanese devlopers incl.), a precise and diverse on-line network, HD support and a long list of games in the works that will change the face of gaming. Face it....Microsoft has endless cash, XNA developer tools, and the sheer will power to dominate the world of gaming for decades.

Nintendo will remain stubborn and snub on-line gaming as well as catering to retarded children once again. Nintendo will likely go the route of Sega. They'll likely focus on handhelds and software when the next gen console (Nintendo Revolution) flops miserably.

Still zippy for me.

You got high speed internet over there yet Yougotworms??

Still on the TT&T Hinet shared ADSL package. Getting decent speeds on Soulseek these days. I'm actually pleased with it...never thought I'd say that.

I was getting really irritated with my Yahoo and Hotmail email accounts and signed up for Gmail. It quickly became my favorite email account and it was by far the fastest to download. Now it is by FAR the slowest to use. Have they changed something? 

No problem with my account. Must be the giant toads gnawing on your ISP server. Those bastards won't relent.

Arthit hopes for Dulwich to remain an international school. Phuket needs an an international school...I'm sure he won't change it to the bilingual route....he would lose a lot of students and serious money in the process. The students at Dulwich are seeking an international recognized secondary education preparing them for future education in unversities in the western world. This is what Dulwich is providing for hundreds of expat kids living in Phuket....an education that will seamlessly allow them to study post secondary in their home countries.

Duh Sorry, how many foreigners live in your area?

Why not get everbody a kickin , as you let dickheads know roughly where you (And other innocents) live .Behave ######. OK you are looking for advice? 1. Keep your big mouth Shut and do what u need to do!

Post messages under ANON.

We are not stupid,, most of us have lived here many years with no footprint.

We are not dodgy, just do not like attention.

There are enough "Teachers of Lower Years that need to leave e, <deleted> to "we are here to help Tsunami Victims" Sorry but Piss Off.

I feel sorry for this <deleted>'s students.

Thanks triplegee. I have finished reading the book with my class. They loved it...though some struggled with the old language (it was written 50 years ago). All in all it was a success.

We can look back to around 1996 to the great ping-pong ball shortage of Patpong. Lemons were used as a substitute and their tarnished image never fully recovered.

A friend of mine last year was driving on the highway between the monument and Bangtao when two bikes came up from behind and pulled the key from his ignition. They then robbed him at gunpoint and left him stranded with his bike and no key. This happened during a weekday about 11pm.

Nowhere is safe.

You should get the Phuket Gazette to print your story. More people need to know about this.

Some of you are arguing semantics. Poverty affects every country, in the east and the west. Not every Thai person, village, region or province have a safety net to rely on. Goverment responsibility is a relatively new concept to this kingdom and its people. I'm sure many have been forgotten over the years and some still are to this day. Poverty, disease, malnutrition and yes, starvation is an everyday struggle for people in this country.

You naysayers are a bunch of heartless pigfu*kers. Do you really believe the shit that you roll of your keyboard? Are you certain that every Thai person or region are rolling in natural resources, modern infrastructure and social programs?

Wake the <deleted>*ck up.

yep, you can buy em canned from a vending machine in yipon, inside the can you will find some polaroids of the young girl taking them off, and of course the panties

Bags are packed, tickets are purchased....to Yipon I say!

Who ever wrote this joke is not a Canadian.  There are no carps in mountain lakes nor are there mountain goats.  This is a travesty! 

i like it though

Well, half right.... we have mountain goats in the south-east rockies, but the carp are on the prairies.

cv

p.s... Penz... don't get me started on CDG.

Mountain goats eh? Learn something new everyday.

Eskimos are actually called Inuit. Inuit are not neigbors of Canada but are Candians. I think the neighbors in the joke are Quebecers.

555

Who ever wrote this joke is not a Canadian. There are no carps in mountain lakes nor are there mountain goats. This is a travesty!

i like it though