I have just completed my contract with Fun Language Ltd in Bangkok. 10 days after leaving the company I am still waiting for my final pay check and the company seem to be resisting my efforts to get the money they owe me. And this does not seem to be an isolated case, 3 of the teachers who left before me left in tears due to the company's unwillingness to pay its employees money it owes them. Even on a monthly basis,overtime payments are frequently messed up (always underpaid, never overpaid) and only by careful checking and record keeping is it possible to ensure that you are being paid the money you are owed.

I would not recommend this company as an employer. Most of the teachers working for the company are unhappy and are only staying with the company due to the large deposits that the company forces you to pay on joining (as I later found this is not standard practice in Thailand). Essentially, this is a company that is profit focused and the welfare and happiness of teachers, students and schools are not a major concern. The material and methods used are really suited to small groups of Kindergarten children yet the program is sold to very large classes (some have 30+ K1 kids - an infringement of the contracts signed by the company) and children aged up to 16 year old (for whom the material is totally ineffective). Recently many of the experienced teachers have left the company which has further lessened the effectiveness of the minimal training provided.

As well as these major concerns there are many smaller issues with the company that generally contribute to a feeling of bitterness and ill willl. For example, although on joining you are promised 25 holidays a year, most of these are public holidays. Essentially you are given 5 days per term which must be taken at the end of the term (and it is compulsory to take your spring term holidays over Thai new year when all the schools are closed anyway). Also, we were only given a one day holiday for Christmas. On top of this, health insurance is minimal and you are treated like a criminal if you try to claim for it. A friend of mine recently had a motorbike accident, found out that the company wouldn't pay his hospital bills, asked to borrow money for the operation and was refused and told that he, "should have budgeted better." Another sneaky trick they play is to charge a deposit for all materials we use in the term. On returning the materials we are charged for any lost items... for example 10 USD for a flashcard....this is a laminated piece of paper. Oh, and in spite ofthe promises they make, they will not get you a work permit.

Generally I would advise people to avoid this company... as far as I can see, the best strategy for teaching in Bangkok seems to be to find work after arrival. There are some great schools here but you really don't know this until you arrive and you really don't want to be tied to a company like the one I have been working for.