Dedicated teachers barely earning minimum wage - but they won't let the children down

 

 

With the start of the new Thai term now in full swing Thai media is looking at the lives of some of the dedicated teachers helping to keep the education of poor rural children going.

 

Sanook yesterday caught up with two teachers at a school in Trang in Thailand's south.

 

They are barely earning minimum wage despite having masters degrees.

 

They are Miss Janthimaporn Nilawong and her male colleague Khanathip Napseang or "Khru Geng" aged 30.

 

Khru Geng said that he had been a teacher at Wat Jaeng school for five years. He and his colleague started on a salary of 2,500 baht and they now earn 8,500 baht a month.

 

He knows this is not much but he won't leave the children and is determined to help them achieve their potential. 

 

He teaches a lot of maths to P4 (year 4 of the Thai system) but also does social sciences, computer studies and other duties.

 

The school has 87 pupils mostly those of impoverished people. They teach from kindergarten to P6. 

 

Thaivisa notes that most foreigners at Thai schools could expect to earn three to five times as much.

 

While foreign primary school teachers at international schools in Bangkok may earn ten times as much if not a lot more. 

 

Source: https://www.sanook.com/news/6523870/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-5-22

23 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Dedicated teachers barely earning minimum wage - but they won't let the children down

This should read:

Dedicated school directors are corrupt and let the teachers and the children down.

5 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

This should read:

Dedicated school directors are corrupt and let the teachers and the children down.

Hardly, as wage levels are set and paid for by the government. 

14 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Hardly, as wage levels are set and paid for by the government. 

So explain how school directors earning 32,000 a month are driving Benz?   To you seriously believe most directors are not skimming off the top?   Can you also explain why directors have been found to be paying 1,000,000 or more for an appointment that would take 10 years to earn it back?   Just because they like the big corner office?

25 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Hardly, as wage levels are set and paid for by the government. 

I have inside knowledge of the hanky panky that goes on in the school system and I cannot say more. Many school directors are as corrupt as the RTP. Live in naivety land if you choose.

They emphasis on quantity not quality, maybe teacher needs to teach only 1 hour a day? That's what most of public servants doing.

Amazing isn't it? Good, educated people paid next to nothing and persevering somehow, and meanwhile Dumbo is walking around with 50 luxury watches gifted to him by a corpse. There really is something very wrong with all this. 

oi  teachers,  you  can  work for me at 16000 baht  a  month 1  person, free  house,  electric, water,  fish, pineapples etc............... 

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thaivisa notes that most foreigners at Thai schools could expect to earn three to five times as much.

 

While foreign primary school teachers at international schools in Bangkok may earn ten times as much if not a lot more. 

 

And why has Thai visa done a U turn on this article? 

 

May as well mention that for foreigners the plane tickets back home can cost up to as much as 50 000 bht return depending on where you are from plus expenses. Not to mention the foreign special price hikes and the FACT THAT MOST OF US WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO GO BACK HOME ONE DAY BECAUSE THIS PITTANCE OF A SALARY IS NOT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A FAMILY AND SAVE FOR RETIREMENT!!!

 

I hate this rhetoric that foreigners earn more. Instead why don't they take a look at all the Thai Chinese business owners who make our rich folks back home look like street beggars. Or the rich Thai land owners who make a fortune on speculating on their land.

 

I am sad that teachers world wide aren't paid enough, but very pissed off at Thai visa for trying to get pity for them on the backs of foreigners.

10 hours ago, Artisi said:

Hardly, as wage levels are set and paid for by the government. 

Yes, the govt. pays. They pay the school. The school run by the director. Say no more.

18 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

 

And why has Thai visa done a U turn on this article? 

 

May as well mention that for foreigners the plane tickets back home can cost up to as much as 50 000 bht return depending on where you are from plus expenses. Not to mention the foreign special price hikes and the FACT THAT MOST OF US WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO GO BACK HOME ONE DAY BECAUSE THIS PITTANCE OF A SALARY IS NOT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A FAMILY AND SAVE FOR RETIREMENT!!!

 

I hate this rhetoric that foreigners earn more. Instead why don't they take a look at all the Thai Chinese business owners who make our rich folks back home look like street beggars. Or the rich Thai land owners who make a fortune on speculating on their land.

 

I am sad that teachers world wide aren't paid enough, but very pissed off at Thai visa for trying to get pity for them on the backs of foreigners.

Great point! No need to mention farang wages in the article, especially the wages earned in private/international schools. Maybe they could've used the article to call out the authorities who pay such measly wages and ask why they undervalue their teachers so much. This is not a farang issue.  

Thai teacher I know their starting salary is about 16 000 in a provincial town.  Annual increase of at least 1000. In their forties, they will have 40 000 plus possible promotions. 

2 hours ago, dakineto said:

Thai teacher I know their starting salary is about 16 000 in a provincial town.  Annual increase of at least 1000. In their forties, they will have 40 000 plus possible promotions. 

Yes, The teachers are well aware of their pay level and annual increases so how can a director fiddle with this as some posters are indicating / promoting. 

As for skimming, well that's a different argument and not what the OP is about.