Several months ago, I wrote a comment on one of the article sections of the ajarn website, Just to refresh your memory, these were the comments. If you have problems with some students, it’s best you don’t bring them to the attention of the head of the section the students come under. Because, in almost all cases, you will be seen: a) as a nuisance and a nitpicker, b) you will be seen as inefficient, c) you have problems with Thai students, Thai attitudes and Thai ways, d) you will never be told that the real reason is that the head simply wants to enjoy the nice bits of his/her status and never wants to stick her fingers in the mud. The best way, if you want to survive and not be ‘a trouble-maker’ is somehow deal with the problems yourself. This way you can hope to prolong your tenure.

Ok now for an update. I did commit the mistake of bringing some first year students' problems to the attention of the head of the section last year. By September, after four and half year at this university, despite 'an excellent record of work' as per the Dean; my contract was renewed for just six months - even though the Dean assured me that the contract would be renewed after March 2012, I started looking for other jobs from October 2011. This is how it went;

Employer 1 : Called in person. Completed application form. Was asked to complete a self- profile with education and employment history and achievements to date. Profile with originals of academic, professional certificates and courses attended etc submitted within two weeks. Following many telephone requests, was invited for an interview in March this year. Only one panelist was present as the other three were 'away on urgent matters'. The panelist wanted me to attend the second interview the following week. I turned up at the second interview and I noticed another candidate. He had just arrived from a faraway town, wearing shorts and a tee shirt and carrying a back-pack. He said he was an American school teacher. He got the job.

Employer 2 : This was a local Catholic school. I was selected at the interview but contrary to what I was told before, they were prepared to offer only 15,000 baht per month as I did not have a 'European' appearance' My citizenship in the UK, where I have lived for 38 years gaining all my qualifications/experience. were irrelevant in the eyes of this employer. Teachers of European nationality and appearance were paid 30,000 baht a month.

Employer 3: Got called for an interview at a local girls' school. The female Head of English was pleased with me at the conclusion of the interview and said that she would let me know the outcome in three days. She also said that there were three vacancies and that there were no other applicants as yet. Nothing was heard after the three days. Upon inquiry, I was told that all the vacancies were filled. The school was closed during the previous three days.

Employer 4: Went for the interview at a large private school in the area. Interview lasted for 30 minutes. Many questions, many answers. No news of the outcome for a week. When I telephoned, I was told that they were only interested in teachers no older than 40 years of age.

My contract at the university where I worked was not renewed in March. I have given up all hopes of securing a teaching job in Thailand now and will be returning to the UK soon.

Sir Heath

I was thinking of finding myself a teaching job in Thailand. However, after a lot of searching, interviews and demo lessons, I gave up because:
Schools don't hire teachers anymore - only the agencies do that.
Some schools have the nerve to ask for some kind of guarantee in case the teacher destroys materials.
Schools either don't seem to provide accommodation or have no idea where teachers can get it.
Not even the Thai English teachers can speak English or at least understand it - so in a Thai school, you are on your own.
All the schools expect the teacher to be some kind of buffoon, a clown, and to entertain the students, not to teach them.
Agencies will very often lie about the salary, accommodation, working hours and school location. Sometimes everything seems to be cloaked in mystery.
Agencies will sometimes tell the teachers to lie about their qualifications, nationality, etc in order to get them employed. It just isn't in my nature to do this.
The nationality matters more than the teaching experience.
The teaching experience matters more than the teaching skills.
The teaching experience matters more than the English language knowledge.

George

You missed out a fourth option Jack ("We all have choices" Postbox 25th May) and that is to leave Thailand, work elsewhere and come back for holidays. Welcome to China where education is taken seriously, teaching is an average of 15 to 20 (45 minute periods) per week and when all the free stuff such as accommodation, electric, food . . . is thrown in, it's easily worth the equivalent of 60k+ baht a month. No ‘extra activities’, ‘forced’ attendance in summer camps or ‘compulsory’ sports days. The atmosphere is usually serious but friendly and older teachers are rather more welcome than 21-year old blond/e haired ‘backpackers’.

I do still look on Thailand as my ‘home’ and have a wife and house there, so my post is not sour grapes against the country itself but rather at the reality of what’s going on. The ‘happy, happy’ teaching methodology, the exam cheating, the corruption, the influx of unemployed people replacing the tourists . . . . . a developing country that relied on tourism is now wondering where all the money has gone! In less than eight months, despite normal everyday expenses, I have saved 170k baht to bring back to Thailand in the summer holidays, something that was impossible when I worked there.

That’s why the salaries are dropping and teachers are leaving at an alarming rate; money and in many cases the horrendous working conditions. China welcomes teachers and experience with open arms, as does Vietnam and South Korea. Teachers are now leaving Thailand and if tourism doesn’t come back soon, (unlikely given the deep recession the west is in), Thailand will once again sink back into oblivion and its third world status.

James

Yes, ESL job wages are pretty crappy and the salaries are lower here (considering inflation) than they were 10 to 15 years ago. So what? I see you have today, same as in the past, three options.

1. Bitch about it and be miserable (and maybe unemployed)
2. Accept it and enjoy English teaching for what it offers despite the low pay
3. Change careers

It didn’t take me long when first coming to LOS and finding an English teaching job to realize there wasn’t any future from a financial perspective in teaching English. I am glad I chose option three without much delay. I can understand the frustration, but you make your own choice and blaming ‘Thailand’ or some unspecific ‘they’ for your situation is unlikely to help you to any extent.

By the way, bitching about salaries is universal and has little to do with teaching English in Thailand in 2012. The market decides teachers’ salaries, not bitching and moaning. You can’t change your past choices, but you do control your future. Which of the three options will you now choose? Choose wisely!

Jack

I notice a lot of schools have gone from paying monthly salaries to only offering hourly wages with no benefits other than a canteen lunch. Over the past year, I’ve seen at least two schools go from paying 35k-45k per month to only offering 500-600 baht per hour - and that’s what they were paying teachers well over 15 years ago! The salaries and conditions keep getting worse with every year. I know African teachers from Kenya and Sudan teaching English legally in Cambodia who make more money than this - without a degree or any formal qualifications such as a TEFL certificate. And they can have nice, large apartments with beautiful views for $125 a month.

Lisa

It seems the only thing required in most schools right now is to be a young “fresh face”. Experience is not appreciated (or paid for) in most cases. With the ASEAN economic community just around the corner, this is an interesting development. It is just what the country needs to help it develop for ASEAN - a fresh crop of inexperienced teachers. Fantastic. Thailand is about to be knocked out of the Asean ball park. With countries like Vietnam - which seems to be far more serious about education and English language acquistion, and the 300 Baht a day fee (which means a lot of manufacturers want to move to neighbouring countries) it is interesting to see Thaland still does not take this reality very seriously.

Marvin

Just got a reply from one of the regular school posters saying that due to MOE (Ministry of Education) rules, that they can not employ anyone over the age of 60. This is news to me; is it news to others or have I just not researched the MOE rules? I feel like I've been spinning my wheels here for weeks sending CVs and emails and not getting any results. Could it be my age and no one has had the time to tell me this except one school? What does anyone know about MOE rules? Is there an English website to verify this rule?

Phil / ajarn.com says - Richard, your letter is a bit confusing to be honest, even though I get the gist.'Regular school posters' where? Who are 'they' in the first sentence? - a school that employs you, a school that wants to employ you - or the Ministry of Education? The lack of response to you e-mailing out your resume could simply be down to the schools looking for younger teachers couldn't it? It's not necessarily anything to do with MOE rules.

Richard

Although it still states on the Thai Immigration website that the issue of re-entry permits is at the discretion of the immigration officer, a "new" service is now being offered prior to passport control. I had to make use of this service when my local immigration office was closed on 10th of April for a special holiday. In a panic I phoned the 1111 number to ask if it was possible, given the special circumstances, to get the permit at the airport. I was told it was, and to arrive very early, have my TM 8 filled out, a 2 inch photo and copies of my passport and work permit.

I arrived with all the required documents and checked in for my flight about four hours before its departure. then I went to look for the place to do the permit. As it was it couldn't have been easier. There is a special desk at passport control 2 - and I didnt need any documents either. The man waved away my completed TM8 and filled it in for me on computer, then took my photo - all I had to do was sign. He then took it to the immigration officer and got my permit stamp, all in about 10 minutes.

This service is offered for a fee of 200 Baht plus the 1000 for the permit, and is available at passport control 2 from 06.00 - 24.00, and you have to have already checked in for your flight. You can then either go through passport control or head back outside!

Del

With regards to last months article in the Bangkok Post about government schools receiving a 10,000 baht subsidy for employing a native English speaker. I read one letter in the Ajarn postbox which stated that government schools were already receiving 50,000 baht per month for employing a native English speaker. I was wondering if anyone can confirm this statement as true? It seems that ALL native English speakers have heard about this new 10,000 baht per month, but no-one seems to know anything about this 50,000 baht already allocated to government schools. Might be interesting to confirm this and see what reaction this is going to cause amongst the native English speakers employed in government schools.

Dennis

Regarding 'so many hurdles' (ajarn postbox 28th March) Where is the surprise? The addition of the proof of English speaking ability (TOEIC/TOFEL/IELTS scores) by non native speakers was added to the list of basic requirements last October (and posted about on various teacher forums). The requirement of 20 hours per year of ongoing professional development (certificates of self improvement) is also nothing new for those who continue to be employed as teachers. Five years in and pretty soon you can expect them to start looking at/for your TCT teacher's tests / license as well. The criminal background check has always been on the list - even though it is hardly every asked for. Ignorance is not an excuse. Time for everyone to get up to speed.

Ttompatz