Breaking point in Thailand

[OmegaRacer]

3.000$ for 13 months, right?

That's roughly 93k, divided by 13 makes 7.150Baht!

I pay about 800Baht a month. I don't need aircon, but don't save on the rest (fridge, light, washing machine, computers...)

He must have had the aircon on 24hrs a day...

Like another poster said, it's hard to feel compassion for someone like that. Private lessons are for the taking, so there are no excuses for not making money.

Unless he has chronic depression...

[MILT]

The lack of humanity and smugness on display in this thread is staggering and a little revolting....but hey isn't it great when there's someone in worse financial and physical shape than we are as then we can get on our keyboards and show the world how great we are....

I think his main beef seems to be the utter lack of a support system. Not everyone has the amazing life skills so many of you seem to have. If it goes tits up you're on you're very much on your own also when it starts to rain, your fairweather friends tend to run fast and hide under their own umbrellas and stay there.

When things do start to go wrong here, they can 'snowball' rapidly. When the job and money go, the status evaporates pretty quickly too.

We once had a neighbour when we lived upcountry who when we first met him, seemed to have the perfect life. Nice house,car etc. a job he loved, and a lovely family, He was very much the 'poster boy' of the small expat community; He was the one wives would always say "why can't you be more like ****?" but within a year following his losing his job when the company he worked for ceased their Thai operations following 1997, he'd lost the lot. He couldn't make the payments on is house, his wife and kids had walked (and she was literally found on the proverbial 'pole' in Nana but didn't want to know.

There was little anyone could do for him but luckily we were able to drag him out of the pit of self-pity he was understandably wallowing in and helped him to claim his severance pay so he could start to rebuild his life which he did until his untimely death three years ago.

Rest assured when he's back on his feet again he'll hear the phrase 'You should have asked/or come to me Judd...."

Sure he should have prepared for the rainy day but not everyone does.....and this lad clearly didn't....

I hope 2014 brings more luck to the fella.....and some of the posters here should pray their own lives remain rain-free...

Having watched the full thing yes the guy is on a rant, yes he may be embellishing some of facts for dramatic effect but personally I feel quite sorry for the guy but let me ask some of the smug bast@rds this ? Do you have at least 3 months money stashed to cover living expenses ? Even those on pensions ?......how long could you survive in thailand if the money stopped flowing tomorrow ? How long would it be before you younger wife did the off and shacked up with some one else ?

One suspects there are vast numbers of TV,s finest who would be on the bones of their <deleted> within the month and some are maybe commenting of the failures of this guy...who should be looking at their own lives in thailand and they may realise they are only 1 " Pay cheque" from being this guy

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I'll answer your question. I am beyond wealthy have an insane house. My kids and wife will be covered financially as will my kids, kids. I do what I want and go where I want.

I never look at the price of something I want or need. What else? I own enough cars and trucks to start a small used car dealership. Is that what you mean about being smug?

If I were to help this guy or people like him that live on this planet I would end up like this guy. " a virus with shoes" Grandpa told me once that "wherever you go there you are"

Of course I am ranting! I Feel bad for Judd really! <deleted> I just got sucked in! Uhhhhg Trolls! He could get a spot on Duck Dynasty maybe. Sh*t again!

[Jingthing]

...

Unless he has chronic depression...

You say that as if that's a rare problem for the long term unemployed.

[JulesMad]

bla bla bla..... excuses, excuses, excuses, ......

[Jingthing]

bla bla bla..... excuses, excuses, excuses, ......

You're right. People fall into the pit of failure everyday, lose everything, get sick, and die. Life goes on (but not for them).

[Mudcrab]

I did have some sympathy until he became abusive to me (and all other viewers) and saying nobody has ever been in his situation. Over half the word is far worse off than this bloke is. No only starving and dressed in rags but also with the threat of death hanging over their heads on a daily basis.

Is there the possibility that this is just a wind video to earn some cash? Looks like he has made many, many more videos previously. I'm no expert in this particular field but I understand there are people making a living doing just that.

[Soutpeel]

The lack of humanity and smugness on display in this thread is staggering and a little revolting....but hey isn't it great when there's someone in worse financial and physical shape than we are as then we can get on our keyboards and show the world how great we are....

I think his main beef seems to be the utter lack of a support system. Not everyone has the amazing life skills so many of you seem to have. If it goes tits up you're on you're very much on your own also when it starts to rain, your fairweather friends tend to run fast and hide under their own umbrellas and stay there.

When things do start to go wrong here, they can 'snowball' rapidly. When the job and money go, the status evaporates pretty quickly too.

We once had a neighbour when we lived upcountry who when we first met him, seemed to have the perfect life. Nice house,car etc. a job he loved, and a lovely family, He was very much the 'poster boy' of the small expat community; He was the one wives would always say "why can't you be more like ****?" but within a year following his losing his job when the company he worked for ceased their Thai operations following 1997, he'd lost the lot. He couldn't make the payments on is house, his wife and kids had walked (and she was literally found on the proverbial 'pole' in Nana but didn't want to know.

There was little anyone could do for him but luckily we were able to drag him out of the pit of self-pity he was understandably wallowing in and helped him to claim his severance pay so he could start to rebuild his life which he did until his untimely death three years ago.

Rest assured when he's back on his feet again he'll hear the phrase 'You should have asked/or come to me Judd...."

Sure he should have prepared for the rainy day but not everyone does.....and this lad clearly didn't....

I hope 2014 brings more luck to the fella.....and some of the posters here should pray their own lives remain rain-free...

Having watched the full thing yes the guy is on a rant, yes he may be embellishing some of facts for dramatic effect but personally I feel quite sorry for the guy but let me ask some of the smug bast@rds this ? Do you have at least 3 months money stashed to cover living expenses ? Even those on pensions ?......how long could you survive in thailand if the money stopped flowing tomorrow ? How long would it be before you younger wife did the off and shacked up with some one else ?

One suspects there are vast numbers of TV,s finest who would be on the bones of their <deleted> within the month and some are maybe commenting of the failures of this guy...who should be looking at their own lives in thailand and they may realise they are only 1 " Pay cheque" from being this guy

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I'll answer your question. I am beyond wealthy have an insane house. My kids and wife will be covered financially as will my kids, kids. I do what I want and go where I want.

I never look at the price of something I want or need. What else? I own enough cars and trucks to start a small used car dealership. Is that what you mean about being smug?

If I were to help this guy or people like him that live on this planet I would end up like this guy. " a virus with shoes" Grandpa told me once that "wherever you go there you are"

Of course I am ranting! I Feel bad for Judd really! <deleted> I just got sucked in! Uhhhhg Trolls! He could get a spot on Duck Dynasty maybe. Sh*t again!

With rants like this dear boy one hopes you have decent health insurance to cover your heart meds

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[up-country_sinclair]

Yes, no one knows what fate has in store for them, and in theory everything could go south for me tomorrow. But if I were to find myself in such a state where I was relying on my children to bring home 10 baht from school so that my wife could buy rice, I can assure you that I wouldn't be spending time posting videos on youtube complaining about having to wash my hair with bar soap.

You say that but he might might make some cash from that. Maybe some bleeding heart who saw him on youtube will actually help him! Not likely, but within the realm of possibility. Frankly he doesn't appear very employable in his emotional state and remember that foreigners are quite limited in what work they can take in Thailand.

Somewhere in this country there is a school that will pay him 25-30,000 baht to teach English. It might not be near where he currently lives, but I would be quite surprised if he couldn't find one in his province. Yes, he looks like hell and his emotional state is questionable, but I still think he could easily get a job teaching English somewhere.

Also as mentioned by another poster, he could teach English online. There are Korean and Japanese students paying US $10-20 per hour for conversation classes with native English speakers. The money could be deposited into his Thai bank account via PayPal and he wouldn't have to leave his house. Yes, this is quite possibly outside the legal parameters, but if my kids were eating only papaya, rice and soy sauce for over a month, I'd be willing to take that chance.

As far the donations you mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this crossed his mind while he was making the video.

From my view this guy comes across as a lazy complainer who wants to blame everyone but himself. I regularly donate to charities, but I wouldn't give this guy a 2 baht coin. What I would give him is the following piece of advice: Quit crying, be a man and do whatever it takes to provide for your family.

[robblok]

Yeah 3K USD wouldn't wipe out most of us, but there is an amount that WOULD wipe out most of us.

JT

Actually its not the 3k USD but the lack of a stable income. Income is far more important then a lump sum of money.

The guy is real unlucky and deserves some sympathy, though he certainly could improve on some things himself.

Having a family really limits his choices that is one thing for sure.. taking care of your own is easier then you can always get back. With a family its not that easy.

[Briggsy]

I got to 1 minute 58 seconds. Then I had had enough. "No job, no money". It sounds like i am listening to a pitch in a bar.

[Soutpeel]

I did have some sympathy until he became abusive to me (and all other viewers) and saying nobody has ever been in his situation. Over half the word is far worse off than this bloke is. No only starving and dressed in rags but also with the threat of death hanging over their heads on a daily basis.

Is there the possibility that this is just a wind video to earn some cash? Looks like he has made many, many more videos previously. I'm no expert in this particular field but I understand there are people making a living doing just that.

Of course this could be a wind up, TV poster do things like this every day in their posts making themselves out as something they are not

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[brianP]

Forced myself to watch most of it, up to when he started to accuse the viewer of being the root of his problems and also greedy for having stuff. Looking at him rice and nam pla for a month must be pretty nutritious, Wants a shave but 'no razor blade'.

Suggest he become a monk for a while, in addition to food they would shave him for free.

Good suggestion.

[dao16]

My only thing is that I didn't hear why he couldn't suck it up and teach. He seems able enough to talk, which is most schools is enough. May be peanuts, but it would be better than not being able to afford food, wouldn't it? He is getting rice from somewhere, which isn't free, either. Didn't get that bit.

Anyway, I am in no situation to support anyone else...my paultry pay just covers my living expenses. Just seems like that is the most obvious first step out of his mess.

[anthobkk]

Haha he's saying he basicaly spent 8000 baht / month of electricity the year before the flood because of air condition

[rgs2001uk]

The lack of humanity and smugness on display in this thread is staggering and a little revolting....but hey isn't it great when there's someone in worse financial and physical shape than we are as then we can get on our keyboards and show the world how great we are....

I think his main beef seems to be the utter lack of a support system. Not everyone has the amazing life skills so many of you seem to have. If it goes tits up you're on you're very much on your own also when it starts to rain, your fairweather friends tend to run fast and hide under their own umbrellas and stay there.

When things do start to go wrong here, they can 'snowball' rapidly. When the job and money go, the status evaporates pretty quickly too.

We once had a neighbour when we lived upcountry who when we first met him, seemed to have the perfect life. Nice house,car etc. a job he loved, and a lovely family, He was very much the 'poster boy' of the small expat community; He was the one wives would always say "why can't you be more like ****?" but within a year following his losing his job when the company he worked for ceased their Thai operations following 1997, he'd lost the lot. He couldn't make the payments on is house, his wife and kids had walked (and she was literally found on the proverbial 'pole' in Nana but didn't want to know.

There was little anyone could do for him but luckily we were able to drag him out of the pit of self-pity he was understandably wallowing in and helped him to claim his severance pay so he could start to rebuild his life which he did until his untimely death three years ago.

Rest assured when he's back on his feet again he'll hear the phrase 'You should have asked/or come to me Judd...."

Sure he should have prepared for the rainy day but not everyone does.....and this lad clearly didn't....

I hope 2014 brings more luck to the fella.....and some of the posters here should pray their own lives remain rain-free...

Having watched the full thing yes the guy is on a rant, yes he may be embellishing some of facts for dramatic effect but personally I feel quite sorry for the guy but let me ask some of the smug bast@rds this ? Do you have at least 3 months money stashed to cover living expenses ? Even those on pensions ?......how long could you survive in thailand if the money stopped flowing tomorrow ? How long would it be before you younger wife did the off and shacked up with some one else ?

One suspects there are vast numbers of TV,s finest who would be on the bones of their <deleted> within the month and some are maybe commenting of the failures of this guy...who should be looking at their own lives in thailand and they may realise they are only 1 " Pay cheque" from being this guy

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Cry me a river, whats he been doing all these years, living high on the hog, paycheque to paycheque, no forward planning, no back up plan, his choice not mine.

Why cant his mrs get a job, or is she one of those mia farang who thinks its beneath her?

Saw a notice the other day, cleaners 12k per month with o/t at 56 baht per hour.

Over on the teaching forum some guy is looking for a teacher upcountry, perhaps our hapless hero should have a look.

Anyway to answer your questions,

Do you have at least 3 months money stashed to cover living expenses ?

Yes.

Even those on pensions ?..

Not on a pension, nowhere near getting one.

.how long could you survive in thailand if the money stopped flowing tomorrow ?

With the money in Thailand, 7 years, if I cut back on things probably 10 years.

That doesnt include capital elsewhere.

How long would it be before you younger wife did the off and shacked up with some one else ?

Wife is the same age, she also has her own income.

Yet again we are back to the basics, poor choice of partner, no back up plan and no forward planning.

Who is doing the finances in the house, why werent the warning bells ringing when he was down to the last $5k.

Signed,

a smug bast@rds

[HardenedSoul]

First, like Judd your friend married the wrong girl (any girl who would end up a nana instead of getting a regular job when the family is going through tough times is the wrong girl), and he had multiple kids with that wrong girl. Your friend didn't downsize from his house into a cheap apartment fast enough, and didn't make the sacrifices needed to get any job just to get by.

Oh behave yourself.

Show me 100 expats in Thailand and I'll show you 80 who married the "wrong" girl.

Whether they admit it or not, an awful lot of expats find their significant others at the muckier end of the market. The guy in Heavydrinker's example appeared to have all his ducks in a row but, as illustrated, shit can just go wrong. It would've been highly doubtful that any mainstream employment his wife could have found would be enough to take care of herself and her kids so perhaps that's why "the pole" beckoned.

As for not downsizing, perhaps it could've taken ages to sell the house or rent it out. If the latter, he'd have had to pay out on both.

Seriously, use your brain before using your keyboard.

[inutil]

There but for the grace of God.

Its rather amazing how quickly things can get out of control when you just get one of those runs. I just had one.

I was in Korea, had a great time, had a guaranteed job, definitely coasting. Peaceful life. But decided i wanted to head back to japan so i could snowboard for those last few years before the knees give out. Made a mission then to get back...

Hard work getting the visa again

Accepted a job with my old company. Low wages (230) but figured id be back up after a year or so. Got positioned in Saitama but wanted Nagano. So after a year working at a school that wanted me to stay (im a bundle of ridiculous energy), i sacked it in to try a move to Nagano. Handed in my notice and assumed with my experience and my skill as a teacher Id be a shoe in. And it turns out that in the wrong end of 30 you might not have quite the same impression of your value that someone else does. Anyways, tail between my leg i went back to my old company. They hooked me up with a spot they were trying to get me to take in Nagano. Pay was still low (240) but came with subsidised housing and they agreed to waive the pro rata clause that forced my hand in the first place (paid term only).

So i turned up last year in Nagano. Obviously loved it. Well, i mean id lived there for a year before. Its isolated. Youre on your own pretty much, but those mountains all around you are fantastic. And the air is so nice.

Day 1, shown around and heres where the luck switched on me. I didnt impress one of the head teachers (i had 4 elementary schools i would teach at one day a month (on rotation) and my main JHS id be teaching Mon - Thu). This is hindsight of course. At the time i just thought that was her personality. Turned out i was wrong and it would cost me my job.

Anyways, things were going great. Excellent reports from all my schools. Even that elementary had only one complaint (that i didnt use enough japanese in meetings). I was a shoe-in for recontracting. I even received pre congratulations from my company for delivering after they got the reports. Then Blam! Two days later at a meeting to rubber stamp it (i was reliably informed by my kyoto sensei), the head teacher who disliked me from day 1 (hindsight), said these words... "i think its time for a change".

I then learned that she wasnt just the head of Sarashina elementary, but the head of the head teachers association for the district. So they effectively fired me. (well, didnt offer the company a new contract), Instead they went with interac (whom i assume also put in a rather aggressive bid).

I was told this on March 1st. My contract finished March 21st. I had to be gone at the end of the contract.

After trying and failing to get another job in time (im sure they could smell the panic), i had to make a decision. And that decision led me to Thailand (as it always does i guess if youre an esler looking to buy time). The plan was simple: Come here, find a job, see if i liked it. If i didnt, buy time for the Criminal records check and apostille to go through then get a job in korea.

I had enough cash to squee me through the first couple of months easy (about 100,000). I also had an untouched credit card ready for emergencies. I rationalised that although it sucked, it kept me in asia, it meant i could check out thailand and see its viability and it was a cheap place to live which means my savings would push me on a bit.

Arrived, wasnt entirely impressed. But got a job straight after songkran. Figured itd be ready to roll in May. I turned up as requested in early may to be told the job wasnt available quite yet and id have to wait until the start of June. No problem. Ill just pop to my cheap subsidised housing then get set up, do my visa run, and then spend a few weeks chilling on Koh Chang... Sorted! But alas the person i was replacing wasnt leaving quietly. He refused to leave the house, so there i was, snowboard bag in tow (yes, that was me if you ever saw an idiot wandering around bangkok dragging it behind him), suddenly forking out on a proper rent. found one for 7000. I then realised with the house and deposit (and after accidentally splurging on a suit, pants and shirts) i was down to my last 25,000 and with at least a month before id get my first pay cheque (end of June)... id have to hold off on the beach plans. Sat in my hostel playing games and keeping costs down. Thailand wasnt appealing to me, but i figured once id start teaching again, itd be all sweet.

But it wasnt. The rain came. Any journey of 5km on a scooter was a crap shoot regardless of the bright blue skies surrounding you for miles. It was like the Truman show. Any time you try to escape the boundaries of Trat, the heavens would open sending you scurrying back home.

And suddenly it felt really claustrophobic. Teaching was chaos. Pure chaos. The kids were mega sweet, but had woeful English. My coteacher was amazing but we dont teach together and i felt a bit douchy wasting her time moaning. I couldnt handle it. I was done. I looked, and as luck would have it my CRC expired in mid september. All i needed was to get it apostilled and id be off to Korea within a few months. And then i got yet another shitty break: You now need a TEFL for Epik. Dammit! I could, i reasoned (again), wait until the end of the contract in october, do the tefl, then head to korea... but what schools will be hiring in december? The school year finishes at the end of december and doesnt realistically come back until March... who would pay me for a three month holiday? It was decided then...

I handed my notice. I was going to finish July, do my tefl in august and then leave in September for the start of the Korean year.

And heres where it all went seriously aglae.

Load of jobs in June and July. Id tested the waters. Recruiters were hitting me up left and right. But i wanted Gangwon Do. This little test had shown I was still reasonably viable and wouldnt have a problem finding work. So i waited. And then August came and it was time to leave trat for the sunnier climes of Koh Samui and play TEFL. Didnt really give it much thought on the Korean front because it was still (too!) early. "The jobs would start flooding in mid august"...

I couldnt have been more wrong. Around the middle of the second week i had another look... where the hell were all the public school jobs? Of the very scant pickings, Id apply. Maybe hear back. Have my docs sent to the school and be told i had the job, only to realise that time and again this was just recruiters keeping me on their list for an emergency. Id refuse hagwon after hagwon because i was sure this time they meant it. By the end of the third week of the course i realised the horrible truth: This might actually screw up.

And it did. As the deadline of my CRC approached (you need 6 months validity), the call-backs dried up. No recruiters were going to recommend me. If i did get a call back it was to confirm that i wasnt already in Korea and/or the expiry of the crc; and then nothing. It was done. Id fuc_ked up korea.

As luck would have it, the quiet desperation meant i started having a wee peek at China. And the second i gave up on it, i applied for a job here and immediately got a call back. Was given a formal offer within a day and was reassured to find that this could be done in a couple of weeks.

So bags packed, i left my cheap Koh Samui (where i was doing my tefl) for the big bad lights of bangkok.

Picked a hotel with easy access to the airport (nasa vegas) and was ready to nail this and get the hell out! The CC was getting some use, but two weeks more was nothing!

And then i waited. And waited. And bought another week of accommodation through my dwindling credit card. Around september got the word that id get my docs next week! Hooray! at least it was moving. Waited some more. Paid some more. Was starting to worry, but "get the docs, head to Chinese embassy, get visa, book flight! its only another week!" i told myself.

And then they told me "no no, you cant do it in bangkok, it has to be done in your home country! you need to get a courier to do it for you or fly back yourself!".

But thats another 200 quid at least and another two weeks turnover! All i could do was look at my CC statement. It was coming down to the wire.

Docs arrived (a day and a half late because the hotel didnt recognise the first name - i go by my middle name - and sent it back). I sent them on immediately. Woohoo! next day delivery! This is back on!

Courier received them on thursday. Would have a crack at it on the friday. Could be gone by the middle of the next week if lucky!

Lucky! HA!

Rejection 1: you need ANOTHER informal invitation letter.

Shit! another weekend!

Rejection 2: We arent processing any express visas today. No, sorry, you cant submit it as a normal service.

Shit!

Rejection 3: You cant have a thai address for a uk application im afraid.

Shit!

Reje... oh hang on! on day 4, wednesday, they ran out of reasons and completed it. It would arrive by Tuesday (And did). And as luck would have it my visa ran out on the Thursday which id already decided was my hard deadline to a job in china (i couldnt afford the risk and another weeks hotel bill).

i scraped through on the skin of my teeth with just enough left to have 2000 RMB spending money on arrival. All debt mind you. But here i am. First pay cheque (half because of the money i needed to borrow to pay 4 months rent in advance from my employers), and half again because i simply HAD To send some money home (2000RMB) to pay my credit card bill. I didnt even buy sheets for my bed or pots to cook with until 2 weeks ago.

Next month im on half salary again as they take the rest of the loan. It sucks, but its back on the savings trail again at least. Have a bit more job security now and after December ill be on full salary again (which means i can quickly get rid of that debt and have my emergency back up in play again).

Now you might be wondering why this is so long and why im detailing it when a) its a message board - no one cares; and b ) no one cares. But its this: Its not the big shit that falls on your head. Its the small things. In that one stupid story are so many rolls of the dice and pushes for what i want. And all it takes is one shitty run and youll be in that position. And youll think you should have OBVIOUSLY stopped at X-point and got out. But thats not how its going to work. That very overconfidence you have that youll know when to walk away is going to be the thing that sucks you down. Not until you reach almost the end game is the risk anything approaching serious. You still have back ups. Its ony at the point when youre bridges are burned, your backups to the backups are gone and all youve got left is one more shot that if you screw up now, youve kinda ran out of alternatives that you realise... i might have actually <deleted> this.

(Well... within reason. I contacted my old company after the rejection on Tuesday from the embassy and said "if they dont accept it by the end of this week, i have to give up on china. I dont suppose you guys have anything?"

And to their absolute awesomeness, and despite the selfish little pursuing of my own wants and needs, offered me another job on the spot if it feel through. No change in pay, same contract. So theres always an option i guess. But man, what a run of shitty little niggly, wind you up bad luck.

Oh and in pure butterfly affect, i lost two probable jobs in Japan because i didnt have my drivers license because for NO REASON WHATSOEVER i had it in my wallet in Japan (it was korean), and lost it in october last year (and for the first time ever in japan, never got it back). So i can only conclude this was all deliberate and carefully orchestrated to wind me up.)

Edited December 16, 2013 by inutil

[HerbalEd]

He doesn't look to me like he's missed any meals. And one of the best treatments for diabetes is for him to lose a lot of weight.

[Soutpeel]

There but for the grace of God.

Its rather amazing how quickly things can get out of control when you just get one of those runs. I just had one.

I was in Korea, had a great time, had a guaranteed job, definitely coasting. Peaceful life. But decided i wanted to head back to japan so i could snowboard for those last few years before the knees give out. Made a mission then to get back...

Hard work getting the visa again

Accepted a job with my old company. Low wages (230) but figured id be back up after a year or so. Got positioned in Saitama but wanted Nagano. So after a year working at a school that wanted me to stay (im a bundle of ridiculous energy), i sacked it in to try a move to Nagano. Handed in my notice and assumed with my experience and my skill as a teacher Id be a shoe in. And it turns out that in the wrong end of 30 you might not have quite the same impression of your value that someone else does. Anyways, tail between my leg i went back to my old company. They hooked me up with a spot they were trying to get me to take in Nagano. Pay was still low (240) but came with subsidised housing and they agreed to waive the pro rata clause that forced my hand in the first place (paid term only).

So i turned up last year in Nagano. Obviously loved it. Well, i mean id lived there for a year before. Its isolated. Youre on your own pretty much, but those mountains all around you are fantastic. And the air is so nice.

Day 1, shown around and heres where the luck switched on me. I didnt impress one of the head teachers (i had 4 elementary schools i would teach at one day a month (on rotation) and my main JHS id be teaching Mon - Thu). This is hindsight of course. At the time i just thought that was her personality. Turned out i was wrong and it would cost me my job.

Anyways, things were going great. Excellent reports from all my schools. Even that elementary had only one complaint (that i didnt use enough japanese in meetings). I was a shoe-in for recontracting. I even received pre congratulations from my company for delivering after they got the reports. Then Blam! Two days later at a meeting to rubber stamp it (i was reliably informed by my kyoto sensei), the head teacher who disliked me from day 1 (hindsight), said these words... "i think its time for a change".

I then learned that she wasnt just the head of Sarashina elementary, but the head of the head teachers association for the district. So they effectively fired me. (well, didnt offer the company a new contract), Instead they went with interac (whom i assume also put in a rather aggressive bid).

I was told this on March 1st. My contract finished March 21st. I had to be gone at the end of the contract.

After trying and failing to get another job in time (im sure they could smell the panic), i had to make a decision. And that decision led me to Thailand (as it always does i guess if youre an esler looking to buy time). The plan was simple: Come here, find a job, see if i liked it. If i didnt, buy time for the Criminal records check and apostille to go through then get a job in korea.

I had enough cash to squee me through the first couple of months easy (about 100,000). I also had an untouched credit card ready for emergencies. I rationalised that although it sucked, it kept me in asia, it meant i could check out thailand and see its viability and it was a cheap place to live which means my savings would push me on a bit.

Arrived, wasnt entirely impressed. But got a job straight after songkran. Figured itd be ready to roll in May. I turned up as requested in early may to be told the job wasnt available quite yet and id have to wait until the start of June. No problem. Ill just pop to my cheap subsidised housing then get set up, do my visa run, and then spend a few weeks chilling on Koh Chang... Sorted! But alas the person i was replacing wasnt leaving quietly. He refused to leave the house, so there i was, snowboard bag in tow (yes, that was me if you ever saw an idiot wandering around bangkok dragging it behind him), suddenly forking out on a proper rent. found one for 7000. Realised after accidentally splurging on a suit, pants and shirts i was down to my last 25,000 and with at least a month before id get my first pay cheque (end of June), id have to hold off on the beach plans. Sat in my hostel playing games and keeping costs down. Thailand wasnt appealing to me, but i figured once id start teaching again, itd be all sweet.

But it wasnt. The rain came. Any journey of 5km on a scooter was a crap shoot regardless of the bright blue skies surrounding you for miles. It was like the Truman show. Any time you try to escape the boundaries of Trat, the heavens would open sending you scurrying back home.

And suddenly it felt really claustrophobic. Teaching was chaos. Pure chaos. The kids were mega sweet, but had woeful English. My coteacher was amazing but we dont teach together or anything. Its 1 hour of trying to not scream at them. I couldnt handle it. I was done. I looked, and as luck would have it my CRC expired in mid september. All i needed was to get it apostilled and id be off to Korea within a few months. And then i learned you now needed a TEFL for Epik. Dammit! I could, i reasoned (again), wait until the end of the contract in october, do the tefl, then head to korea... but what schools will be hiring in december? The school year finishes and doesnt realistically come back until March... It was decided then...

I handed my notice. I was going to finish July, do my tefl in august and then leave in September for the start of the Korean year.

And heres where it all went aglae.

Load of jobs in June and July. Recruiters were hitting me up left and right. But i wanted Gangwon Do. This little test had shown I was still reasonably viable and wouldnt have a problem finding work. So i waited. And then August came and it was time to go play TEFL. Didnt really give it much thought on the Korean front because it was still early. "The jobs would start flooding in mid august"... I couldnt have been more wrong. Around the middle of the second week i had another look... where the hell were all the public school jobs? Id apply. Maybe hear back. Have my docs sent to the school and be told i had the job, only to realise that time and again this was just recruiters keeping me on their list for an emergency. Id refuse hagwon after hagwon because i was sure this time they meant it. By the end of the third week i realised the horrible truth: This might actually screw up.

And it did. As the deadline of my CRC approached (you need 6 months validity), the call backs dried up. No recruiters were going to recommend me. If i did get a call back it was to confirm the expiry of the crc and then nothing again. It was done. Id fuc_ked up korea.

Literally the second i gave up on it, i applied for a job in china and immediately got a call back. Was reassured to find that this could be done in a couple of weeks.

So bags packed, i left my cheap Koh Samui (where i was doing my tefl) for the big bad lights of bangkok.

Picked a hotel with easy access to the airport (nasa vegas) and was ready to nail this. And then i waited. And waited. And bought another week of accommodation through my dwindling credit card. Around september got the word that id get my docs next week! Hooray! at least it was moving. Waited some more. Paid some more. Was starting to worry, but get the docs, head to Chinese embassy, get visa, book flight! its only another week.

Whereupon they told me "no no, you cant do it in bangkok, it has to be done in your home country! you need to get a courier to do it for you or fly back yourself!".

But thats another 200 quid at least and another two weeks turnover! All i could do was look at my CC statement. It was coming down to the wire.

Docs arrived (a day and a half late because the hotel didnt recognise the first name - i go by my middle name - and sent it back). I sent them on immediately. Woohoo! next day delivery! Im game!

Courier received them on thursday. Would have a crack at it on the friday.

Rejection 1: you need ANOTHER informal invitation letter.

Shit! another weekend!

Rejection 2: We arent processing any express visas today. No, sorry, you cant submit it as a normal service.

Shit!

Rejection 3: You cant have a thai address for a uk application im afraid.

Shit!

Reje... oh hang on! on day 4, wednesday, they ran out of reasons and completed it. It would arrive by Tuesday (And did). And as luck would have it my visa ran out on the Thursday which id already decided was my hard deadline to a job in china (i couldnt afford the risk and another weeks hotel bill).

i scraped through on the skin of my teeth with just enough left to have 2000 RMB spending money on arrival. All debt mind you. But here i am. First pay cheque (half because of the money i needed to borrow to pay 4 months rent in advance from my employers), and half again because i simply HAD To send some money home (2000RMB) to pay my credit card bill. I didnt even buy sheets for my bed or pots to cook with until 2 weeks ago.

Next month im on half salary again as they take the rest of the loan. It sucks, but its back on the savings trail again at least. Have a bit more job security now and after December ill be on full salary again (which means i can quickly get rid of that debt and have my emergency back up in play again).

Now you might be wondering why this is so long and why im detailing it when a) its a message board - no one cares; and b ) no one cares. But its this: Its not the big shit that falls on your head. Its the small things. In that one stupid story are so many rolls of the dice and pushes for what i want. And all it takes is one shitty run and youll be in that position. And youll think you should have OBVIOUSLY stopped at X-point and got out. But thats not how its going to work. That very overconfidence you have that youll know when to walk away is going to be the thing that sucks you down. Not until you reach almost the end game is the risk anything approaching serious. And at that point youre bridges are burned, your backups to the backups are gone and all youve got left is one more shot that if you screw up now, youve kinda ran out of alternatives.

Well... within reason. I contacted my old company after the rejection on Tuesday from the embassy and said "if they dont accept it by the end of this week, i have to give up on china. I dont suppose you guys have anything?"

And to their absolute awesomeness, and despite the selfish little pursuing of my own wants and needs, offered me another job on the spot if it feel through. No change in pay, same contract. So theres always an option i guess. But man, what a run of shitty little niggly, wind you up bad luck.

Oh and in pure butterfly affect, i lost two jobs in Japan because i didnt have my drivers license because for NO REASON WHATSOEVER i had it in my wallet in Japan (it was korean), and lost it in october last year (and for the first time ever in japan, never got it back). So i can only conclude this was all deliberate and carefully orchestrated to wind me up.

What an amazing story.....can't believe your an English teacher. LOL

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Suradit69]

The reason why I posted this is to show how things can go pear-shaped in a hurry( not sure if that's the right term, I see it on here a lot), no matter how long you've lived here. And also to help this guy with some good friendly advice.

I was dumbfounded on how this happened to such a nice person and how his personality changed so dramatically....For those of you who have slow internet, this is a 27 minute video (and believe me, it will keep your interest throughout) of a portly fellow from the USA that has been living in Thailand for 13 years. From looking at his past videos on youtube, he seems to be a jolly, God fearing Christian,good husband, good father; someone who could easily be one of your closest friends. Anyway, Things take a turn for the worse when he loses his job, and depletes his savings. As if he didn't have enough problems, his unemployed younger brother comes over for a visit from the U.S to see if he can make it in Thailand like his big brother. After the brother had stayed a week, one night, the portly fellow goes up stairs and discovers the shock of his life, his younger brother trying to have sex with his wife, while his 3 kids are asleep nearby. He goes on a profanity laced rant throughout the rest of the video about how he's a "dead man walking", how all his friends deserted him by not lending him money and he hates his life, he hates living in Thailand and that its like a "prison." Basically, he wishes he were dead.

My advice to him is to stop spending all that energy feeling sorry for yourself and worrying about what other people have and just focus on your family. Go back to church and Have faith that things will turn around. From one of your other videos,your kids are adorable and did a Thai-commercial that was aired on TV. You could be their agent and get them more bookings, Tutor English, sell stuff on the street with your wife....

Anybody have anymore ideas?

"The reason why I posted this is to show how things can go pear-shaped in a hurry( not sure if that's the right term, I see it on here a lot), no matter how long you've lived here. "

You don't have to be in Thailand to have things go pear-shaped. The fallout from the 2007-2008 economic and financial melt-down has caused a lot of people to become unemployed, homeless, etc. even in the wealthiest countries and any recovery from that crisis for many will be a long time coming, if ever.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Suradit69

[menorah]

By focusing on everything he cannot have, buy or do, he's contributing to the 'paralysis' which grips him. Far better to focus on 'real' options, to break things down to manageable size.

Better to present himself to Immigration or his Embassy to arrange passage back 'home'. Irrespective of every other consideration, if he repatriates he will have the beginning of a chance to get work without breaking any immigration rules.

As an outsider looking in, it's easy to question why didn't he act earlier, before the situation became dire. And why court a visit from a brother he feels he doesn't know, at a time least convenient. For that matter, why considering his claim he has no family ties back home, does a brother suddenly make contact?

There are more questions than answers in this vexed video rant.

[inutil]

On the recession thing!

Can i just add to my tale above and pin this down to November 2008. I got an email from my best friend. He wrote to me about his life and how he was doing... but he said this one line:

...and i might even have to replace you as my best mate".

It wasnt meant in malice or meanness. He was just flippantly saying that if i stayed in Japan for another year (going on year 5), he'd have to move on (in a cute way - best friends are best friends, thats the whole dam_n point of them!).

But it kinda hurt. Id been a dick staying that fourth year (i fell in love with snowboarding and got a job in Nagano after JET). He was unhappy - not at me - existentially i guess. And i really should have gone back.

So i gave in my notice. Id be gone at the end of the contract in March 2009. And perfect timing! I could score a nice quick minimum wage gig, then apply for a PGCE, spend a year training as a real teacher, spend another getting QTS and then i could use that as a springboard for some proper jobs around the world.

Needless to say the recession was a BEAST!!! I was reliably informed i was naive and that i really didnt understand its affects and would soon get mine when i arrived in the UK. And I did. Got a temp gig at a pitch and putt (brilliant fun job - sit in a shack all day handing out golf clubs, listening to the radio, studying and occasionally go for a round or two when its slow), then it ran out. People wouldnt even take your CV for temping. They were flooded with people. Minimum wage gigs were hugely oversubscribed, and after failing to get a job with the DSS (im a philosophy grad <deleted>! aside burger king, the civil service is all we DO!!!) by dramatically and somewhat SPECTACULARLY screwing up the interview i was feeling that overconfidence had maybe once again sunk its teeth into my ass.

Anyway confidence knocked I was sad, but not floored... No job, on the dole. Rapidly crashing savings. Itd all be fine anyway, i was going to uni!

...Until July and the UCAS knock backs! Amazingly it turns out, just having a degree in philosophy doesnt mean you will be automatically accepted onto a PGCE to teach Religious Education in a year where applications to uni EXPLODED. In fact after two years of self denial, ive come to the conclusion that it was nothing short of pure chutzpah to even think there wouldnt be thousands of equally jobless, worried, RE degree holders (or even with a minor in anything to do with RE - er... i did a module on the holocaust), who might be more suitable despite their clear lack of awesome teaching experience in a country, job, and structure that has nothing to do with the one youre now applying to teach in.

So 4/4 rejections. Then in clearing no call backs.

And thats why i panicked and took a job back in asia teaching in Korea. I mean i tried Japan again, but the visa man. Its a pain to get someone willing to pay you a proper salary AND sponsor that visa. Korea took me nae bother though. Enjoyed it. And thats where the next story begins.

(ETA: Theres no part 3 )

Edited December 16, 2013 by inutil

[tingtongtingtong]

He's not going hungry

[kevvy]

I really feel sorry for this guy , but does he have shout abuse . I couldn't help thinking this could happen to anyone of us. I hope Judd gets dome help in finding a job

[bangkapi]

After watching that clip, my first impression is that this fat <deleted> is one of many of his generation of precious snowflakes that got the big trophy for participation because everyone is special.

There are no men in America under 40 years of age.

[amse]

Just another cussing loosing idiot.

[HardenedSoul]

Yep slag off the fat guy down on his luck if it makes you feel better about your own situations.

What a delightful crop of human beings we have here on TV forums, eh?

[peergin]

I think the first thing he should do is shave that unbelievable amount of hair from his face.

[benalibina]

Judge, judge, judge.....well done most of u guys......until hardship strikes u.......talk again then.

[dao16]

Judge, judge, judge.....well done most of u guys......until hardship strikes u.......talk again then.

I am not judging at all, and I think many other posters aren't, but I (we?) am also wondering why the guy doesn't get someone to hook him up with a job, even if it is low paid. Surely can't be worse than eating what he says he is eating, and all the other stuff. I am sure a lot of people on TV an elsewhere could point him to some place that could use part or full time workers.

Anyway, maybe he is in too deep. Dunno....just sad.