People teach in Thailand for a variety of reasons. Becoming rich isn't one of them. I feel sorry for the guys who leave Thailand - and the missus (while the cat's away...) - for 6 months to be able to afford to come back and spend 6 months bored doing nothing.

Some wish to get access to cheap 'fin' or it's by-products, some can satisfy their sexual fantasies. Others want to get off on the cultural 'asian' thing.

I personally wouldn't get out of bed in Thailand for less than 300,000 a month. But I'm not an English teacher.

Well some things are more important than money, as long as you alreaduy have plenty.

I have always wondered why someone would want to come here to earn that amount of money.

You might as well work for free.

I guess that the fringe benefits compensate to a degree though.

I came here with two pensions and taught (almost for free) because I wanted the challenge, wanted to stay busy. I haven't taught for 16 months, and I miss it. I even went out today, applying to teach English for US$8.22/hour. For all my complaining about how little it pays, that's not the point. And I hope I made a difference; I hope that I really taught.