I'm currently in my third year of teaching at my current school in Thailand. I'm going to do one more year before returning to my home country. I have a 5-year teaching licence with about three years left on it, but I'm still going to leave.

I've come to notice that a lot of Thai schools have some rather bitter and twisted rules in the small print of their employment contracts. Now, nobody is forced to sign such contracts, but for those with families and assets here, it might be case of 'having to'.

Why so?

Well, a return to your own country would (in some cases at least) mean having a job and home to go to. That might take time to arrange or save the money for. And in my experience, most Thai schools (even the higher paying ones with 'good' reputations, like mine) have some of these 'bitter' rules within their contracts. In essence, if you're looking for a school that doesn't have such rules, you're probably (although not definitely) not going to find a teaching position in Thailand.

What are these rules and unsavoury actions I'm talking about? Well, these are the ones I keep seeing nowadays.

1. Contracts running from March to March. I've seen lots of contracts (some of my schools and schools of others) that do this. It is simply to avoid paying end of the year holiday pay to an employee who is not returning in May.

I think if you've worked all year you should get the end of year holiday pay. Not paying this (and ending contracts in March, which also ends the non B/work permit etc) makes it almost impossible to change jobs in Thailand. Visa cancelled in mid March, it's about 60 days until the new term, so a teacher would have to support themselves financially for half of March (yes, some schools stop the pay then!), all of April and May. The 60/90 days given after a visa run will probably not be enough time in some cases. It's deliberate, no doubt about it.

To me, this is just schools being bitter and twisted about teachers potentially leaving. They'd rather make it impossible to change schools within Thailand and keep you there as an unhappy employee. It's bitter. It's twisted. It's pathetic.

2. Western managers who are happy to make it hard for western teachers.

I have come across a few of these types. The types who think the above procedures are great and are the ones who, at times, take great delight in dishing out such punishments on their own people. You'd think they'd understand how hard it is for foreigners out here, but these cretins act like the lap dogs of the school owners for a few extra bucks a month. They are weasels.

3. Expecting teachers to work for free.

This is a bugbear of mine. It only seems to be teachers who are expected to work the odd day here and there for free. It's not good. I've had more than one contract that says things like 'occassional weekend work may be required, but such occurrences are rare and reasonable notice will be given'. This is something I do ask about if I see it in a contract. I've had two schools tell me 'oh just once or twice a year'. That's OK, I can handle that (even if I think the school's should pay the teachers for their time!) But in reality, this has not been the case.

At my current school, I will have worked about 5 Saturdays already since May - December. A few evenings too. We were once given two days notice of having to come in on a Saturday (it was a non emergency). Same day's notice of an online Zoom meeting at 7pm. For something that could've waited or been said in an email.

A lot of the weekend/evening events seem to be all about making western managers look better in front of the school owners (by getting the teachers in to do shows or community days etc.) All unpaid, although a lot of these events involve parents paying for a seat etc. It's the brown nosing psycho western managers saying, "Oooh look at me Mr Owner. I got everyone in for free to put 70k in your pocket.. Please pat me on the head and call me a good boy." Weasels.

4. Keeping work permits. My current school has a policy (which sounds illegal) of keeping work permits if you leave for another school without giving 90 day's notice, or if you take the end of year holiday pay with no intention of returning in May. It's bitter and twisted. And before anyone says 'Well you shouldn't take the holiday pay and leave' etc. Well, a Thai would be allowed to take the pay and not have an ex employer put a block on them getting another job. What would happen back home? Nothing!

It's bitter and it's twisted to do such a thing. Particularly when foreign teachers do it! Sometimes, an offer comes up that you can't refuse, even if you weren't looking for a job. But these psychos literally want to ruin your life if you have the audacity to try and get a better job. Even if they've worked for the school for a decade or so! The upshot is that I am now planning an exit with my family. We have saved a fair amount and one more year's saving should do it.

5. The Thai education system , when it comes to hiring foreigners and its employment contract rules, is, for the most part, run by psychotic western lapdogs and bitter school owners who see non-Thai teachers as cattle.

Foxy Stoat