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

[Skallywag]

13 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

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.

 

Which describes the universal problem of Overpopulation in all societies....too many mouths to feed, educate, and shelter...  not enough money to facilitate all.  Condoms not diapers & Family Planning not Family support

[soistalker]

12 hours ago, baansgr said:

Its called economics and living within your means. At 16 years old I could only afford a bedsit and walked almost everywhere, to work, shops etc until i could get a motorbike. Bought what I could afford as no credit available then. Living on 30k with 3 kids I know it can be done and be done comfortably albeit I own my property so no rent. She probably has a 25-30k mobile phone and buys designer brands. Food is so cheap and healthy here. In all honesty, she dosnt realise how easy she has it....fuel...so she has transport...Father, shes only young why cant he work...other kids in family...let the parents pay. No one to blame except herself and other family members living out of their means

Who has three kids when they only make $900 a month?!

[kannot]

3 hours 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.

 

Sounds like the workforce in general although the highly educated  parts not so important to me

[FritsSikkink]

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

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

you have math problems.

[OneMoreFarang]

9 hours ago, Lacessit said:

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

One option is to learn something and if necessary make the necessary courses and get certificates.

 

I am very seldom up country but I see, just like in Bangkok, many young people using their mobile phones and tablets to play games. They could use that time to learn something like English or another language, computer skills, educate themselves about better farming, there are lots of things to learn.

But it seems few people want to learn (more). And then they don't get a decent job.

On the other hand I hear from many companies that they want to employ people with good English skills but they have problems to find such people.

I know learning will not get you a job over night. But I know it's possible to learn something and get better and get jobs and become a professional. I did that myself with computer programming.

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

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....

A couple of problems with that.

The supply of well-heeled falangs is vastly exceeded by the demand.

Male Thais have even less opportunity via the route you are proposing.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

you have math problems.

Your original post said your 6 yo son gets 1860++ per month, and your 13 yo gets 4030 ++ per month. Your later post then said they get 20 baht for each year of age, i.e.

6 yo 120 a month, 13 yo 260 a month.

I don't have math problems. Looks to me like you have a memory problem.

[Lacessit]

26 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

One option is to learn something and if necessary make the necessary courses and get certificates.

 

I am very seldom up country but I see, just like in Bangkok, many young people using their mobile phones and tablets to play games. They could use that time to learn something like English or another language, computer skills, educate themselves about better farming, there are lots of things to learn.

But it seems few people want to learn (more). And then they don't get a decent job.

On the other hand I hear from many companies that they want to employ people with good English skills but they have problems to find such people.

I know learning will not get you a job over night. But I know it's possible to learn something and get better and get jobs and become a professional. I did that myself with computer programming.

I agree there is a fair amount of inertia among Thais. What you are proposing is initiative, and that AFAIK is not what's taught in schools here. It's all rote learning.

The companies you speak of are most probably located in Bangkok. English skills are not in demand in the boonies.

 

[baansgr]

8 hours ago, soistalker said:

Who has three kids when they only make $900 a month?!

That's a good point, however when the kids were born  I was working and made much more and spent much more.  This is exactly what people need to understand,  live within your means, and in Thailand it is very easy to do. I just hope this teacher complaining isn't a maths teacher 

[EVENKEEL]

7 minutes ago, baansgr said:

That's a good point, however when the kids were born  I was working and made much more and spent much more.  This is exactly what people need to understand,  live within your means, and in Thailand it is very easy to do. I just hope this teacher complaining isn't a maths teacher 

Living within their means is a generation problem. I didn't have a credit card till age 45 and then only because my new job made it a necessity. Bring your own home cooked food for lunch, cook at home instead of buying each meal from a street stall. If your present job doesn't pay enough, find a second job or another job altogether.

 

The young lady doesn't need sympathy as much as a kick in the ass, and that goes for her lazy father, unless he's  totally handicapped which I would bet against. 

[mejomini]

Find one of them rich farangs LOL

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I agree there is a fair amount of inertia among Thais. What you are proposing is initiative, and that AFAIK is not what's taught in schools here. It's all rote learning.

The companies you speak of are most probably located in Bangkok. English skills are not in demand in the boonies.

In grade school and high school in every country it is about rote learning.  Post an example If I'm wrong.

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

In grade school and high school in every country it is about rote learning.  Post an example If I'm wrong.

I won a scholarship to a private school in Australia. Here's an example: I demonstrated the exothermic reaction of ammonia and oxygen over a platinum catalyst in the science laboratory at age 14. Unsupervised. We were taught to think outside the square.

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Your original post said your 6 yo son gets 1860++ per month, and your 13 yo gets 4030 ++ per month. Your later post then said they get 20 baht for each year of age, i.e.

6 yo 120 a month, 13 yo 260 a month.

I don't have math problems. Looks to me like you have a memory problem.

Yeez, math AND memory problems: They get 10 THB per year, so at 20 200 THB

6 year old = 6 x 10 = 60THB per day = 1860 THB per month

13 year old = 130 THB per day = 4030 THB per month

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.  

 

Please stay on topic.  

[WonnabeBiker]

Well, as self-proclaimed 'King of Misers', my phone cost 200 THB and is 11 years old. The next one will be an Iphone 5 for less than 1,500 THB.

 

That said, I cannot see the young lady keeping all those balls in the air. Supporting Dad, paying school fees for some kids in her family? STOP, if that list gets longer, we are in a dream world.

 

She might be buying 2nd hand clothes like yours truly, but it's mission impossible to do all those things on 15,000 THB.

 

I ride a small motorcycle. My phone bill is both unlimited (within AIS plus slow internet) @ 100 THB a month, prepaid as 6 months for 600 THB.

 

My tip to her: stay away from supermarkets!!!

[WonnabeBiker]

I met a brilliant thai teacher of English. Chula student. Would bet her TOEIC score was or would be in the high 800s. Well, it was her 2nd year? She had to stay in some dorm, to save. 10 k is what the government high school paid her!

 

Some Ghanaian impostor who couldn't pronounce most words: 25 k plus a house on the school grounds. That dude was proud of his 540 TOEIC score.

 

Damn, there is severe discrimination against the very best Thai teachers. -they deserve the chance to compete with foreigners on an equal footing. and no, national origin has nothing to do with ability... (Am not including NES in this argument, just other NNES).

[55Jay]

[EVENKEEL]

15,000bht/mo, and that's with an education. Kids who quit school know their destiny, but still at age 15 they quit school. A 7-11 job is even out of reach.

[marcusarelus]

5 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I won a scholarship to a private school in Australia. Here's an example: I demonstrated the exothermic reaction of ammonia and oxygen over a platinum catalyst in the science laboratory at age 14. Unsupervised. We were taught to think outside the square.

Typical Australian 14 year old curriculum I take it?  I wrote, "In grade school and high school in every country it is about rote learning.  Post an example If I'm wrong."

 

You were taught to demonstrate the exothermic reaction of ammonia and oxygen over a platinum catalyst by rote learning.  You did not arrive at the demonstration through critical thinking.  You didn't invent the process did you?

[kekalot]

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

15,000bht/mo, and that's with an education. Kids who quit school know their destiny, but still at age 15 they quit school. A 7-11 job is even out of reach.

I agree, my friend makes 20,000 doing a government office job after 3 years of university.

 

the problem here is that most poor people are poor because they can't handle money.

if you would give that lady 25,000 a month she would likely go buy an iphone 10, get another loan for X and Y and give more money away to family who would just sit and wait for it

and then she would be exactly as miserable

 

here's a story, lol: that same lady who makes 20,000 a month had a Honda Airblade motorbike that she was rented per month to make some extra cash.. the long term renter had to go home so the bike came back to her

so she decided to sell that bike for 20,000 baht and to give that money to her mom that is poor as can be.

 

her mom took the money and gave it away to monks, my friend was absolutely furious but could do nothing about it.

 

 

Edited October 7, 2018 by kekalot

[Rc2702]

Just now, kekalot said:

I agree, my friend makes 20,000 doing a government office job after 3 years of university.

 

the problem here is that most poor people are poor because they can't handle money.

if you would give that lady 25,000 a month she would likely go buy an iphone 10, get another loan for X and Y and give more money away to family who would just sit and wait for it

and then she would be exactly as miserable

 

here's a story, lol: that same lady who makes 20,000 a month had a Honda Airblade motorbike that she was rented per month to make some extra cash.. the long term renter had to go home so the bike came back to her

so she decided to sell that bike for 20,000 baht and to give that money to her mom that is poor as can be.

 

her mom took the money and gave it away to monks, my friend was absolutely furious but could do nothing about it.

 

 

I think that point you made about monks is very accurate and a lot of poor village people are doing this. 

[Lacessit]

6 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Yeez, math AND memory problems: They get 10 THB per year, so at 20 200 THB

6 year old = 6 x 10 = 60THB per day = 1860 THB per month

13 year old = 130 THB per day = 4030 THB per month

Show me in your previous posts  where you mentioned a daily rate. On second thoughts, don't bother. Geez indeed.

[Searat7]

My observation is that some people are good with money ; others are not. I have seen people making 30,000 a month constantly in trouble but also know others making half of that salary who do fine and even save some money each month. It’s a matter of living within your means and there should be a course in high school to educate students about these things before they graduate since few are probably taught well at home.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Typical Australian 14 year old curriculum I take it?  I wrote, "In grade school and high school in every country it is about rote learning.  Post an example If I'm wrong."

 

You were taught to demonstrate the exothermic reaction of ammonia and oxygen over a platinum catalyst by rote learning.  You did not arrive at the demonstration through critical thinking.  You didn't invent the process did you?

No, I read about it and applied it without supervision or input from my teachers. Made hand grenade explosive as well, I had an inquiring mind. 

You are expecting 14 year olds to invent things?

My guess is there are teenagers all over the world who are leaving their teachers in the dust when it comes to stuff like software and app development.

 

 

[CharlieH]

Inflammatory post removed.

 

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

[marcusarelus]

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

No, I read about it and applied it without supervision or input from my teachers. Made hand grenade explosive as well, I had an inquiring mind. 

You are expecting 14 year olds to invent things?

My guess is there are teenagers all over the world who are leaving their teachers in the dust when it comes to stuff like software and app development.

That was my point.  The average teenager reads about things and applies the results of the reading.  That is called rote learning.  You learn what someone else has done.  Basic education is rote learning all over the world.  You have to learn the basics of math before you can become a theoretical physicist.  Not only do Thais not teach critical thinking in grade school no one teaches critical thinking in grade school.  When the rulers on Thailand were educated more than half the country was involved in agriculture.  It has an education system that fits an agriculture economy the same as the US or UK a couple of hundred years ago.  As it moves from agriculture to industrial the education system will also move and adapt. 

Edited October 7, 2018 by marcusarelus

[ostyan]

Undoubtedly the salaries in Thailand are ridiculous. However, starting salary for a young teacher is about 10-12K in my school. 

It is a shame...

Most of the teachers study 4 years for getting money just enough not to die in hunger and as it is well known Thailand pays a lot for education purposes. Does anybody dare to say the money is stolen somewhere? 

[marcusarelus]

8 minutes ago, ostyan said:

Undoubtedly the salaries in Thailand are ridiculous. However, starting salary for a young teacher is about 10-12K in my school. 

It is a shame...

Most of the teachers study 4 years for getting money just enough not to die in hunger and as it is well known Thailand pays a lot for education purposes. Does anybody dare to say the money is stolen somewhere? 

Rent Prices in United Kingdom are 78.26% higher than in Thailand.  Restaurant Prices in United Kingdom are 224.13% higher than in Thailand.  https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=Thailand&country2=United+Kingdom

 

Re ridiculous.  Hope you are not teaching econ.

[Rc2702]

The wage is awful and they need to fight for better pay. No unions here or nothing?