Breaching the contract with no visa and work permit yet

[skarfreak]

After receiving my 5-day late April salary, I also handed my resignation to the school. (I btw started on March)

Now they want me to pay them back 13, 600 baht. I told them that I can only pay them a thousand a month. They won't agree of course. They give me 3 months to pay for it.

Now, the catch is I don't have a work permit and a visa from that school. Would it be possible if i would just ignore and don't pay them back?

Thanks...

[lostinisaan]

Why would you have to "pay back money" to the school, when you resigned your contract?

Please see:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/752243-probationary-period-does-it-go-both-ways-may-teachers-quit-on-the-spot/

[Eddy B]

Keep the money and change your contact numbers or info that you gave them. Walk away and blend into the background, no way they can do anything to you.

[Satcommlee]

If you didn't have work permit or valid visa.. how could the school have possibly employed you? They would have been breaking the law right?

Walk away, they can't do nothing!

[Loaded]

It seems a weak reason to resign.

Why was the salary late anyway?

And what is the 13,600 THB payment for? Was it an advance on salary? a contractual penalty clause for breaking the contract early?

If you don't have a visa and work permit (is the paperwork in process?), you can walk away. However, if you genuinely owe them money, there are a number of ways they can make your life difficult.

Edited June 7, 2015 by Loaded

[angsta]

A weak reason my arse. Just leave and screw these guys. Don't bother with you're notice period. If they can't pay on time then there is no future.

[lostinisaan]

If you didn't have work permit or valid visa.. how could the school have possibly employed you? They would have been breaking the law right?

Walk away, they can't do nothing!

Can't do anything? What if he received some money in advance?

Why would you even agree to pay money back, if you don't have the feeling they deserve it?

[zeichen]

OP, more information please. There are some legitimate questions that you need to answer to get the right advice.

"A weak reason my arse. Just leave and screw these guys. Don't bother with you're notice period. If they can't pay on time then there is no future."

5 days late on salary isn't a big deal at all especially if it was over a holiday period or if the person in charge of payroll was ill.

If that really is the only problem thus far, I would say that the OP is over reacting. If it was the last straw, that is a different story.

Angsta the gangsta we are all grateful not to work with people like you. No wonder Thailand has issues with foreign teachers. How many jobs have you quit without notice. This isn't 7-11, as a teacher, you are a professional and it is common in professions to give at least 30 days notice. Most schools are hurt seriously as well as the students if a teacher leaves mid semester. Not completing a 1 year contract is something that most teachers should feel ashamed of.

I have been unhappy at a few different positions and wouldn't re-sign but I still completed the contract. One year of a bad job isn't the worst thing. I think people that advise others to quit so flippantly, have no business in the teaching profession.

[lostinisaan]

OP, more information please. There are some legitimate questions that you need to answer to get the right advice.

"A weak reason my arse. Just leave and screw these guys. Don't bother with you're notice period. If they can't pay on time then there is no future."

5 days late on salary isn't a big deal at all especially if it was over a holiday period or if the person in charge of payroll was ill.

If that really is the only problem thus far, I would say that the OP is over reacting. If it was the last straw, that is a different story.

Angsta the gangsta we are all grateful not to work with people like you. No wonder Thailand has issues with foreign teachers. How many jobs have you quit without notice. This isn't 7-11, as a teacher, you are a professional and it is common in professions to give at least 30 days notice. Most schools are hurt seriously as well as the students if a teacher leaves mid semester. Not completing a 1 year contract is something that most teachers should feel ashamed of.

I have been unhappy at a few different positions and wouldn't re-sign but I still completed the contract. One year of a bad job isn't the worst thing. I think people that advise others to quit so flippantly, have no business in the teaching profession.

The fist, as well the fifth of May were holidays. I find it hard to believe that this would be a reason to quit a job.

There seems to be more behind the story. And whatever the outcome will be, the next foreigner might have a completely new written contract in favor of the school.

Edited June 7, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Scott]

For many people getting paid on time is important. If you have payments, rent and other obligations, it can be more than an inconvenience. Things do happen, but the school needs to have a very good reason.

In my years of working, there was only once that the school would have been late in paying. It was one of those situations where a rather sudden holiday was announced and the school simply did not have the money on hand to pay. The owner does not live in the vicinity and would have to get the cash and travel to the school, which would not get him there in time.

The school managed to get up 1/2 the pay for all the teachers and if we wished to forgo the holiday the school would pay the remainder on the appropriate day.

Should someone leave the school over the issue? I don't know, but it doesn't bode well when this stuff happens early on during employment.

[Loaded]

It seems we will never know why as the OP doesn't seem to be taking too much of an interest in this thread.

If he does come back, I'd be interested to know how he bagged a formal contract that started in March (end of year) and continued through April (schools closed). His reason for resigning was that his April salary was late, so I guess he resigned early May IE before teaching actually started.

[BudRight]

One other thing. If the contract is in English it carries no legal weight whatsoever.

[SOTIRIOS]

...unless you are not telling us the whole story.....

[NanLaew]

Possibly a paid-up member of Shonky Teachers 'r' Us ?

[bino]

If he does come back, I'd be interested to know how he bagged a formal contract that started in March (end of year) and continued through April (schools closed). His reason for resigning was that his April salary was late, so I guess he resigned early May IE before teaching actually started.

He may not be teaching in a school proper, but rather in one of those "language centers" like you see in every shopping mall. The kind of place where parents drop their children for little more than babysitting while they go shopping. School holidays would probably be peak times in these places.

[12DrinkMore]

Once again the TV Guessers and Opinions are hard at work after breakfast.

- There are no grounds for concluding the five day late salary was the reason for resigning.

- The OP does not dispute the fact that he owes 13,600, as he indeed offered to repay at 1,000/month.

- A contract in English is valid in Thailand, but would have to be translated into Thai in the case of a legal dispute. (Some poster came out with that, for whatever reason he thought we should know)

- THe school reasonably offered to accept 4,500 Baht/month repayment.

The OP wanted to know if he can ignore this and walk away from his debt.

Probably yes, as it is a civil issue and these take years to go through the courts, costing an arm and a leg in the process.

In the end it is a moral obligation to repay the money, coupled with an evaluation as to whether the school could make life diificult finding other employment through a quick phone call.

[GOLDBUGGY]

OP, more information please. There are some legitimate questions that you need to answer to get the right advice.

"A weak reason my arse. Just leave and screw these guys. Don't bother with you're notice period. If they can't pay on time then there is no future."

5 days late on salary isn't a big deal at all especially if it was over a holiday period or if the person in charge of payroll was ill.

If that really is the only problem thus far, I would say that the OP is over reacting. If it was the last straw, that is a different story.

Angsta the gangsta we are all grateful not to work with people like you. No wonder Thailand has issues with foreign teachers. How many jobs have you quit without notice. This isn't 7-11, as a teacher, you are a professional and it is common in professions to give at least 30 days notice. Most schools are hurt seriously as well as the students if a teacher leaves mid semester. Not completing a 1 year contract is something that most teachers should feel ashamed of.

I have been unhappy at a few different positions and wouldn't re-sign but I still completed the contract. One year of a bad job isn't the worst thing. I think people that advise others to quit so flippantly, have no business in the teaching profession.

Most companies I worked for Overseas paid you 7 to 10 days past your last working day as they needed this time to tabulate your hours worked, then transfer money into your bank account.

I had one company that held a months pay back as they said they needed the time. But in reality it was to keep your months pay if you broke your contract and left without notice. I never would had accepted this contract except I needed the job then.

So I don't see 5 days late, especially on your first pay period, a big deal. Certainly not worth quitting over, if that was the only issue.

[SlyAnimal]

Given that the 1st was a public holiday, the 2nd/3rd were Sat/Sun and the 4th/5th were also public holidays, I'm really not sure why the OP didn't have a little bit of understanding.

From memory one of those normally might not have applied to schools (1st or 5th, I forget which), and the military made the Monday a special holiday ("bringin' back happiness to the people since 2014").

Unless of course he's meant to be paid on the last working day of the month? As opposed to the first working day of the next month?

When I was working in NZ, I was paid on the 15th of the following month. So am amazed that they can process payroll in time in Thailand (But I guess there's no commission and teachers have massive amounts of sickleave so don't need to take unpaid leave often to mess up the accounting).

[NanLaew]

Given that the 1st was a public holiday, the 2nd/3rd were Sat/Sun and the 4th/5th were also public holidays, I'm really not sure why the OP didn't have a little bit of understanding.

From memory one of those normally might not have applied to schools (1st or 5th, I forget which), and the military made the Monday a special holiday ("bringin' back happiness to the people since 2014").

Unless of course he's meant to be paid on the last working day of the month? As opposed to the first working day of the next month?

When I was working in NZ, I was paid on the 15th of the following month. So am amazed that they can process payroll in time in Thailand (But I guess there's no commission and teachers have massive amounts of sickleave so don't need to take unpaid leave often to mess up the accounting).

A paid-up member of Broke Ass 'n' Shonky Teachers 'r' Us ?

[lostinisaan]

It's not worth to write anything, because the OP' didn't even reply to one of you guys' posts. Wasted time..

He's. maybe already on Ko Panghan watching the full moon.....

[skarfreak]

It's not worth to write anything, because the OP' didn't even reply to one of you guys' posts. Wasted time..

He's. maybe already on Ko Panghan watching the full moon.....

I'm so sorry, I'm so new in this page, and this is my first post ever. so glad that when i checked, lots of helpful tips..

So these are the reasons why i decided to leave the school:

1. They critic too much of the way I dress (color of my shirts, and trousers), keep my hair, etc... Telling me this and that, EVERYDAY!!!

2. Looking after the kids (queue) while having their flag ceremony.

3. Not satisfied with the salary (17,000 - filipino rate...and yeah I am a filipino). They asked me if how much I think i should have, answered them. 20 thousand was the minimum, simply can't do.

4. Heard so many negative feed backs from the previous teachers, which I eventually realized those were true.

5. Overall, they are just so demanding.

Once again, sorry guys for not looking up on this quickly...

Edited June 8, 2015 by skarfreak

[skarfreak]

On April, we only went to school for only 6 days, so 17,000/30x6 days = 3,400 , 17000 - 3,400 = 13, 600..

Edited June 8, 2015 by skarfreak

[skarfreak]

Once again, thanks a million for all the staff and members who contributed their opinions and ideas. Means a lot to me...

[kingalfred]

Just ignore the cheating school . They can do nothing and demand nothing from you. Dont be intimidated.

[skarfreak]

Just ignore the cheating school . They can do nothing and demand nothing from you. Dont be intimidated.

What if i told them that i was willing to pay? can i undo and forget about what i said?

I just blocked their LINE account a minute ago... I will definitely listen to you guys. Thanks a bunch...

[skarfreak]

Let's just see what happens......

[SlyAnimal]

Ok I'm glad to hear that you didn't just quit because they were late in paying your salary

Unfortunately attending assembly is something which most schools like their foreign teachers to attend. Often foreigners can get a dispensation from attending (or be allowed to sit in the shade instead, if we tell them that we're not used to the heat and will get sweaty and smelly. Being Filipino that might not work for you, as it's just as hot in your home country lol.

Regarding your salary, did you leave the school without giving notice? and that's why you're paying them back the money?

That's very honorable of you to pay them back if that's what you end up doing. As it's unlikely that they could have forced you to repay it.

Was it really that bad, that you didn't want to continue teaching through your notice period? As then the school would have had to pay you (And you wouldn't have felt obliged to pay them in liue of notice in order to secure your reference etc).

Edit: And yeah if you do decide to not pay them etc, there's very little they can do (Particularly over only ~13,000). Although if they're quite annoyed with you, they may talk to other schools in the area, which could be problematic.

[skarfreak]

When I picked the money up, I also handed my resignation without telling what's in it by she already had the idea.does that count? Hehehe...

I really don't have plan to repay them... But things happened. I went to the bank to send money and there she comes(the teacher from that school) waiting for me. I was really caught in surprise. We talked and realized that they want their money back. to avoid her, I said yes.. Furthermore, songhkla is just a small pace. I guess somewhere somehow I still might bump to her...

I don't regret that I left. My new school offers a lot more benefit than them. great people, better environment, no much pressure...you know how hard for us Filipinos to get great schools.

in conclusion, I might end up paying them back. Felt a bit guilty leaving d situation like that though obviously I can easily get away from it. Just told them not to pressure me too much on the payment and stop threatening me.

[balo]

Good for you , Filipino teachers salary is around 20000 , I have a friend who is a Filipino and she earns around 22000 after working in Bangkok for 5 years and started with 17000 the first year. Not much of an increase even if they are qualified with degrees.

I wish you good luck .

[skarfreak]

Thanks mate... been here in hatyai for 8 years though... But yeah life is like that. have a nice day...