Okay so here I am, a 51 year old bloke who has just finished University. I'm looking at the usual Thai teaching jobs offering 30-50k a month, and I'm wondering where does all that money go? I'm looking at this from a single blokes point of view, how many Thai females, and nights out are you going to have in a month? What sort of apartment will you be able to afford, and what sort of life will your lot be in the land of maybe not as many smiles as you would like.

Hi All,

I have been wanting to move to Thailand to teach English for some time now but have yet to take the plunge. A bit about me, I'm 29, possess an MA and Celta and currently work as a financial risk manager. When I was 25, I was in the middle of the pgce when I became very ill and had to drop out. At the time the pgce would have been in religious studies which wouldn't have had much relevance for Thailand but I was hoping the pgce accreditation would have provided some weight if I chose to moved to Thailand and tried to get into the international circuit.

At the moment, I'm relatively comfortable working in finance but it's not where my heart belongs. And of course I keep thinking about Thailand and what life might be like if I moved there. I know that if I moved to Thailand I could buy a house with my savings and my quality of life would be greatly improved. I am concerned about long term career goals but I suppose if teaching goes well for me then I could look at China or South Korea.

What would you do in my situation? What would you think my prospects would be like if I moved to Asia?

Thanks.

Okay so here I am about to sign on the dole, and I'm wondering if I should do a masters instead? The plus point would be that I would qualify for £10,000 loan off the UK goverment which would be used to pay for the masters, as well as my living expenses. The BAD point is that I would have to write a 15000 word dissertation. I'm just wondering if it would be worth doing?

http://wokq.com/files/2015/08/walmart.jpg

I've been waiting to comment on this picture that has been shared with the intent being humorous and probably spurred by some underlying frustration.

Today is the day to serve up a little reality.

Here are my questions for the Walmart guy:

1) Will you hire him if he doesn't pass a background check or has committed a felony?

2) Will you provide him clothes to work in and when those get dirty will you help him get them washed or do you think that first paycheck will pay for an apartment, utilities, appliances, and laundry detergent?

3) Will you immediately pay for any healthcare including mental healthcare he needs? With medications?

4) Will you keep him as an employee if he has an exacerbation of PTSD, anxiety, schizophrenia, or anything else while at work?

5) Will you have someone watch his only earthly possessions while he is working so no one steals them?

6) Will you provide childcare or transportation or a bed for a good night's sleep or food to sustain him while he works? (I could go on...)

Maybe the answers are "yes." If so, kudos to you and I will be bringing a large number of friends to apply for every opening you have. If not, hmmmm.... the "just get a freaking job" argument is not so easy to quip, is it?

Many of those who are homeless do work or want to work. Many can't. It... [Read More]

This story very quickly disappeared from the online edition of the bangkokpost.com, so I'll supply a link to yahoo. I don't know if cannibalism is involved, but I hope to see how this marvelous story develops. It looks like at least two Americans are involved, so have a go with your wittiest comments.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/3ea265e...ed-during.html

A few questions here:

1st- anyone here know any teaching gigs in the area?

2nd, anyone familiar with what a rai should cost when it's a rice field? I see them cheaper than a rai of filled land but that's the catch isn't it; the land has been excavated. I'm thinking about purchasing some (yes, I know, Farang can't own land---usually) rice fields and converting them to a home and large yard but I'm not sure it's a smart option and was hoping someone here has some experience or knows someone that does.

Did you know the Thailand TESOL (Thailand's TESOL affiliate organization) is now free to join? Even if you're not a very engaged teaching professional wanting to read the papers in Thailand TESOL Journal and have no plans to attend a conference, etc...if you are interested enough in showing a modicum of commitment beyond the clocking in and out level on your resume/CV, consider joining.

I was reminded of this as I've just submitted a proposal for a workshop presentation at the next annual conference, taking place this year at The Ambassador Hotel on January 20th and 21st. I hope it gets accepted and I have yet another reason to get my ass in gear to come back for a visit (haven't been back since 2012).

Anyway, just a heads up re: Thai TESOL.

Yes, the website isn't great but that's where you can sign up: http://www.thailandtesol.org/Memberships/

Hello!

I haven't been here for awhile but I just got an email from a potential employer. Last time I was on this forum I heard the next month or so are the hiring times in Thailand. Anyway, I have a degree and a CELTA but was told that I need at least a year of teaching experience in a government school before working in an international school due to the fact that the current potential employer would not be able to get me licensed to teach without the experience. Anyone know if this is true?

To make this easier to follow: I have a degree and CELTA from the states. I have a little experience in classrooms but not much on my resume. I suppose I could lie but I'm not going that route. Not yet anyway. Do you need to work at a government school before being able to work at an international school?? This sounds strange. I'm wondering if the guy just didn't want to say he prefers more experience first.

Hi, I was wondering if international schools in Thailand recognise QTLS? This now has parity with Qualified Teacher Status in the UK.

'If you have QTLS status and membership with the Society for Education and Training, you will be eligible to work as a qualified teacher in schools in England.

It will be up to schools and local authorities to decide whether you are suitable for a post and to teach a particular subject. You will be exempt from serving a statutory induction period in schools'.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/qualifie...her-status-qts

Why do we have contracts?
What is the point of signing a contract?

Why sign a contract when the management can change the conditions of the contract without informing the employee?

The foreign teaching staff at our university all signed new contracts last week. We arrived at immigration today only to discover that someone had removed the first page of every contract and replaced them with new pages and new (not so good) working conditions without uttering a single word to us.

So ... why do have contracts?

Hello, fellow teachers.

I am a math teacher on a mission to ease the everyday struggle.
How many Thai papers do you sign every month? How many public announcements you have seen but not being able to read?

I had enough of it and instead of learning Thai I decided to make an app for it.
It instantly translates Thai words into English, Japanese or Chinese.
It is not perfect but it gives you a general idea.


ReadThai app has a free trial and is available through Google Play (Appstore is coming soon)

Let me know what you think.

Hi all,

I have recently received my dissertation grade. It is well below the average marks that I have been getting in TESOL which have been 64-67%. My dissertation was marked at 47%, which came as a big surprise because this grade went against what little feedback I was getting from my supervisor. After marking my dissertation my supervisor sent me an email saying well done. Which give me the impression that I had done okay. Even if my dissertation deserved this low mark which I doubt, I feel that I should make a complaint on the grounds that my supervisor ignored almost of my emails. She would offer a meeting, and I would reply and then I would hear no more about it. It got to the stage where I sent her an email asking if she did not have the time them could I please have someone else as a supervisor.

I only starting getting feedback about a week before my final hand in date, and this was after I sent a draft of a complaint letter by mistake to the head of the TESOL course, and I'm sure this is the only reason I started getting any feedback at all. What’s more there have been going ons in the TESOL department with a member of staff having to leave due to a collective complaint from my class. There was also a complaint about the course head as to grading essays, this led to everyone’s grades were bumped up. I have also found out that my lecturer did not second mark my dissertation which makes me wonder if the head of the course marked it. If so it looks like there could have been a collective effort to shaft me. All this means that I will be getting a 2.2 instead of a 2.1. I know it is very difficult to overturn a grade, but my argument will be that given my previous grades in TESOL, and... [Read More]

What's with this guy and online chats? Did he ever get any?

Anthony Weiner reportedly sexts 15-year-old: ‘I would bust that tight pussy’



The fact that Anthony Weiner was reportedly caught sexting with another woman who is not his (now estranged) wife Huma Abedin isn’t shocking in and of itself. What is shocking is that the 51-year-old disgraced former congressman is alleged to have sent sexts expressing a desire to engage in rape fantasies with a 15-year-old girl.

According to a Daily Mail exclusive, a girl, whose identity was withheld because she’s a minor, said that she began a supposed text relationship with Weiner last January while she was a sophomore in high school. Weiner apparently knew how old she was, but still sent her photos of himself, including one of him in the pool and one where he is shirtless and gripping his crotch.


In one message, Weiner told the girl, “I would bust that tight... [Read More]

What's up with that?

Georgia vs Ole Miss Live Stream

I have been working in LOS since May 2014 (first session from 2004-2007).
In January 2015 I turned 60
In January 2016 I turned 61 and was told by the government school that my contract could not be renewed after 60.
I now work for the local government hospital.

All this time I have paid 750 Baht per month Social Security (and employer also paid 750)

Today they suddenly decided that I don't need to pay SS any longer as I am over 60!
I have been told I can get a refund of the 19 months I have paid since I actually turned 60.

I would like to continue using the benefits of SS (totally free medical treatment at the hospital where I work).
1. Do these SS benefits continue after I turn 60 for free (i.e. no further contributions)?
2. If so, is there a minimum number of years prior contributions needed?
3. If not, can I opt to continue paying 750 a month to continue the benefits?

I hope someone might have some information of this for me, please.

"They" say it's not widespread in Thailand. Lately I see people caught around me non stop, so I'm little paranoid.