Suffering because of my 'Thainess'
I agree, most teachers who don't meet the "white" or "farang" image often get tossed on the back-burner with regards to their salary. I myself have taught in Bangkok and Thailand. I am an American "Thai", BUT a native English speaker who grew up and worked over twenty years in the States. I'm Thai...like Tiger Woods is Thai, so schools that hired me had a native speaker without the work permit or visa issues as I hold both passports, but most were still unwilling to give me the typical farang wage of 50K or more because of my "Thainess" even though I have much more education, experience and my command of English is at a higher level than most of the "true native whiteys" working as teachers. It actually took me four years to get the standard "native" speaker salary while others who were less qualified, less experienced, less articulate but a bit lighter skinned, would get it in their first teaching gig. But hey, this is Thailand.
Anucha
