That is the case here, sure - Teachers discussion

That is the case here, sure. International schools and colleges in Thailand use the fact they have white faces on their staffs to sell themselves.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean squat to us teachers. So what if we get hired by international schools or colleges? The turnover is so high the teachers at these institutions can't expect to be employed long.

TEFL teaching is a revolving door in Thailand. One planeload of teachers gets fed up and goes back home while another plane load of green, naive suckers is coming to Bangkok to try this exciting thing called teaching in Thailand.

I have seen this - Teachers discussion

I am a colleague of Rheno's at this college. I have students who have been taking English classes for ten years or even more, yet have no ability to speak of. Some can not write a simple sentence yet I am expected to teach them how to write paragraphs. Yes this country must have a very bad education system for this to happen. Unbelievable for this to be a reality at a college.
Ratcheed

To Jin: Ahh, Thailand......Screw this place - Teachers discussion

Hey, Jin. Before considering Thailand, I want you to visualize this actual scenario:
A white-faced idiot (me) is standing in front of a high school class of 60 brown faces trying to teach them how to pronounce a word in English. About 40 are talking in Thai about some stupid shit that doesn't matter for anything, about 10 are reading comic books or sleeping. About 5 have gotten up and left for no reason and without permission. That leaves 5 students who are half-listening to your lecture, but are so distracted by all the chatter and clamour they can't really learn anything.

That's Thailand, buddy.
Do you want to come teach here? I sure as hell wouldn't if I were you.

What I'm saying is if you are a serious teacher who wants his kids to learn, avoid this place. Thailand has what has to be one of the world's worst education systems. At both my old high school and this college, no student fails. If you fail a student in Thailand, the grade will be changed to a passing grade later behind your back. Students know this is going on, so they have no real reason to study anything. And believe me, they don't. They know they'll be fine later even if they never come to class, always goof off when they actually DO go to class, and/or never do any work inside the class or outside that class that's assigned by their teachers.

Teachers are truly powerless in Thailand. If they ever try to 'force' their students to actually do work, the students will bitch and moan to the administration, and the teachers will then hear about it from their higher-ups.

This isn't a problem to Thai teachers. They've always lived with this crap and know no different.

However, it's a great big ol' problem for that white face (again, me) from the west who grew up in a Puritan education system. I don't think I've ever been as aggravated at any time in my life as I've been here. And to think I bought my plane ticket to come here and paid for my TESOL course with my very own money so I could teach these dumbasses. Now I know who REALLY was the dumbass--ME. Damn I was an idiot for thinking these people actually wanted to learn English. What they really want here are white-faced babysitters. You don't need it. Don't make the same mistake I made, Jin. Stay away from here.

I wish I could bring some of my old grade-school teachers here to teach for a week. They'd have ulcers in two days and be screaming for me to take them to the airport as fast as I could possibly get them there.

Thai people aren't really what I'd call 'good people', either. After getting to know how Thai people REALLY are under their phony smiles, I know I won't be back after I get on that jet that finally takes me home. For one thing, family members are cruel to each other--what I'd call child abuse and wife abuse is common here. Too common.

As far as Hat Yai goes, I'd avoid it. Hat Yai is in the far south. At present, there's unrest in that area--the Muslims are pissed off at the Prime Minister and are shooting people at random. It's not common, mind you, but it's just another stupid shit problem you'll have to deal with here. I wouldn't go down there, myself. Not because I'd be afraid of getting shot, but because I'd be angry at myself later for taking that risk to teach a bunch of idiots who don't wanna learn (and have no real reason to learn) to begin with.

Do you want to take that risk?

Look into Korea or Singapore.

Thanks for asking ME. Lots of people will try to debunk what I and some of my friends have to say about this place. Those guys are simply recruiters who have a vested interest in suckering you into coming to this shithole. Ignore them.

Good luck, Jin.

RhenoA380, lighthouse of truth

Thailand immigration question - Teachers discussion

Even after being in Thailand nearly 18 months, I'm STILL learning the ropes. I have a question for you Thai vets.

I've gotten a new job in Thailand, and I just started my second contract (and second year). My question is about satisfying Thailand's immigration regs.

Backgournd Info:

Last year I had to go every three months to immigration to let immigration know my address. After my first contract ended and my work visa expired, I naturally stopped going to immigration. However, at my last visit (about two weeks before both my visa and contract ended), the official gave me that same ol' small form with a date stamped on it, a date which required me to return to immigration in three months (on August 10). I ignored the form, being as my contract and visa were about to expire. After my visa and contract were up, I got tourist visas for both June and July, plus I left Thailand briefly to go work in Korea.

Present situation:

Early this month, I got another non-im B visa for my new employer, an employer who hasn't yet gotten me a new work permit (as of August 24).

My question is: what is going to happen when I go to immigration to start THAT process all over? I don't have the small form I got back in May (the same form that instructed me to come back to immigration on August 10). I fear immigration is gonna try to bust my butt with the 200-Baht-per-day fine being as I didn't come back on August 10.

I assume I'll be fine, being as I'm now at a new job running on a NEW non-im B visa. Will I be?

Those of you who've worked here understand my worry. This IS Thailand, after all. Home of what has to be one of the world's worst government infrastructures.

Thanks a bunch.

R747