Teacher with 15,000 baht salary asks: You tell me how I can live on that?

[Retiredandhappyhere]

20 minutes ago, tony2016 said:

You guys are really too bored, sitting in your retirement homes, pickup your monthly retirement and talk bad about Thais. To live here you have to accept the Thai system and the culture. Parents take care of kids and when the parents are old the kids take care of them. So what's that bad on it. And yes 15,000 baht is not much money!! If alone, car impossible, finance a house, impossible. You should stop talking too much about things you don't know and just put your bored head into here to tell some stupid stuff. Teacher is a hell of a job, many hours, weekends, most teachers I know coming in retirement age and die short after. 

It makes me angry to see how farangs sometimes talk about Thais. You are the foreigner. So if every Thai system is so stupid in your opinion, t hen go back where you come from

Oh dear, that old chestnut.   I thought this forum was for people to be able to express their opinions, without someone constantly popping up telling them to go home.

[madusa]

4 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Very sad.

who is very sad? You? That picture is just perfect, that pose, that height , the smooth skin, that dress and last but not least that pair of high heel shoes just unbelievabale. Anyway I can send a message to her? I wonder. I didn't know such beautiful lady exists in Thailand. I am now like a rabies infected dog with saliva drooling from the corner of the mouth. See how a picture can affect you?

That dress remind me of Melanie Griffith. No, no, I am not smoking anything right now.

6 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Very sad.

 

[Odysseus123]

Just now, LomSak27 said:

I think you win the dumb post of the week award, hands down.

That said 

Back when I was a kid mate, I have to walk through 9 feet of heavy shag carpet just to change the TV channel. 

I work in t'mill no TV..16 hours a day..an by goom I work me way to the post of second grade clerk and then got promoted to an expat in Thailand..

 

It's pure hell but someone's got to do it.

[baansgr]

1 hour ago, kamahele said:

So, you could live on 15,00 baht a month today no problem? I really doubt it. Good on you that you were able to struggle to make ends meet back in the dark ages.

If you read the whole thread,  you will see that yes I live on 30k a month and that is as a single Father with 3 kids to feed,  cloth,  school and look after.  Only difference I have no rent to pay.  Let's take her salary of 15k and breakdown her costs. 

Room 2.000....and she should rent near her school to cut travel costs. 

Electric,  200

Water 100

That leaves her 12.500 to spend on food, toiletries etc. 

I cook a meal for 4 and costs me about 70 baht. 

It's her family and lack of money management why she dosnt have enough. 

It can be done and with a comfortable life.... But bet your bottom $ she has the latest smart phone on credit,  drinks coffee at Starbucks and other things that are luxuries to most plus. No sympathy  whatsoever.  

[KhunFred]

Very modestly.

[MaksimMislavsky]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how many of the readers ever tried to live on 15k per month in Thailand

I did. Not hard at all. Room 2000 (available almost everywhere, so can rent near work, hence no transportation costs), utilities within 500, food 3-4000 (eating outside, two meals a day). Leaves about a half to cater for the rest of your needs and even some whims

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, madusa said:

who is very sad? You? That picture is just perfect, that pose, that height , the smooth skin, that dress and last but not least that pair of high heel shoes just unbelievabale. Anyway I can send a message to her? I wonder. I didn't know such beautiful lady exists in Thailand. I am now like a rabies infected dog with saliva drooling from the corner of the mouth. See how a picture can affect you?

That dress remind me of Melanie Griffith. No, no, I am not smoking anything right now.

 

Hells bells my good man-please restrain yourself!

 

Mon enfant..service at Fort Zinderneuf is no longer kind and you have le cafard..

 

Try looking for a pretty camel next time.????

[baansgr]

7 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

I think you win the dumb post of the week award, hands down.

That said 

Back when I was a kid mate, I have to walk through 9 feet of heavy shag carpet just to change the TV channel. 

?

[madusa]

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

Hells bells my good man-please restrain yourself!

 

Mon enfant..service at Fort Zinderneuf is no longer kind and you have le cafard..

 

Try looking for a pretty camel next time.????

Oh, mon dieu le cafard pour moi, "a cockroach for me?" That's a cruel thing to say.

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, madusa said:

Oh, mon dieu le cafard pour moi, "a cockroach for me?" That's a cruel thing to say.

It's what you get when you join the Legion mon pauvre enfant....and someone told you that there were naked femmes down here?

[OneMoreFarang]

9 minutes ago, MaksimMislavsky said:

Room 2000 (available almost everywhere, so can rent near work, hence no transportation costs),

It seems I live far away from "anywhere"...

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, I did.

I ask many of the girls what they did before they worked in a bar. Sometime they worked in 7/11 or in other shops, school, etc.

I think with a question like that they often tell the truth. There is not much incentive to lie.

I don't ask them if they have a boyfriend or if they really think I am handsome because I wouldn't expect the truth...

Interesting. When I quote the wages of my GF's family - who I've known for 6 years, the GF for longer, you express skepticism.

Then you believe a bar girl in Soi Cowboy, who you might have met a couple of times, when she tells you she is an accountant.

As I don't give my GF's family anything, nor have I ever been asked to, why shouldn't I believe her?

I'll concede on one point - living in Bangkok is considerably more expensive than upcountry. However, if you were to live in a Thai village for any length of time, you'd realize the wages figure I quoted is very real for village Thais.

 

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, madusa said:

Je toujour elle se souvenir même dans le rêve.

I will always remember her even in my dream

 

Could someone tell her?

No need to translate..

 

But..surely mon petit caporal-you have no regrets?

[MaksimMislavsky]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

16 minutes ago, MaksimMislavsky said:

Room 2000 (available almost everywhere, so can rent near work, hence no transportation costs),

It seems I live far away from "anywhere"...

It was Bangkok (Onnut). And have seen similar places to the one I rented nearly all over the city (venture deeper into the sois) and in nearly every other city / town I visited while traveling extensively around the Kingdom. 2000 is a bright nice brand-new room (small) with balcony. Dingy ones are cheaper. The choice is vast.
Quite a few tenants in the same building were exactly teachers.

[CharlieH]

Off topic & responses removed

[Odysseus123]

<removed>

 

Anyway,back on track-15,000 baht a month is utterly miserable and I do not blame the Thai teacher for speaking up.I am amazed that she is getting such a caning...

[madusa]

3 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

If i told you once I've told you a million times..stay off the strawberry milkshakes-they are no good for you!

 

Anyway,back on track-15,000 baht a month is utterly miserable and I do not blame the Thai teacher for speaking up.I am amazed that she is getting such a caning...

Bonne nuit, je suis très content de fais votre connaissance:  Please don't block my way I am trying to kiss that lady on my screen.

[hotchilli]

While I sympathise with her to an extent... I have teaching friends who also earn 15,000 baht per month, also having to attend extra tuition Saturdays & Sundays at their own expense.
However funding other kids in the family to go to school and building a new house for the family is not her responsibility !!!

I ask what's the parents doing?

[Odysseus123]

13 minutes ago, madusa said:

Bonne nuit, je suis très content de fais votre connaissance:  Please don't block my way I am trying to kiss that lady on my screen.

Bon nuit, mon ami-but don't forget that I expect a certain Cartesian elegance from you in the future...

 

 

[marcusarelus]

26 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

<removed>

 

Anyway,back on track-15,000 baht a month is utterly miserable and I do not blame the Thai teacher for speaking up.I am amazed that she is getting such a caning...

Do you have any idea of what the benefits of being a government teacher are?  1.  Medicine.  2.  Private hospital room. 3.  Loans/housing.  4.  Job security.  5. Children's education up to college and discount in college.  6. Retirement benefits.  7. Sabbaticals.  8. Raises?  

 

Do you know about any of these things?  No?  Do you know why people want to work for the government instead of some crappy private school?  Maybe she is not getting such a bad deal.  Do you actually know what you are talking about?

[baansgr]

There really needn't be any discussion on this.  In her own words she states she can't make ends meet as she needs to build a house for others,  pay school fees for others and support her father... Take those out of the equation and she would be OK. 

[Airalee]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The story was widely shared with people offering their sympathy and suggestions.

My girlfriend read through the comments on the Sanook story and she says that nobody is offering sympathy but instead are chastising her and stating things such as...

 

“you knew what the salary would be, why did you decide to be a teacher”

 

”I have the same responsibilities as you but earn a lot less”

 

”you need to learn to manage your money”

 

”if you don’t like the salary, get a different job”

 

So, it’s not just “entitled expats” that are commenting in a negative manner.

 

She (my gf) also commented about the brand name bag and shoes and how much it costs to color her hair.

 

I have a friend who is a teacher in Chiang Mai who bought a second hand Toyota Vios on payments while she was in the first two years as an “assistant teacher” only making ฿8872 per month.  She did so only because she felt that other people “look down on her” for riding a motorbike, but didn’t realize that all those other people were struggling under onerous debt loads.  She now regrets having purchased the car.  She still had to send money home and is thankful for having a full time teaching position now as it includes health insurance for her parents.

 

It’s also interesting that so many expats decry the education system here in Thailand yet think the teachers should be paid more.  I have no opinion on the matter as it’s not my railroad. 

[Odysseus123]

5 minutes ago, Airalee said:

My girlfriend read through the comments on the Sanook story and she says that nobody is offering sympathy but instead are chastising her and stating things such as...

 

“you knew what the salary would be, why did you decide to be a teacher”

 

”I have the same responsibilities as you but earn a lot less”

 

”you need to learn to manage your money”

 

”if you don’t like the salary, get a different job”

 

So, it’s not just “entitled expats” that are commenting in a negative manner.

 

She (my gf) also commented about the brand name bag and shoes and how much it costs to color her hair.

 

I have a friend who is a teacher in Chiang Mai who bought a second hand Toyota Vios on payments while she was in the first two years as an “assistant teacher” only making ฿8872 per month.  She did so only because she felt that other people “look down on her” for riding a motorbike, but didn’t realize that all those other people were struggling under onerous debt loads.  She now regrets having purchased the car.  She still had to send money home and is thankful for having a full time teaching position now as it includes health insurance for her parents.

 

It’s also interesting that so many expats decry the education system here in Thailand yet think the teachers should be paid more.  I have no opinion on the matter as it’s not my railroad. 

Well..the education system system would be even lousier of you paid them less...

 

We have an iron caste system in evidence here..no different to what it was in India 3,000 years ago.

 

The girl is speaking out against the miserable wages-and miserable they are.

[jgarbo]

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Easily. Ditch her commitment to the father, and other kids in the family going to school. Explain to the family she will assist in financing the building of the house when she is on a sound financial footing herself. Her priority should be paying off her student loan.

While I admire the Thai family loyalty ethic, it sometimes becomes a process where the rest of the family start leeching off someone earning a good wage, instead of getting off their butts themselves.

You don't understand Thai society. Why not shoot the father, burn the corpse, save funeral rites and cremation cost? Now there's a saving.

[tifino]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

<removed>

 

Anyway,back on track-15,000 baht a month is utterly miserable and I do not blame the Thai teacher for speaking up.I am amazed that she is getting such a caning...

at least it written clearly here the 15000 is the monthly Wage. When  I saw 15000 & Salary together in the Title... well that hinted a cruel 15000 per Year!

[473geo]

48 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Do you have any idea of what the benefits of being a government teacher are?  1.  Medicine.  2.  Private hospital room. 3.  Loans/housing.  4.  Job security.  5. Children's education up to college and discount in college.  6. Retirement benefits.  7. Sabbaticals.  8. Raises?  

 

Do you know about any of these things?  No?  Do you know why people want to work for the government instead of some crappy private school?  Maybe she is not getting such a bad deal.  Do you actually know what you are talking about?

I see people suggesting the teacher rents a room for less that many students pay. Education services need to attract the highest standard possible and that means good salary with good benefits. To suggest in Thailand staff do not require a salary that allows them to contribute to the family unit is not realistic. Understand, all the benefits you mention above pale into insignificance if the children must watch their parents and siblings struggle to survive on a daily basis because they are not earning enough to provide some assistance.

[Odysseus123]

3 minutes ago, 473geo said:

I see people suggesting the teacher rents a room for less that many students pay. Education services need to attract the highest standard possible and that means good salary with good benefits. To suggest in Thailand staff do not require a salary that allows them to contribute to the family unit is not realistic. Understand, all the benefits you mention above pale into insignificance if the children must watch their parents and siblings struggle to survive on a daily basis because they are not earning enough to provide some assistance.

Bang on.

[Krataiboy]

Pay peanuts and you get. . .  well, just look at teaching standards in Thai state schools and the answer is obvious.

 

 

Goodness knows on what the bloated education ministry squanders its huge budget each year, but it certainly isn't on salaries capable of attracting quality teachers. Time to review priorities.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Interesting. When I quote the wages of my GF's family - who I've known for 6 years, the GF for longer, you express skepticism.

Then you believe a bar girl in Soi Cowboy, who you might have met a couple of times, when she tells you she is an accountant.

As I don't give my GF's family anything, nor have I ever been asked to, why shouldn't I believe her?

I'll concede on one point - living in Bangkok is considerably more expensive than upcountry. However, if you were to live in a Thai village for any length of time, you'd realize the wages figure I quoted is very real for village Thais.

I think you mentioned in your earlier post something like 2,000B or 3,000B per month. People earn a lot more working for 7/11 so I wonder why anybody would work for 100B per day. Obviously it's nice to have your own business (i.e. farm) but if it is not profitable then I think it's time to look for other options.

[BritManToo]

24 minutes ago, 473geo said:

Education services need to attract the highest standard possible and that means good salary with good benefits.

In the UK it didn't do that.

Why should it be needed in Thailand?