Merry Christmas For A Friend Of Mine At A Thai School..........

[lostinisaan]

Hello and Sawasdee khrap,

Trying to make it short. Just my friend’s situation. He started teaching in Thailand 10 years ago and doesn't really make more money now, than he did back then.

So my friend received a phone call from a school that needed an "experienced teacher" to set up an EP for grade one kids who never had an English lesson before.

He finally decided to quit his former job and started to work for a little Anuban school in a very small town, where fox and eagle still say good night, just because he can sleep at home and see his wife and son every day.

My friend had problems as he's already on his second "provisional TL", but the school superiors washed that away with a " We know very high ( I assume by now that they meant using recreational drugs) people at Khurusapha, the director's brother works there and a lot of more buffalo dung that gave him a sort of security that he finally resigned.

He never received the needed documents, as it turned out that all the talking was just to get him on the boat. The school's neither registered at the SS office, nor does anybody care about what was being said in the interview.

They didn't pay for his visa, neither for his work permit, but reimbursed a teacher from an Asian country, who's wife's also a teacher, because they say my friend "makes more money".

Time went by and he only had 10 days left on his Non B visa, which he obtained in Sawannakhet. The trick to become a "Curriculum Consultant" didn't work well, as his school gave him documents written in Thai that clearly stated that he's teaching English.

The same department that gave green light to some young guys from Scotland who didn't even finish high school sent him off to Khurusapha. And they're even too young to drink alcohol in Thailand.

But they're employed as trainers for a big primary school, having a starting salary of 35,500 baht. Does the school have to pay money to the labor guys and the Immis, for such a favor?

The final word of the boss from the DoL scared the shit out of him. He had to drive to Bangkok immediately to visit the “riendly team” of Khurusapha, with the gloved man, who takes all the applications from foreigners.

Nooooooooooooooooo teeechaaaa...noooooooooo you not have degree in educationnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn you must make degree in education. Noooooooo

My friend, at his time, still had some functioning grey brain cells and told him that his social pedagogical degree would be educational. The oldest woman in the office had no idea about the degree, which is also translated into Thai. Confusion pure, that’s what he told me.

Then a youngish and very friendly woman called him to her counter, told him that she'd look into his degree and he should receive a five year teacher's license.

She also told my friend that he could for sure pick up a third provisional only two hours later. But the Noooooooooooooo maaannnnnnn wearing gloves guy was there and no chance to even ask the friendly woman for her facebook username.

He came back with his new allowance to teach another two years, no way to find out if he's entitled for a five year license and he immediately started to work.

There were 20 contact hours in his contract, I saw it with my own eyes. Nine hours in a new grade one class that supposed to be an EP, three hours ordinary class ones, four hours of grade three and another four hours grade six per week.

Only after one week, they added another grade one class to his schedule. Okay, not a big deal for my friend, he knows what he’s' doing.

After five months constantly trying to get back into the SS system and always listening to no brained excuses, it was obvious. The highly respected director who holds at least two meetings a week- of course after school hours- doesn't have the balls to register his school.

But I don’t think it’s about his balls. The people at the SS office told my friend that all together 10 people, ( one Asian teacher and eight Thai assistant teachers) would have to be registered, but the director wants to eat that money alone.

Seems some very dangerous ghosts had occupied the SS office and there's no way for him to do what he should have done and promised straight into my friend’s face. So my friend had to go there and really lie about his real situation, because he was already holding a work permit.

Good for him that he did that, otherwise he'd have lost 80 K he'd already paid in, which he can take out next May. One week later and all would have been gone downhill. As a matter of fact, I know how bad it can be when you live in such a country, without any insurance.

Maybe enough money to buy a ticket back home for my friend, as he can’t save one baht with the money they pay him now.

People here drive so crazy that even if it’s not your fault and you end up in a hospital, you’re in deep shit without an insurance.

He’s got huge problems with his artificial knee joint and if an operation would be necessary, it could be very expensive. Titanium isn’t the cheapest material on this planet.

Unfortunately, he'd be without an insurance by now if he'd have listened to all the empty promises. I just met him and he isn't in a good mood. His teaching load has increased up to 30 something hours plus, as he always has to "take care" of 38 little kids, even if it's not in his teaching time.

He has to do almost all for this school. Write speeches, train kids for all sorts of competitions, I even saw him with a broom in his hand as his classroom was so filthy that he couldn't see that anymore.

My friend has changed a lot in the last five months. He even switches his music off when he's driving back home from school. When I was asking him why I couldn't listen to some of my favorite music, he yelled at me to "shut the fragg up!!".

All he needs after his job is silence. No screaming kids, no noise. That can’t be the life of a sincere teacher.

I'm glad that he's got a real nice family and I really appreciate his wife's food and her kindness. He just handed in a bill of a few thousand baht from a hospital at his school from the time before he could get his insurance back, but they told him to go to the SS office to get his money back!! Are they out of their mind?

Many times they leave him alone all day long with this "special class", just because the parents pay good money and his colleagues have to go to a temple, or they have to do merits and many other stuff nobody really knows if it's true.

My friend isn't the youngest anymore and it's also not the right time to look for a new teaching position, which is pretty much the only thing he can do to be able to live with his family and also to support his wife's parents, her brother who has a mental illness, but a great guy and his very grandmother in law.

I was asking him why he wouldn’t go back to his country, with one of the best social systems in the world, but his face gave me the answer. He couldn't live there anymore, that's what he said.

My point being is that he doesn't want to go back where he's coming from ,but it seems that the times are over that he wants to do this job. Can't go back and can't stay here?

He once told me that his Mondays already start with a nightmare, first an hour gate duty and then straight five hours of teaching grade one students. I'm really concerned about my friend and would like to know what others would do in such a situation.

It seems that they're ( the Thais at his school) similar to mosquitoes and continuously suck blood out of him. Taking energy away from him, he needs for his family.

What would you do if you were him? I have to apologize for my "short" post.

“Please take your time for your friends, before time’s taking them away from you." --

[lostinisaan]

OMG, just woke up and realized that it was only bad bad dream. A nightmare that hopefully will never put foreigners into similar situations.

But the dream was so authentic, that I really believed it all and wrote it down..

I don't believe that anybody would do such a job, I've seen in my dream.

Everything at Thai schools is set up for foreigners. They deeply respect us, pay us enough money to buy cars, houses and some are even able to have three little wives.

[Scott]

It sounds very, very, very similar to another poster on this board!

I wish both of them, and especially 'your friend', the best of luck. It is a country that does not value or respect employees in general.

All I can tell you is that Jack Dawson won the ticket that got him on the Titanic and at that time he thought he was really lucky.

Tell your friend to be sure and buy a lottery ticket and hope for the best.

[lostinisaan]

It sounds very, very, very similar to another poster on this board!

I wish both of them, and especially 'your friend', the best of luck. It is a country that does not value or respect employees in general.

All I can tell you is that Jack Dawson won the ticket that got him on the Titanic and at that time he thought he was really lucky.

Tell your friend to be sure and buy a lottery ticket and hope for the best.

Thanks a lot for this really helpful advice.

I just caught him at a local Tattoo shop and could prevent him having full face Tattoos, but then he also wanted to have metal teeth......

But then I showed him some ugly examples of a Dutch weedwacking guy and he immediately canceled his weird ideas....

But after a few little bottles of Leo without ice, he did realize that everything that doesn't kill him, will only make him stronger.

He promised me to bite his old tongue until March. Maybe even until April as he deserves this salary...

Sorry, I'm mao leo.-

Edited by SlyAnimal to remove profanity

[bangmai]

I'm always leery of those, who have allowed themselves to become "stateless." There is often a criminal element that is untold. As far as the job....most of the people, who talk all the time about their connections aren't actually well connected, at all. This is a common lie with the school recruiters. Get your contract in writing, and don't start work until you are legal.

[lostinisaan]

I'm always leery of those, who have allowed themselves to become "stateless." There is often a criminal element that is untold. As far as the job....most of the people, who talk all the time about their connections aren't actually well connected, at all. This is a common lie with the school recruiters. Get your contract in writing, and don't start work until you are legal.

Where's the illegal part again?-

[Scott]

A post with an inappropriate picture has been removed.

[lostinisaan]

A post with an inappropriate picture has been removed.

I deeply apologize for my dog's strange behavior.

I apologize once more. For her "inappropriate" behavior..But she really has a good character and will hopefully be a good mother soon.

. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.-

Edited December 25, 2014 by lostinisaan

[Kf6vci]

Thanks for posting - he needs to change schools pdq or may have a nervous breakdown!

It's oddly familiar, isn't it? The lies, the SS scam (phony registration at a hospital and the need to pay the then 600 B in cash due to clerical error) and long pointless meetings in Thai included. (Grand declaration of new schemes which never see the light of day in the real world).

At one school, the highest paid "teacher" had a TOEIC score in the low 500s. No exams to handle, no grades to give. And all with K.'s blessing?!?

I'm now working and staying at a language center. The owners don't speak English. And they have no idea how to manage a business. But they are good at cutting costs and creative in diversifying the business:

* What does every school need? A stinking pig, of course!

* Save 50 Baht and adjust the carburettors on all the school's motorcycles and the van yourself. (The engines can't idle and will die in 2-3 seconds and are probably running hot when too lean).

* Be the big wealthy Don and allow all kinds of "friends" to borrow the motorcycles. => When yours truly needs to drive on business, 45 minutes each way, the tank will be empty. Or the helmet's broken and someone crashed the scooter ot the brakes stopped working... Let the foreign teacher pay!

Glad to be Santa - but a day's notice would have been nice.

Now they promoted a colleague to "manager" and she has found the answer to all issues: pages long lesson plans.

...

For the New Year holidays, she has a special treat (not announced yet - who doesn't love surprises?!). Foreign teachers are shy. Hey, let's send them to a SCREAMING SEMINAR! The lecturers will be locals, but it's not about English or pronunciation.

...

Someone has a financial interest in HR matters. Be that fake SS contributions (habitually "forgotten" so one has to hand over cash) or something else.

[Kf6vci]

Your friend needs to change schools: it can only get better. Otherwise, he might have a nervous breakdown or go off the deep end.

That tale sounds oddly familiar. There are variations, but one detects a leit motif.

Long and pointless meetings, where grand schemes get presented which won't happen in the real world...

Q: What about the panacea, more elaborate lesson plans?!? No one will ever read those. And I'm at a language center now, but those lesson plans make a lot of sense in the light on one not knowing which class one will teach

...

The highest paid teacher having a TOEIC score in the low 500s? You bet! (Someone else will have to do stuff like exams or grades for him, but when someone is liked that won't be a problem).

Excellent Thai teachers earn <40% of such an African joker. Their TOEIC score will be hundred of points higher and they went to Chula or KK university and they can actually converse fluently. How do these teachers feel? Because of national origin and the wrong passport, they are stuck in a stupid hierarchical organization which will chew them up and spit them out or transform them into mediocre YES WOMEN?

FUMU rules supreme. How come that often vainglorious and incompetent people get promoted?

...

Khurusapha should hold interviews with teachers of English. But they wouldn't hire NES to do the vetting. Just like them relying on Thai professors to prepare those bizarre multiple choice tests where often more than 1 answer is possible.

Ability doesn't matter.

...

The owners of my language center speak no English. But they are very creative at cost cutting: they save the 1,000 Baht on the rental of a power washer. The grime and dirt of decades is visible to the customers when they go to the bathroom. In addition, they save the 50 Baht it might cost to adjust a carb on one of the school's motorcycles. (The engines won't idle and die within 2 seconds. They will run hot when too lean, but hey, maybe they will save a few Baht? Only the foreign idiot is the one who has to pay for petrol while all kinds of people borrow the bikes, then return them with empty tanks or bent handlebars etc.).

OTOH, they have found a brilliant alternative to air fresheners for their bathrooms. The pig they keep (without cleaning the pigsty for days and weeks) produces an eye-wateringly intense smell (which is particulate, of course) which will cover up the bad hygiene of the restrooms.

That pig is an asset, not a liability. But the best concept these people have is to hire a 24 y.o. teacher as manager and her panacea is 10 x longer lesson plans. And now she wants to send the foreign teachers to a SCREAMING SEMINAR. (Teachers are self-conscious and shy introverts, aren't they?)

...

The manager knows nothing about IELTS. => Got a bunch of total beginners. One day, she said "tomorrow, teach this new IELTS class". I've done that before - and a Thai teacher of English cost me both nerves and money. I would cancel my regular 2 hours class to grant him 3 hours 1 on 1 time. Minutes before the session, he would cancel. Repeatedly.

Hey, those adults parted with > 15,000 Baht. Gordon Gecko was right: "it's all about the money - the rest is just conversation".

[Kf6vci]

I'm always leery of those, who have allowed themselves to become "stateless." There is often a criminal element that is untold. As far as the job....most of the people, who talk all the time about their connections aren't actually well connected, at all. This is a common lie with the school recruiters. Get your contract in writing, and don't start work until you are legal.

Hear, hear! I'm seconding the first part about the contract. But wonder if there are many or more than 10% of teachers out there who actually have a B-Visa the day they start at a school?!?

[lostinisaan]

Your friend needs to change schools: it can only get better. Otherwise, he might have a nervous breakdown or go off the deep end.

That tale sounds oddly familiar. There are variations, but one detects a leit motif.

Long and pointless meetings, where grand schemes get presented which won't happen in the real world...

Q: What about the panacea, more elaborate lesson plans?!? No one will ever read those. And I'm at a language center now, but those lesson plans make a lot of sense in the light on one not knowing which class one will teach

...

The highest paid teacher having a TOEIC score in the low 500s? You bet! (Someone else will have to do stuff like exams or grades for him, but when someone is liked that won't be a problem).

Excellent Thai teachers earn <40% of such an African joker. Their TOEIC score will be hundred of points higher and they went to Chula or KK university and they can actually converse fluently. How do these teachers feel? Because of national origin and the wrong passport, they are stuck in a stupid hierarchical organization which will chew them up and spit them out or transform them into mediocre YES WOMEN?

FUMU rules supreme. How come that often vainglorious and incompetent people get promoted?

...

Khurusapha should hold interviews with teachers of English. But they wouldn't hire NES to do the vetting. Just like them relying on Thai professors to prepare those bizarre multiple choice tests where often more than 1 answer is possible.

Ability doesn't matter.

...

The owners of my language center speak no English. But they are very creative at cost cutting: they save the 1,000 Baht on the rental of a power washer. The grime and dirt of decades is visible to the customers when they go to the bathroom. In addition, they save the 50 Baht it might cost to adjust a carb on one of the school's motorcycles. (The engines won't idle and die within 2 seconds. They will run hot when too lean, but hey, maybe they will save a few Baht? Only the foreign idiot is the one who has to pay for petrol while all kinds of people borrow the bikes, then return them with empty tanks or bent handlebars etc.).

OTOH, they have found a brilliant alternative to air fresheners for their bathrooms. The pig they keep (without cleaning the pigsty for days and weeks) produces an eye-wateringly intense smell (which is particulate, of course) which will cover up the bad hygiene of the restrooms.

That pig is an asset, not a liability. But the best concept these people have is to hire a 24 y.o. teacher as manager and her panacea is 10 x longer lesson plans. And now she wants to send the foreign teachers to a SCREAMING SEMINAR. (Teachers are self-conscious and shy introverts, aren't they?)

...

The manager knows nothing about IELTS. => Got a bunch of total beginners. One day, she said "tomorrow, teach this new IELTS class". I've done that before - and a Thai teacher of English cost me both nerves and money. I would cancel my regular 2 hours class to grant him 3 hours 1 on 1 time. Minutes before the session, he would cancel. Repeatedly.

Hey, those adults parted with > 15,000 Baht. Gordon Gecko was right: "it's all about the money - the rest is just conversation".

Your friend needs to change schools: it can only get better. Otherwise, he might have a nervous breakdown or go off the deep end.

I just had a chat with my friend and could prevent him from hanging himself on the highest tree in Sisaket.

Thanks for the post. Unfortunately, I thought that my former school was a sort of non functioning, regarding their status being a "World Class Standard School. " Did almost all regarding the school's reputation and they finally had a good one. Had. Seems to be gone.

But I only had my 17 contact hours, only teaching Prathomsuksa six and could hang out in my nice house on campus, where i resided from Monday to Friday. I a sort of regret that I'd quit my job, as I was sure that there can't be a worse institution, but unfortunately I was completely wrong...

The only standard they had was similar to that of other schools, where "teachers" hit little kids that they have to wear a long sleeve shirt the next day that nobody can see the outcome of the "beatings."

. Can you imagine to be surrounded by 38 little grade one kids all day long and teach ordinary class one, three and six as well? All the other colleagues are jealous, because they think that we've got the only air conditioned classroom, not knowing more details.

They do not see that my Thai colleague and I have between 25 and 38 teaching hours per week, without the time to prepare lessons, checking worksheets and find ways to improve the whole new EP program.

I'm in the middle of writing a curriculum for the school, considering that the current grade one students will be in grade two EP by next year.

Almost all Thai English teachers are asking for some help. One's trying to go for her Master's but she doesn't know how to write a thesis and needs me to come up with a suitable one.

I've read so many posts of quite a few people who disagree with using Thai in the classroom. If I couldn't speak and understand Thai, I'd be screwed. ( Which I am anyway)

I'm sometimes alone with this class for a whole day when my co-teacher doesn't show up and have to deal with situations, where you've got to be a doctor/nurse, teacher. janitor, psychologist, computer and printer service man, daddy, or some kids' mom.

I posted this thread, because I wanted some people to "think outside the usual box". I was talking to many guys teaching in lower northeast and most of them told me that they couldn't do such a job.

The director seems to be a little liar, who doesn't even register his small Anuban school as an institution, which is a Thai law. but I found my own way back into the SS system and won't lose my 80 K that I paid in the last 10 years and do have full coverage by paying only 432 baht/ month.

When I listen to their plans to hire three more "foreign teachers" next year in May, I'd love to tell them that I won't be there anymore, but have to bite my tongue.

I even started to switch off my music, when driving home from school, just to have complete silence for an hour, or so until I come home to my "other life."

One day, a little boy in the EP stacked a sharp pencil up to another boy's nose and it was really a bloody thing to deal with, while the usual "troublemakers" are running around like buffaloes on Jaba and you're on your own. I can't just run to a Thai teacher, crying for help. They just expect me to be able to cope with such an environment....

I wish I could just tell them things like: " Oh. dear little boy. I'm pretty certain that you should go and see a doctor, some of them have learning disorders and do silly things all day long. So where are you as the teacher then?

I'm often criticized on this forum for my poor grammar and sentence structures, but do I really give a flying buffalo Kee? Nope.

I can walk in \to a classroom from grade one to grade 12, without any preparation and give a good lesson, without knowing their level of English beforehand.

Would I receive another provisional TL from TCT,without going for a degree in education? I doubt it. I held quite a lot of seminars for Thai English teachers, primary and secondary level.

Then seminars for Thai school directors with 250 of them to prepare them for the upcoming ASEAN Community. But I'll have to come up with a degree in education, even when it's an online one from the Philippines?

Nope, I'm not that stupid and waste money for something people could use in a bathroom, if there's no more toilet paper.

One foot's already out of the door and I won't be available for them next year. Such a job is so difficult and the money they pay you not even an issue.

I just feel sorry for the kids who have to listen to so much buffalo shit, without the opportunity to ask their "teachers" any questions.

Too many lost faces at my school, time to leave that I'm not the next faceless human being. If you want a job next year, please page me and I can get you in touch with the "superb superiors."

None of the promises from the school became true and I truly believe that I screwed myself by resigning at my former school.

I'm not one of these brown tongues guys, telling Thai what they want to hear. I'm only trying to be who I am and not playing the licking part.

I might consider to go for a surgery in Bangkok, get myself a pair of tits and might be a much better teacher for "my" kids.

Finally, I'd like to apologize if my post doesn't make sense to some of the TVF members. If so, please blame "Leo" for it.

I'll also stop writing posts, answering people who send me a mail, asking me for advice. I think that I was at least trying to let some people know what teaching is all about.

But I won't go that far to ask any mods to delete my account and all my posts, as another well -known member was just recently asking for.

Many of my posts were deleted without an explanation, I truly believe that a "healthy criticism" should be allowed on any forum.

Wish all a real Happy New Year 2015, without the usual school visa/work permit issues.

The only thing that helps is laughing about things that make others cry. Please smile now.............

[Kf6vci]

LII, you are gonna burn out any time now. 25 hours is extreme - I've had 21, 22 plus some long meeting in Thai. But then there was a different lesson needed for each class (as I saw them a few times each week and taught 6 different grades).

Can you get a job in a neighboring country?

You might get a better job - then run afoul of the TCT. (Seriously, how about treating each and every applicant the same? )

Resign and fight another day. These battles, you cannot possibly win.

Tell me, how many hours does the Filippino teach? What about Thai teachers? Just wondering...

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory post removed.

[Kf6vci]

Off-topic, inflammatory post removed.

Good job, Scott. Keeping it civil and constructive (unlike AF).