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

[marcusarelus]

49 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

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.

Maybe yes maybe no.  You don't know enough about it to make an intelligent comment without knowing more about where she teaches and if she is a government teacher or at a private school. 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

People earn a lot more working for 7/11 so I wonder why anybody would work for 100B per day.

To work in 7/11 (Tesco/KFC/etc) you need to have passed the half-way high school exam.

Most of the farming community left school at age 12, or dropped out after a year or two, so they don't have that option.

 

You don't seem to know a lot about Thailand so I assume you can't speak or read the language.

Employment requirements are clearly advertised on the doors of the shops.

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

In the UK it didn't do that.

Why should it be needed in Thailand?

In America teachers are at the bottom of the pay scale for college grads.  Why should Thailand be any different? 

[fdimike]

Live within your means young lady and stop whining about the cost of living. 

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, fdimike said:

Live within your means young lady and stop whining about the cost of living. 

How much do you earn..ghost of Christmas past?

[totally thaied up]

14 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

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.

These areas are full of people with zero education and the only thing they know is how to look after cows and rice fields. I use to watch the larger landowners come in and bid for men to cut rice the next week, offering a mere pittance for a wage to do a hard days work for 90 baht. They have no option but these people do work, they do have a house over their heads and seem happy. The ones that DON'T work and expect their daughters to go buy a house for them while they sit on their lazy arse and do nothing are the ones that get my temper up.  I am currently watching my Brother-in-laws GF do this and she will never in this life, own a house unless my BIL buys a house for them but that will never happen. It is so sad to see.

[Airalee]

4 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

In America teachers are at the bottom of the pay scale for college grads.  Why should Thailand be any different? 

Many college grads in the US can’t even find jobs these days or are working in the service industry for wages far below what a teacher makes.  Interestingly enough, there was a middle school teacher from the US on the Watchuseek forum asking what people thought about the new A. Lange & Sohne watch he was purchasing and then went on to brag about how his district (Temecula) was the highest paid district in the state.  He even provided a link that showed the salaries and most were earning over $100,000.

[473geo]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

In the UK it didn't do that.

Why should it be needed in Thailand?

4 of my  close relatives were teachers, I can assure you there were some highly capable, well educated, conscientious, dedicated personnel in the UK teaching proffession.

[Orton Rd]

Millions of workers earning the minimum 9-10 k a month, she knew what the wages were before she started.

[OneMoreFarang]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

To work in 7/11 (Tesco/KFC/etc) you need to have passed the half-way high school exam.

Most of the farming community left school at age 12, or dropped out after a year or two, so they don't have that option.

 

You don't seem to know a lot about Thailand so I assume you can't speak or read the language.

Employment requirements are clearly advertised on the doors of the shops.

My Thai is not too bad. But I admit I can't read more than a few Thai letters and words.

I live in Bangkok and see the opportunities in Bangkok. Service jobs, even for people with basically no formal education, are available and pay a lot more than 3000B.

I know things are different up-country. But if it's so bad that people don't make enough money to live then maybe it's time to look in other locations where jobs are available.

[473geo]

3 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Millions of workers earning the minimum 9-10 k a month, she knew what the wages were before she started.

Teachers are trained to promote the need for continuous improvement

I guess no harm in applying the same approach to salaries

[bwpage3]

Personal finance is not a strong point of any Thai.

 

If this teacher does not understand personal finance and that 15,000 is never going to pay for her wish list, you can see why Thai kids never learn anything in school.

 

 

[Thian]

It ain't vely much but the same can be said about what they get taught in thailand...i've never been impressed with their education...

[BritManToo]

38 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I know things are different up-country. But if it's so bad that people don't make enough money to live then maybe it's time to look in other locations where jobs are available.

 

There's only one spoilt Thai girl saying she can't manage on 15k.

Most Thais would be quite happy to earn that much.

[BritManToo]

42 minutes ago, 473geo said:

4 of my  close relatives were teachers, I can assure you there were some highly capable, well educated, conscientious, dedicated personnel in the UK teaching proffession.

2

Most of the other teachers I met in the staff rooms were barely capable time-servers doing the minimum.

You probably aren't a good judge of teaching staff.

I'd say around 1 in 10 could be described as "highly capable, well educated, conscientious, dedicated"

And I wasn't that 1.

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, jgarbo said:

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.

I think I can claim to understand Thai village society much better than you do, unless you've lived in a Thai village more often than me.

[473geo]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Most of the other teachers I met in the staff rooms were barely capable time-servers doing the minimum.

You probably aren't a good judge of teaching staff.

I'd say around 1 in 10 could be described as "highly capable, well educated, conscientious, dedicated"

And I wasn't that 1.

 

Well I was sport orientated and hated regular school but somehow a succession of teachers managed to assist me to arrive at quite a high standard. They must have been doing something right!

I am probably not a good judge of teachers outside my circle, but I'd guess you educated above 10 year olds when the hard work had already been done

[Lacessit]

53 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

My Thai is not too bad. But I admit I can't read more than a few Thai letters and words.

I live in Bangkok and see the opportunities in Bangkok. Service jobs, even for people with basically no formal education, are available and pay a lot more than 3000B.

I know things are different up-country. But if it's so bad that people don't make enough money to live then maybe it's time to look in other locations where jobs are available.

Some do travel long distances to earn a living. There's a neighbor in the village, quite skilled in building trades, who travels from Chiang Rai to Rayong regularly to work there and support his family.

[kickstart]

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

My GF's father gets a government pension of 800 baht/month. Big of them.

No such thing as a free lunch, has grand farther ever paid any tax, I live in a rural area and hardly anyone pays any tax, we have a small holding rearing a few cattle, been doing it for some years, never paid any tax, wife's  granddaughter works at a local chicken factory and pays about 3% tax, if more people paid  tax,or a bit more, they would get more .

Wifes handicap daughter gets 800 baht month and now the 300 baht under the new poor person scheme, not bad for someone that has never worked and never will, when she gets sick  the 30 baht scheme at our local hospital sorts her out ,and thousands like her, as I said considering hardly anyone pays any tax to speak of I think they do not do so bad. 

[metisdead]

An off topic trolling post about prostitution has been removed as well as the replies. 

[TPI]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's interesting to read all those negative comments here.

I wonder how many of the readers ever tried to live on 15k per month in Thailand. Or even 30k per month.

Yes, it's somehow possible to survive on 15k, but that about it.

 

I think teachers, and not only teachers, should get paid a decent salary to be able to live without problems.

They shouldn't be "forced" to do a second job or borrow money to live a reasonable life.

Agreed, although in every industry a newbi is always at the bottom of the pay scale! As she progresses up the ladder she will be able to borrow up to 3 million on very reasonable rates, her father and mother will have free medical and she could end up on 50-70K...not bad for Thailand. A good marriage is also on the cards as she is in a well regarded industry! 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

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.

You really don't understand the system outside Bangkok, do you? Most of the land belongs to absentee landlords who employ the villagers in the rice growing seasons - two per year in my area. The figures I have given are averages - villagers will work for 200 - 300 baht a day; however, the rice does not need to be worked on every day.

The village I live in from time to time has a population of about 10,000 Thais. There are only two 7/11's within 10 km of the village - one large, one small.

Perhaps you could explain what other options a poorly educated village Thai has.

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

They get 10 THB per year, so at 20 200 THB, if they want more they have to earn it themselves. 

Not the amounts you originally posted, unless you have major typing problems.

[Airalee]

15 minutes ago, TPI said:

As she progresses up the ladder she will be able to borrow up to 3 million on very reasonable rates

Easy access to debt isn’t a good thing.  It only turns them into debt slaves.  If it was such a wonderful benefit, we wouldn’t see things such as this...

 

 

[kannot]

5 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

There's no attack, she willingly choose a career in education, and now complains.

And Thai education at that!

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, jgarbo said:

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.

Thai culture is easy to understand......certain families of a certain caste think its normal practice to push their young daughters to almost suicide just so they can do bugger all or drive around in a new truck to make out they got money. Its a disgrace and these hanger on leeches should all be ashamed of themselves.

[DILLIGAD]

Thai culture is easy to understand......certain families of a certain caste think its normal practice to push their young daughters to almost suicide just so they can do bugger all or drive around in a new truck to make out they got money. Its a disgrace and these hanger on leeches should all be ashamed of themselves.

That is correct but it’s not just the parents fault. I have heard of a number of teachers who cannot drive but buy a new car just so that it can be seen sitting outside their properties that have large mortgages on them!
Crazy or what?


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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The problem here isn't whether or not a single Thai teacher (or other white color worker) can live on a 15K a month salary. Such a teacher certainly can, easier upcountry with lower housing costs, and probably more difficult in BKK. Not saying that's a good salary or what a teacher should be paid, just saying, it is a liveable wage in Thailand.

 

However, the problem arises when said teacher on 15K is ALSO...

--repaying a university student loan

--paying for siblings to attend school

--financially supporting an extended family

and last but not least, talking about trying to BUILD a house for her family.

 

All of that, 15K ain't gonna cut it.  But of course the question needs to be asked, WHY is she having to take on all those other burdens, her own student loan aside.

 

Are Mom and Dad too old or unable to work? Does the family have any other adult siblings, including brothers, who could/should be contributing to the family's support? Why does she feel the need to BUILD a house for her parents when lots of folks get along perfectly fine renting?  Etc etc etc.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Perhaps you could explain what other options a poorly educated village Thai has.

 

Well, I suppose all the Thai Visa members posting here could just ask their wives to explain! 

 

They seem to have managed to find a way out of poverty....

[473geo]

Well if her parents have a little land in the village, and that is for her future too, they may be living in very basic accommodation she feels requires an upgrade.

Perhaps because the more affluent villagers are doing just that. Renting would not really come into the equation. It is the improvement of the family plot and also to be seen as enhancing the life of her parents which is a good thing.