Why do so many farang here work for peanuts?

[Tmymaimee]

Reading through the visa threads and I can't help feeling like so many farang working here, do so for a mere pittance. What could possibly motivate someone to be a teacher for a few dollars an hour, when they could make 3 - 4 times that wage working at a McDonalds or Burger King at home?

Why are some guys so desperate (and that is the word it seems fitting) to stay here? I just don't get it.

[Sayonarax]

Maybe they enjoy the experience..? and how do you know how much everybody here makes?

[Tmymaimee]

Maybe they enjoy the experience..? and how do you know how much everybody here makes?

No idea how much they make...just saw ads for English teachers paying 30,000 baht per month. It just seems a miserable existence here if you have no money and a weak salary...what is it that attracts them to stay?

[HeijoshinCool]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Edited May 13, 2014 by HeijoshinCool

[Tmymaimee]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

[Rumblecat]

"What could possibly motivate someone to be a teacher for a few dollars an hour..."

I can't tell if this a serious question or not.

Some people like Thailand. Some like the weather. The culture. And a lot are middle aged single men who like paying for sex and don't mind getting a low wage as a trade off.

Although to be fair a lot of teachers seem to make a lot more than you would in McDonalds and rise up through ranks to higher pay levels.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Rumblecat

[Som wat]

Desperation.

[Som wat]

Not too sure about the OP's numbers though. I've a friend that does 2 hour classes in the afternoons and gets paid 900b an hour. Which is currently $27 p/h. Do Burger King really pay $90-120 p/h nowadays?

Edited May 13, 2014 by Som wat

[transam]

Perhaps cos we forget about farangland stuff and enjoy our life now. Seems you are still living with farangland crap eh.......

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Working in McD's in Chicago may earn you more money, but it sure ain't a fun place to live.

[arthurwait]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

So they can afford more girls than you could if you were actually here .

[HeijoshinCool]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

Just so as not to mislead anyone, let alone get some burger-flipper in Buffalo all excited and jumping on a plane, it takes time and contacts and ability to make this kind of money in an ongoing manner. The parents of these kids aren't the typical Thai parent (the 500 baht per hour one-on-one lessons). If you can't teach, they'll catch it and you'll be off down the road. And probably blacklisted to boot.

[inzman]

Well the OP might consider us desperate, but that is his problem. As for me, I have a decent income from my home but I like to exercise my brain and also do something constructive. The additional income is great for little extras also. It sure beats spending my day in a bedroom on a barstool.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

Just so as not to mislead anyone, let alone get some burger-flipper in Buffalo all excited and jumping on a plane, it takes time and contacts and ability to make this kind of money in an ongoing manner. The parents of these kids aren't the typical Thai parent (the 500 baht per hour one-on-one lessons). If you can't teach, they'll catch it and you'll be off down the road. And probably blacklisted to boot.

It's also against the law in Thailand.

There are no work permits issued that allow foreigners to teach private lessons, off school premises or out of school hours.

Get caught and you will be jailed and deported.

Edited May 13, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[BlackArtemis]

Many come over for a year or two for something different. Some tutor on the side. Who cares, it's not like they're forcing you to live on their salary.

In 2006 I did that, I made a measly 26,000 Baht. But I had a clean 40sqm place with A/C for 4,000. I bought a decent Honda dream, and I only had to look after myself and was fine. Then I started to tutor and made a lot more money. After a bit, I went back, got a real teaching degree and came back and made a decent salary but I learned how to live on 30k or so and have been able to save a lot of money for trips during breaks or buying my Ninja 650r.

You see a lot of us have realized that we can live with less, and eating expensive meals, owning a lot of shit, and maintaining a big expensive place is not worth the hassle.

I had a car here, I hated driving it, insanely stressful due to dumb asses, too much traffic even in CM, and no place to park. So I got rid of it.

I grew up in a 4000sqft house on about 2 acres and saw how much time and money it took to maintain that, I see that as a waste, a life I don't want to live so now how I want to live doesn't take much.

And I am able to save money and spend it on things I find important.

[Som wat]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

Just so as not to mislead anyone, let alone get some burger-flipper in Buffalo all excited and jumping on a plane, it takes time and contacts and ability to make this kind of money in an ongoing manner. The parents of these kids aren't the typical Thai parent (the 500 baht per hour one-on-one lessons). If you can't teach, they'll catch it and you'll be off down the road. And probably blacklisted to boot.

It's also against the law in Thailand.

There are no work permits issued that allow foreigners to teach private lessons, off school premises or out of school hours.

Get caught and you will be jailed and deported.

Don't suppose you could provide just one news source of a teacher being jailed and deported just for giving a private lesson.

Just one...

[transam]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

Just so as not to mislead anyone, let alone get some burger-flipper in Buffalo all excited and jumping on a plane, it takes time and contacts and ability to make this kind of money in an ongoing manner. The parents of these kids aren't the typical Thai parent (the 500 baht per hour one-on-one lessons). If you can't teach, they'll catch it and you'll be off down the road. And probably blacklisted to boot.

It's also against the law in Thailand.

There are no work permits issued that allow foreigners to teach private lessons, off school premises or out of school hours.

Get caught and you will be jailed and deported.

I know a few who do it to hi-so gov kids, aaaaaaaaaand for a looooooooooong time.

[KittenKong]

Most of the farangs working in Thailand do so because the burger bar back home fired them.

[Cylon]

By the time you have paid for work permit , visa and annual renewals, Its not worth working in Thailand. But its the same in all third world countries.

[ZAKY]

Reading through the visa threads and I can't help feeling like so many farang working here, do so for a mere pittance. What could possibly motivate someone to be a teacher for a few dollars an hour, when they could make 3 - 4 times that wage working at a McDonalds or Burger King at home?

Why are some guys so desperate (and that is the word it seems fitting) to stay here? I just don't get it.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Spoonman]

By the time you have paid for work permit , visa and annual renewals, Its not worth working in Thailand. But its the same in all third world countries.

I'll keep that in mind when my employers pays for my next 2 yearly work permit and extension......... not all of us are earning peanuts.

[Som wat]

By the time you have paid for work permit , visa and annual renewals, Its not worth working in Thailand. But its the same in all third world countries.

Why do you pay for them?

Aren't employers supposed to do so?

[ZAKY]

Farangs are more for the thai women than the peanuts

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[HeijoshinCool]

3-4 dollars and hour?

Try $30 an hour.

One hour classes after school, ten kids at 100 baht each, that's 1000 baht. Five days a week, that's 5000 baht, or 150 bucks for a half day's overall work. I know some who are doing that, plus a few hours each on Saturday and Sunday. And they're paying $60 a month on the rent.

I also know people who teach two hours a day, one-on-one for 500 each adult. Attorneys and doctors and such.

Beats the hell out of Mickey D's.

EDIT: Reading post #2, yes miserable. But the smart ones use their position as a teacher to open doors for said private lessons.

Okay, I stand corrected. Makes sense now.

Just so as not to mislead anyone, let alone get some burger-flipper in Buffalo all excited and jumping on a plane, it takes time and contacts and ability to make this kind of money in an ongoing manner. The parents of these kids aren't the typical Thai parent (the 500 baht per hour one-on-one lessons). If you can't teach, they'll catch it and you'll be off down the road. And probably blacklisted to boot.

It's also against the law in Thailand.

There are no work permits issued that allow foreigners to teach private lessons, off school premises or out of school hours.

Get caught and you will be jailed and deported.

[Soutpeel]

By the time you have paid for work permit , visa and annual renewals, Its not worth working in Thailand. But its the same in all third world countries.

speak for yourself, I am about 30% up in Thailand on what I would be earning for the same job in farangland, after tax,

Further working in some 3rd world countries can net you some very serious money...many times farangland salaries for the same job

so stop talking rubbish...

Edited May 13, 2014 by Soutpeel

[Soutpeel]

By the time you have paid for work permit , visa and annual renewals, Its not worth working in Thailand. But its the same in all third world countries.

Why do you pay for them?

Aren't employers supposed to do so?

Mine certainly does....why would I consider working for a company who wouldn't pay for this stuff, they want me to work them...they pay

[Som wat]

A friend of mine's company expenses are 260k baht p/m. For housing and international school.

Then he gets his Thai salary to his Thai account, and also his British salary to his UK account.

Says he can't wait to be able to move his family out of this death-trap 3rd World joke of a place, but is tied here financially for the next few years.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Som wat

[Fookhaht]

It's not how much you make.

It's how much you spend.

Make 5% of my former home-country salary.

There, I could only save 10% of my salary.

Here, I save 60-70% of my salary.

Travel anywhere I want, domestically and abroad. Eat what I want, frequently host small parties here and at resorts on weekends out of town, and send a kid through university now and then.

I have all I need and most of my wants.

I can't understand the OP's dilemma at all, unless he's complaining about trying to live a 100% western lifestyle in a developing country.

If THAT'S his beef, well...DUH!

[beb]

I think if you actually talk to people who teach here, you'll find many, if not most, have chosen Thailand for a lifestyle and environment. Most could easily be working for higher wages in other countries and many have before. But a lot of people make choices for reasons other than cash. It may be difficult to understand but a lot of people make those choices happily.

[Naam]

It's not how much you make.

It's how much you spend.

Make 5% of my former home-country salary.

There, I could only save 10% of my salary.

Here, I save 60-70% of my salary.

Travel anywhere I want, domestically and abroad. Eat what I want, frequently host small parties here and at resorts on weekends out of town, and send a kid through university now and then.

I have all I need and most of my wants.

I can't understand the OP's dilemma at all, unless he's complaining about trying to live a 100% western lifestyle in a developing country.

If THAT'S his beef, well...DUH!

some time ago you posted in another thread actual amounts (earnings and spendings) which i could hardly believe because they were extremely low.

with all due respect... even though your emphasis is on "what you want" and its content is based on your perspective. from my perspective i consider it................ an entertaining fairy tale.