Underemployed English Teachers in Thailand

[bwpage3]

It would a real laugh to see some buggers with their " Hey I was a teacher in Thailand" with no education behind them get thrown on the tracks trying to get a job in the USA. Totally laughable and hilarious.

What makes you think these migrants want to learn English?

Many people that live in the USA cannot speak any English at all

[BKKSnowBird]

Why do old expats in Thailand hate English teachers so much? Could they be jealous they didn't enjoy Thailand when they were young? Please explain.

Edited September 14, 2015 by BKKSnowBird

[aarontendo]

Teacher pay in the U.S. is a national embarrassment. Considering the cost of living vs salary, you're better off teaching in Thailand.

If you're a licensed teacher and working in a proper international school perhaps. If one is on 30,000 a month here I cannot possibly see how one is better off. Remember, you ain't paying into retirement on that salary either.

I've heard talk about some woefully underpaid districts back home that's for sure. I've also seen some that after you're 10 or 15 years in the field you'll get upwards of 150,000 baht a month. That Thai salary may look ok when you're 22 and out of university, but come your forties and you start looking at retirement options I would suspect it's a different picture.

[bangmai]

Teacher pay in the U.S. is a national embarrassment. Considering the cost of living vs salary, you're better off teaching in Thailand.

If you're a licensed teacher and working in a proper international school perhaps. If one is on 30,000 a month here I cannot possibly see how one is better off. Remember, you ain't paying into retirement on that salary either.

I've heard talk about some woefully underpaid districts back home that's for sure. I've also seen some that after you're 10 or 15 years in the field you'll get upwards of 150,000 baht a month. That Thai salary may look ok when you're 22 and out of university, but come your forties and you start looking at retirement options I would suspect it's a different picture.

172,269 THB per month, for 12 months on a 194 day contract. 10th year...BA. http://www.fcps.edu/hr/salary/pdf/fy16/FY16194dayTeacher.pdf

[aarontendo]

Even better, and thanks for the info. =)

[bangmai]

or go to a low COL place like Phoenix (and they swear they make dirt), and you would start at 120,000 per month with a BA, and Math/Science get 3000 usd more, and performance bonuses usually run a couple of grand. You can get a nice condo for 50K....

[DogNo1]

English and citizenship classes are strongly encouraged for immigrants to the USA and are funded during the first few years by the federal government. During my ten years in California, I taught hordes of SE Asians, Mexicans and South Americans, many of whom were illegal. Acculturation is the aim and the community colleges and adult schools admit anyone. At a college in Westminster, there were at the time, hundreds of students on the waiting list for each class. I crammed as many students as I could into my classes, especially the Saturday classes which were very popular. The college couldn't hire enough teachers due to a lack of funding. With funds flowing from the Fed again, jobs will open up. It now looks as though the USA will be accepting many more than 10,000 refugees. Once the refugee flow has started, you will see lots of job announcements. For anyone who decides to leave Thailand and take advantage of the opportunity it will take a lot of guts. There will be the dislocation strains and the cost of starting life in a new location. The rewards could be great, though.

[maewang99]

why do old expats look down on English teachers? we're talking about farlang English teachers, yes? not Thai or foreign English teachers? you know, using the word farlang as a Thai uses that word.... well that might be because although we might begin to think more like a Thai the longer we are here... we would still neither use, nor even want to consider to use, the English word 'teacher' at all in the same way as a Thai uses it.... and also, how it seems sometimes, that some farlang English teachers use that word. along with other English words such as 'student' and 'education'..... with perhaps an exception for the latter morpheme.... in a few neighboring countries, wink wink. And that by participating in this horror what those farlang are 'teaching' is anything but English. That could be one take on this.

Edited September 17, 2015 by maewang99

[aarontendo]

I reckon the old expats look down on the young buck English slinger because unlike the old timer, they do not have to pay for the attentions of a young lady ;p

[bangmai]

I reckon the old expats look down on the young buck English slinger because unlike the old timer, they do not have to pay for the attentions of a young lady ;p

I sure do see a lot of the younger guys paying 90 for a small LEO, so they can flirt with a girl, who is likely a prossie, but they same guys will ridicule us older guys for doing large Leos for 45 THB with girls, who are often gainfully employed. A lot of the younger guys also brought their farang GFs with them....talk about bringing coal to New Castle.

[Mencken]

In the case of Thailand, most are over employed.

Game anyone?

[Mencken]

I reckon the old expats look down on the young buck English slinger because unlike the old timer, they do not have to pay for the attentions of a young lady ;p

The young bucks don't get the job done. They play games, screw around, waste time, play around on their phones like Thai children, refuse activities and sleep at their desks mid day.

And by lady you mean dusky, chubby hooker mom from Kalasin right? Oh the attentions...

Edited September 20, 2015 by Mencken

[stoneyboy]

I reckon the old expats look down on the young buck English slinger because unlike the old timer, they do not have to pay for the attentions of a young lady ;p

The young bucks don't get the job done. They play games, screw around, waste time, play around on their phines like Thai children, refuse activities and sleep at their desks mid day. Worst offenders are those 40+ been 'teaching' three years or more.

You should write a book mate.

[Mencken]

I reckon the old expats look down on the young buck English slinger because unlike the old timer, they do not have to pay for the attentions of a young lady ;p

The young bucks don't get the job done. They play games, screw around, waste time, play around on their phines like Thai children, refuse activities and sleep at their desks mid day. Worst offenders are those 40+ been 'teaching' three years or more.

You should write a book mate.

We have one gem of a teacher, about thirty. Repeatedly sleeps at his desk despite his 65 yo coteacher telling him repeatedly its poor for him and refects on all of us. I've seen him sleeping nearly half dozen times. That's just my office hours, who knows.

Nothing shocks any more.

If they want quality, the schools need to psy for it.

[NeverSure]

I have a young relative in small town western USA who is a certified grade school teacher. Like most teachers she has a master's. She saw an opportunity and went back to school and got certified to teach ESL. (I think that's what it's called.)

Her salary increased about $10K per year for that ESL and now that's all she does - teach Hispanic kids for several schools in the district. At 24 she's earning $65K plus benefits and will retire with both Social Security and her state employee's pension. People who are retiring today take no cut in pay. Their SS and teacher's pensions just about equal their teaching salary.

She's in a small and very affordable and beautiful town in Oregon. She likes her work and will be way ahead of anyone who went to Thailand to teach anything at all.

How much is $5K per month in retirement worth if one draws it for 10 - 20 - 30 years after working? What about her husband who works at a Google server farm for a good salary and is building up stock options? Those kids have it made if they just keep on doing it.

[JLCrab]

I only know 2 young men in the age 30 range: My friend's son is post-doctoral fellow in math in Europe and my brother's son is finishing PhD in Computer Science and has already done work in cryptography and digital video analysis for various US Government alphabet agencies.

Not digital nomads.

[peterb0576]

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[lanng khao]

I reckon the old expats look down on the young buck English slinger because unlike the old timer, they do not have to pay for the attentions of a young lady ;p

gettin it for free ?wheres the fun in that..