We, a group of teachers started work last month at a private school. We were told by the owner that we'd be paid from the 20th of the month, which corresponded to the terms of the written employment contract. We were supposed to take care of our visas, starting teaching on the 26th of October. As it turns out, the salary paid to us was for one week only, starting on the 26th! Should we insist on the terms of the contract ("The Employer agrees to pay the Employee ... baht per month for the period commencing on the date stated above." i.e. the 20th! ) and the agreement with the owner?

We have a few posters who may be able to give you more specific information about your contract situation, however, in my experience, people are generally paid from the first day they report to work. In your case, that date was the 26th of Oct.

^^ Have you contacted your employer and asked why you were paid less?

You get paid from the day you started work. The 26th.

You will now be paid on the 20th (or thereabouts) of every month.

^^ Have you contacted your employer and asked why you were paid less?

Yes, and the person in charge didn't know the answer, until she got our pay slips. The school had considered the month's first 25 days as being 'days absent'(!!) We finally were paid the six days from the 20th to the 25th, so it was a happy ending.

^^ Have you contacted your employer and asked why you were paid less?

Yes, and the person in charge didn't know the answer, until she got our pay slips. The school had considered the month's first 25 days as being 'days absent'(!!) We finally were paid the six days from the 20th to the 25th, so it was a happy ending.

Good on you. Time for some beers I suppose.

School managers never seem to realise the harm they do to employee's trust by mucking about with even small promised benefits- whatever perceived savings there might be aren't worth the PR fallout.