Ubon school warning

[americanobueno]

Was hired to teach at a school in Ubon, moved from Vientiane, Laos to Ubon and was picked up at the bus station and delivered to my Very Old small apartment, probably family owned units from school management? First night there bitten by small, black bed bugs dropping from the very dirty Air Con unit, no sleep. I asked the manager if she could have the air con serviced and provide me with a remote for it as it was set very high and not blowing cold air, reasonable request. Second day turned on TV to ALL Indian Cable TV, still no Air and many bugs entering the apartment though the windows and screens which did not seal, close properly. 2nd day request if it was possible to get Thai TV, not even the more expensive True Cable, again I felt reasonable request. That evening after a big rain storm my small unit was swarming with flying insects, wow I was shocked as I've been in SE Asia 7 years and NEVER experienced this before. Yes, of course bugs, insects come with living in Thailand but Never to this degree. 3rd day requests resulted in my Contract being Canceled and my being taken to the Ubon Bus station, wow?

Today is Saturday, this happened last weekend and there is a new posting on Serious Teachers for 4 native teachers at the same school?

Is it the teachers or the Management?

Be Careful with this school....

Edited May 9, 2015 by Mario2008
name removed per forum rules

[Lukecan]

They probably didnt want a whiner.

[somchaismith]

Free bugs are a bonus!

[lostinisaan]

Second day turned on TV to ALL Indian Cable TV, still no Air and many bugs entering the apartment though the windows and screens which did not seal, close properly. 2nd day request if it was possible to get Thai TV, not even the more expensive True Cable, again I felt reasonable request. That evening after a big rain storm my small unit was swarming with flying insects, wow I was shocked as I've been in SE Asia 7 years and NEVER experienced this before. Yes, of course bugs, insects come with living in Thailand but Never to this degree. 3rd day requests resulted in my Contract being Canceled and my being taken to the Ubon Bus station, wow?

7 years, really? These insects are called Maleng Mao and can be seen everywhere, especially when it rains. Your Aircon/Indian TV story made me laugh.

How can you have request after request, when you just start at a school? You gotta be kidding by naming the school. Ever thought about big problems for you? Even if it wouldn't be a good school, then take off and be very quiet.

If you're a native English speaker, with a degree, please page me.

Edited May 9, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Sayonarax]

Sounds like you got a get of jail free card. Why didn't you find your own accommodation?

[lemonjelly]

I too have free school accommodation, lots of bugs, no tv, but do have the balls to deal with it.

Edited May 9, 2015 by lemonjelly

[lostinisaan]

Please check your private message and give me a call.

[lostinisaan]

The OP is right about the quality of the school. There're some threads about various schools and I think people should be warned of such institutions.

Most students there don't even have the time to remember the names of their teachers. A friend's friend told me that teachers have to pay into a teacher's fund that doesn't even exist.

Okay OP, the flies are pretty common here, especially before rain starts. Then they lose their wings and die. Nothing serious about these insects, many Isaan people also eat them.

lemonjelly, i don't get your post. You have lots of bugs, no TV, but but you've got the "balls" to deal with it? I don't want to have lots of bugs in my house, got two PC's a notebook and a TV.Well, and a few other things like a cool wife and son. Does that mean that I don't have balls?

Could you explain that, please?

Mr. Sayoanara, the school's way out of Ubon city, in the middle of nowhere. People who make the mistake and sign up there, have to live there and even ask for permission when they wanna leave.

I was there, read the contract and started laughing. BTW, I had a job, just thought it would be a better opportunity.

You might have five days paid around Songkran, but if you don't do summer camps and other stuff, you don't get aid. And and and and..

One more guy who'll never post here again, trying to warn others, doesn't seem appropriate. Just saying.-

Edited May 9, 2015 by lostinisaan

[lemonjelly]

^ maybe i was a bit harsh, sorry about that, but he does seem to be a bit of a whiner.

[lostinisaan]

^ maybe i was a bit harsh, sorry about that, but he does seem to be a bit of a whiner.

I just had a real nice conversation with a guy from this forum.

We both came to the same conclusion that the biggest enemies of foreigners, who're living and working in Thailand, are actually foreigners.

I had my times when I was down, really down to the ground, caused by too much stress, noisy little kids, too many teaching hours, etc..then maybe a little spark within the family and you become a living bomb, ready to explode.

We all have our dreams, want to be surrounded by the right people, but shit happens. We're all foreigners in this country and have to fight with always changing laws, regulations, less money, instead of a pay raise and that can go on and drive you nuts.

My reminder is the American guy who took his life in Ubon not too many moons ago, even posting "see ya" on his facebook page, before he did the rope. Did he do that because he had too many friends? Were people making jokes that he liked men more than women? Who knows.

Let's use our imagination and "create a "No # 2 school." This- of course not existing school- has.a totally weird contract. Once you sign that, you might have to be the homeroom teacher of grade three, teach grade 12 EP, but also the ordinary grade 12.

In addition you're allowed to teach science to an grade 8 and a grade 5 class. You'll have to pay into a non existing teacher's fund for ten months.

The imaginary school with their main goal to make money know that not too many people can deal with such circumstances, to wear a freaking boy scout uniform, you have to buy from your salary and play the gate greeting clown thrice a week. Always smiling and Waing. Hahaha

They already warn you in your interview that some grade 12 students are very dangerous and it already happened before that some of them knocked such a white ass out, without any consequences for the students. Some of the should wear signs: " Handle with care", to be honest.

The contract is so full with hidden tricks and excremental nonsense that you don't even see the trees when being in the woods. 12 months paid? Of course. but only when you work. In addition will you have to prepare English camps, seminars and other time eating activities.

But you're allowed to do that in your free time.You have to move into a shaggy place on campus and if you don't have a car, you're screwed. In this imaginary school, you might have to ask for permission to leave the campus for lunch. but not really a problem, because there's nothing.

The imaginary city called Ufon is about 12 km away, a lot of fun in the rainy season to go shopping. Well, the school van has to be used for more important things, which is quite understandable.

I applied for a job, but only in my imagination, wanted to have a contract to show it to my wife and post it on a forum as a warning what you should never sign.Of course not with the name No # 2 on it.

They call and call and want me to come to sign the contract, but they don't even listen that I'm not okay with 12 different and very serious issues.

Then in my dream, I tell the guy who's wearing a boy scout uniform every day, that I'm not interested and tell him to stop calling me.

But that goes on and on and on until i block their number. Lucky me, I woke up and it was just a nightmare. Thanks god, for being atheist.

I hope the OP will return and read my imaginary story, which might make him very happy that a van brought him back to a better world.

I really believe that it's time that we all forget where we're coming from, stop the gossip and try to help each other. Who knows, who's next?-

.

[TheCruncher]

Am I glad that I don't have to be an English teacher in Thailand to survive.

Edited May 9, 2015 by TheCruncher

[Scott]

If you expect people to work, and you provide housing, then it needs to be reasonably comfortable. Working air conditioning is pretty much a must for most foreigners. It is pretty difficult to get up and get to work if you can't sleep well and heat and bugs are not a good combination for a lot of westerners.

Where I work, we have very nice housing, but one of the houses didn't have air and no screens. We had a teacher move in and 2 days later he was gone. If he opened the windows, he had mosquitoes; if he didn't, he sweltered.

I wouldn't expect cable TV, though.

Personally, I prefer to stay away from school housing. They like to make new rules and if you have a problem and leave, you also are out on the street.

[SlyAnimal]

School housing in Isaan is Isaan style, they provide it as a bonus but it's often not upto "Farang" standard.

I thought that I'd done it pretty rough when I was a poor student at university, but my worst student flat would have been miles ahead of the teacher housing I was provided with in Thailand (mainly due to the bugs etc).

But I didn't complain as I had seen how much work the staff in my dept had put into it (They personally painted + tiled + installed a western toilet before I moved in). By comparison, it was significantly better than most of the houses which the Thai teachers were living in at the school (The new director actually stays in my old house now on Mon-Thurs).

But yeah, living at the school isn't compulsory, I did it to save money, even though nice accommodation was available outside the school for around 3000 per month.

[SlyAnimal]

Thread closed at the request of the OP.