This is in response to an <a href="http://www.ajarn.com/blogs/william-putnam/the-value-of-a-bohemian-life" title="ajarn blog">ajarn blog</a> on how teachers shouldn't be constantly chasing more and more money.

The fundamental reason we work is to make money. I'd like to think that the money we make isn't just for paying bills and buying useless crap.

I use my disposable income to save and enjoy my life. I have a very nice apartment which I very much look forward to going home to. It has all the amenities and a second bedroom used as an office where I do online work. I work about 55 hours a week and very much love and appreciate my days off and holidays. If I have any more than 2 weeks off, I get bored.

The guy I work with loves to be at work. He comes in early and he leaves work late. He loves keeping busy and doesn't do much extra work as he thinks our full-time job should be the focus of our lives. He's consumed by his job and always tells me the boss will look more favorably on me if she sees me coming in early and leaving late.

I explained that this is just a job for me. I signed a contract, I do what's asked of me, and I go home and live 'my' life. I explained to him that I won't judge his philosophy in life if he doesn't judge mine. If the boss wants me to work longer hours, she can compensate me sufficiently so I have no need to do extra work. It's not personal it's business.

My old farang boss once called all of us into a meeting. It was just before school term finished and we had two months of holidays and summer camp. He was basically trying to encourage us to not do summer camp and take unpaid leave. He did this by explaining that teaching is hard work. You need to turn your brain off and relax. Get out of Bangkok. Get out of Thailand. You need some perspective so get out of Asia for a month, etc. Come back stronger for the new term.

It was all very motivating and solid advice, except for one thing; with what money? You want us to maybe go skiing in the Alps whilst not getting paid?

If you want to live in Thailand long term, you're gonna have to work hard to make it work. In my old job there was no yearly pay rise. In my current job I had to fight tooth and nail to get an extra 3k a month. And of course, there always has to be caveats.

If you're just a gap-year teacher then go nuts. Have fun, don't do any extra work and have nice long holidays. If you wanna live here, you have to work to make it happen. Can't just romanticize being this teacher who dedicates his career to 'the kids'. You need to find a balance and save for the future.

The old notion of "As I get older I want to be working less for more" doesn't apply to foreign teachers in Thailand.

You want more money? You have to take on extra work. Simple as. You don't wanna do the extra work cos you love the kids? Enjoy trying to spend magic beans in Seven Eleven as you hit retirement age where you have little savings but great memories of how you dedicated your life to your full-time job and forgot to think about yourself.

Every school or agency I've worked for has absolutely treated education as a business. Why can't I? Why is teaching the only job where it's all on the teacher to dedicate their lives for low pay but no one else has to? Why can't teachers do their jobs, work hard, and also make money?

Marcus