Good news….... The school the main article is describing has decided to not cut our pay after all. After a website was set up on facebook keeping all teachers from many schools owned by this organization informed on what was going on. Almost 90% of the teachers refused to sign the new contract. Sticking together as a large group, more then 200 teachers in 5 schools, we prevailed. Not all stories here have a bad ending. I don’t think they will try something like this again, as this time it went belly up.

By Ron, BKK on 2012-02-23

I’d like to address the last post by Billy. Yes, it is wrong, and as you correctly stated, it happens a lot. It happens so much that teachers who are familiar with “the Thai system” really try to get a read on what their future is with the school before the term is up. Imagine coming to the end of your 10 month contract (another shifty aspect of Thais) and you’re wondering ...“Are they going to hire me back? Hmmm…no one has said anything one way or another and my visa will then need adjusting.” This is the game Thai schools play with foreigners. All in the name of saving the face of the teacher, they don’t outright fire you, but they don’t invite you back, either. Are we splitting hairs? The teacher has been fired. Period.

This creates a great deal of mistrust amongst staff. I had a friend who could sense he was not going to be rehired because no one was helping him with his visa issues. After getting the run around for several weeks, and his status about to go bad, he spoke to the principal directly. Sure enough, he was not going to be rehired. Both agreed that he’d work out the remainder of the month and be paid. This is actually a “good” story. I know of others who have certainly caused a stink by being the last to know they are out of a job come end of term.

And just for the record, anything perceived as “unlawful” does not apply to foreigners or “falangs.” The sooner an English teacher realizes this, the happier he will be.

By jim, Bangkok on 2012-02-23

I want to know if a school decides to not renew an employee’s contract for no given reason and clearly stating that the foreign teacher was not being fired, the school is simply just not renewing the contract, does this fall under the unlawful release of an employee? This happens to many foreign teachers at the end of the year and seems to be a very wrong work habit in Thai schools.

By billy, bangkok on 2012-02-23

I left a big branch school in December, another branch of the same school contacted me about starting for them…..B6000 less than my former base salary and the same benefits. 24 teaching periods and other duties. Sadly, I had to decline.

By Robin Hood, Bkk on 2012-02-23