"maximum" Wage/salary.

[elkangorito]

One of my Thai colleagues, with whom I am good friends, recently informed me that my institution must send a letter to the MOE (I think?) about paying me MORE than the maximum allowed (permission?).

She was not clear about what this was about but she did indicate to me that foreign teachers have a maximum pay cap.

I am confused. Has anybody heard of this?

[allane]

One of my Thai colleagues, with whom I am good friends, recently informed me that my institution must send a letter to the MOE (I think?) about paying me MORE than the maximum allowed (permission?).

She was not clear about what this was about but she did indicate to me that foreign teachers have a maximum pay cap.

I am confused. Has anybody heard of this?

It might be helpful if you mention the type of instituion you work for, if you can not give its name.

[elkangorito]

I work at a Thai government college.

[allane]

I work at a Thai government college.

This is a vague guess, based on your vague information. While I have never worked at a Rajhabat, I have worked in govt. high schools. It is my understanding that this rule applies to both: The basic salary for foreign teachers is 25,580 baht. (The 580 baht pays the income tax due at this level of income; the 25,000 is the net pay to the teacher.) If the institution wants to pay the foreigner more than that, it must raise the money itself by charging the students extra tuition.

It is possible that the institution requires permission to do so, rather than simply going ahead on their own, charging students extra money, with no assurance to the student that the funds will be used to hire and pay foreign teachers.

[elkangorito]

I work at a Thai government college.

This is a vague guess, based on your vague information. While I have never worked at a Rajhabat, I have worked in govt. high schools. It is my understanding that this rule applies to both: The basic salary for foreign teachers is 25,580 baht. (The 580 baht pays the income tax due at this level of income; the 25,000 is the net pay to the teacher.) If the institution wants to pay the foreigner more than that, it must raise the money itself by charging the students extra tuition.

It is possible that the institution requires permission to do so, rather than simply going ahead on their own, charging students extra money, with no assurance to the student that the funds will be used to hire and pay foreign teachers.

Thanks for your reply

May I ask how you came to have an "understanding" about this situation? Were you told this information by another or did it come from the MOE? I too have worked in another government school & this was never mentioned (3 years ago).

From what my Thai colleague told me, my employer now needs to seek permission to pay me above this minimum amount. I don't think that this will be a problem but this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing.

Again, thanks for your input.

[Scott]

It's the first time I've heard this as well. (I am not at a gov't school, however).

Interesting.

[allane]

Having been employed as a teacher in Thailand for about 15 years, I can't recall for certain where and when I first came across this. For a time I had a job as an abstracts editor, which put me in touch with a wide variety of English language publications, pertaining to almost everything in Thailand.

Looking in the rear view mirror, I would say that this regulation was in place prior to 1995. I recall seeing something about some branch of the Thai government trying to set a ceiling on what Thai educational institutions could/should pay foreign teachers. The figure of 25,000 baht was chosen as it was roughly equivalent to US $1000.00 at that time. Obviously, someone decided that this should be the net pay, rather than the gross pay.