Life's so unfair for the bad teachers
Postbox letter from
For every good teacher, I'd say there are three bad ones. The bad ones are usually allowed to coast along until the school finally get their revenge and don't renew their contract.
Teacher tax issues
Working your way through the teacher tax minefield
It is not unusual for certain schools to under declare a teacher's salary and consequently the tax documents provided to the teacher do not always agree with amounts paid to the Revenue Department. Sometimes the Revenue Department do not even know the teacher existed.
Do you have to attend school events?
Does your school require you to take part in out-of-hours activities?
What is your school's approach to making teachers attend extra-curricular activities and secondly, what is your attitude towards them?'
The labor law in Thailand is NOT gray
Postbox letter from Jonathan
There is no gray area here. Always go with a Thai. Always speak to a supervisor if anyone tries to fob you off with the 'this doesn't apply to you' crap. Nearly all schools will settle at the initial arbitration meeting.
Teacher compensation
Second article on Thai labor law and how it applies to teachers
This article is about how the Thai labor court system works in terms of mediation, arbitration, etc, how much money you can expect to be awarded in compensation - and most importantly, how much it will cost you.
The Thai labour law
And more importantly how it applies to teachers here
This is the first of a series of articles about the Thai labour law and the labour courts and how foreigners, especially teachers in Thailand, are affected by them. As a teacher, I have been to the Thai labour court twice and in both cases had a settlement awarded to me. I have also been to the labour court in South Africa as an employer several times. I have never lost a court case.
Stick or twist?
Decisions, decisions, decisions
Like many other teachers I now find myself in the position where I need to make a decision about what I will do next academic year. Do I stay put? Or is it time to move on to pastures new?
An overview of teaching in Thailand
I thought this might be of benefit to new ajarn readers in particular
I was asked to fill in a questionnaire by my old university on the topic of teaching English in Thailand. Although it was intended to encourage applicants to take a Thai study program in Germany, the information might be useful for those teachers thinking of coming to work here in Thailand.
Summertime blues
Major changes that will affect many teachers
Next year it's going to be a very long summer. Schools will be finishing in early March as usual but the new school year won't begin until mid-June. That's a 3-month holiday we're looking at. Great news for our students but it may be a little worrying for teachers that don't get holiday pay
Does Thailand want to keep its teachers?
Postbox letter from Jonathan
I think it is plain to see that Thailand has to change the way it operates. The fat cat agency owners are making a killing ripping off teachers. The school directors are pocketing money to buy their Mercedes instead of buying what the school needs.
