Honestly I just don't accept that this is true. Imagine the amount of work to administer such a scheme..

How do I qualify to teach this Thainess course? (Is "Thainess" a word?)

Well of course it is. If you don't beleive me just ask the PM. He will tell and explain it to you.

Soooooooo...I guess by the end of the course, I have to able cheat on the final exam, and if I do fail, it's okay, because they can't fail anyone in Thailand.

Do the instructors get to hit me with a stick?

Total Thainess.

Get Thaiified.

It would be interesting to find out why this initiatives is justified? Is there a catalogue of farangs failing in Thainess?

Or is this an indoctrination to ensure teachers know how to put up with the bull from Thai idiot managers.

Same many years ago. Thai culture course 20 hours only on saturdays and Sundays. 5000 bth and wasting your time.

We made a deal with the Thai guy, who gave that course. We gave him 2000 bth and we only stayed at the university for 7 hours. It's again only MONEY, MONEY and MONEY.

21 hours, can't be much to learn about Thainess.

I think in this case "the medium is the message", that is, the whole scheme is not thought through, no one has a clue as to just what is to be taught or how teachers will be assessed to see if they "got it".... no funding, few outlets to acquire this probably useless knowledge.... bureaucracy meddling in and setting back education even further: yes this is "Thainess".

Anybody have the link to the original story?

21 hours, can't be much to learn about Thainess.

Do not forget all the breaks in this 21 hours

May be "Thainess " is not all that much

I hope it covers subjects like how to extort extra cash from children by forcing them to buy books from only them, how to pull kids hair, beat them with sticks, making bottle rockets, lighting fires in the playground and how to get the kids to jump through them without being too badly burned, forcing them to walk around all day at school without shoes but with socks until the socks are just rags-this really should be interesting indeed! The farangs will truly learn a lot, imagine the skills that they could take back to their home country after leaving here, the wealth of knowledge gained in Thailand, the hub of 3rd rate education!

This is extremely important in international schools!

And they should also require Thai teachers to pass certification exams on teaching critical thinking skills and preparing and grading non-multiple choice exams.

So how they going to teach something they don't have a clue about?

Thai critical thinking - Hmmm, should I go the wrong way up the road or go 100 meters to the U-turn?

Should I wear that helmet sitting up front in the basket?

Should I park 3 wide at lunch time at the Samtom shop?

Will they have to provide their own sticks , shoes etc for the lessons in correct Thai standard of school child beating?

Seriously you have to have lived in Thailand for a while and then come to your senses and left to really appreciate the stupidity of the Thai authorities. Frankly there's isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thoroughly entertained.

I certainly respect foreign teachers for wanting to spread their knowledge ... let's be honest they are not doing it for the money.

I am amazed however as to why any foreigner would want to teach in Thailand. I knew a couple of foreign teachers who were constantly frustrated at the sheer lunacy of the Thai system and now they have to learn Thainess ... what might that consist of ... Turning up to work when you feel like it, signing off any course work if the parents are prepared to pay more under the table, not being able to actually teach the subject you are assigned to teach ? The list no doubt could go on.

Thailand ranks one of the lowest in education standards / results in South East Asia and this is how they respond? You would think they would make it easier to foreigner to teach and just insist that foreign teachers were in fact qualified ... it might also help if they were allowed to actually teach; according to the people I knew most of the course work they compiled was dismissed because the Thai teachers didn't understand it and therefore didn't want to look stupid when questioned about it.

Good luck Thailand ... you'll be living in a cave whilst Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar prosper in your wake of ineptness, nationalism, protectionist ideology.

Once there was a dictator in Thailand by the name of Phibun Songkhram. In addition to being a fascist, he promulgated a number of "mandates" regarding virtually every aspect of Thai socieity. Most of them were silly or bothersome, and were later abandoned. I am sure if you read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_cultural_mandates you will say as the French do, "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"

Since there is no other source for this, I choose to disregard

where is the link to apply or check on this?

also a few years back they had the thai cultural certificate, which i have... included or don't need to take that again or what?

needs a better explanation and provision as the new school year is coming fast... its going to put the education system into a world of hurt if they never prepared anyone for this, but just announce it out of the blue... or they should allow the teachers to work as long as they are enrolled to take it... along the way?

LMAO!

How do I qualify to teach this Thainess course? (Is "Thainess" a word?)

Be able to:

1. procure tea-money from students to assist with grade 'adjustment'

2. administer corporal punishment, and witness it without flinching

3. retrain to 'teacher-focused' education

4. talk about your breakfast for 2 hours each day

5. scream 'falang-falang' without interruption

6. write baht as bath

7. never invent, initiate or act in a creative capacity

8. upwardly manage without fear or favor

9. recognize that it's a complete waste of time

21 hours????

Would love to see a syllabus or a lesson plan of this course in the Secrets of Thai Pedagogery!!!!

It is not on Pedagogy but Thai culture and education law, quite differnt things but pedaogogy would have more value for sure.

Honestly I just don't accept that this is true. Imagine the amount of work to administer such a scheme..

The essential part they missed out is that this rule only applies to teachers who have already taught in Thailand for 3 years.

...there you go....shift the blame....the focus....

...it's our fault the system is a shambles.....

...and rake in some more dough to boot......

The next measure that will be announced by the ministry of education is that all farang teachers have to ware a red hat at all times to be easier to recognize...

21 hours, can't be much to learn about Thainess.

While a 30 hour TEFL secures a teaching job in Thailand I think a 21 hour course on Thai culture will probably suffice!

Ah ha, now I've got it, some ones daughter has married a Falang & his family need jobs, hey presto, bring in a thainess test, many Falang will leave & many jop for familieeee. Gud jub.

The next measure that will be announced by the ministry of education is that all farang teachers have to ware a red hat at all times to be easier to recognize...

redhat.jpg

Can't see why they need a red hat, farang teachers are pretty easy to recognise already, cheap polyester work shirts, unpolished shoes and silly ties and typically carrying a manbag

And who pays for this course? The individual teacher, the teacher's school, or the Ministry of Education?

Certainly not the ministry, perhaps the teachers school is they are lucky, but generally it will be the teacher who pays. It only applies to foreign teachers who teach for three consecutive years though, so it wont be that much of a burdon to most. And considering that this replaces the recently required Qualified Teacher Status to continue teaching for more than 3 years, this actually comes as a relief.

Just had a brilliant idea...........why don't they oblige the TVF members to go through a Thainess course?

Although, I wouldn't doubt the results............all failed

Like you failed in "Greekness" because of a lack understanding democracy?

"...to Thai education concepts, to Thai educational psychology, and to educational evaluation..."

Just had a brilliant idea...........why don't they oblige the TVF members to go through a Thainess course?

Although, I wouldn't doubt the results............all failed

Brilliant!

Yep, can someone post the course notes on line please? Would make interesting reading for sure!

Who needs an English teacher? Let them speak Thai.