Being a former teacher in China on their way to Bangkok any day now, I think it is important to shed some light on this topic. China has just as many problems if not more than Thailand.

Do most schools care about their foreign teachers? No! Can you get work without a degree? Yes! Will you get deported if caught? Yes! Can you return afterwards? No! Do you get free accommodation? Sometimes! Are you respected? Rarely! Can you work legally over 60? No!. If there is a natural disaster like a flood in China will you paid? No! Is your teaching contract enforceable by you? No! Are the students any better? No, the same. Are the girls more beautiful? No! At the end of the day where you decide to live and work is your choice. As foreigners living in another country these are the challenges we must face. I was in the same position as many of you here in Thailand while I was working in China.

I learned a valuable lesson. While working in another country it is our choice to make a positive experience out of our time there. A few suggestions to my fellow ferangs. If you think the salary is too low, don’t accept the job! Save money just like you should do in your own country. Why should you be any different because you are living in Asia? Try to adjust to that countries ideals and culture.

I tried to fight the Chinese government on many things and it was like running into a brick wall every time. I expect it is the same here in Thailand. I hate to say it but at the end of the day when working in a foreign country you must be a follower and not a leader. I a convinced of this, which is why I am going to give it a second shot here in Thailand.  I learned from my past mistakes and plan to use the information I learned to make my new life in Bangkok as much of a rewarding experience as possible. It is what we make of our time teaching here. Good luck to you all who have decided to work in China. Please remember that famous proverb. The grass is always greener on the other side. Cheers!

Anthony

I have been reading with interest the tennis match of letters that seem to be flying around. I by no means wish to ruffle feathers but will purely speak from my own point of view. I too have just gone from Sept 30th - Nov 27th without pay because I currently work for an agency and work for them in a private school, semester to semester. I read with curiosity about those that were not managing on their wage or weren’t able to save anything.

My basic salary is 33,000 baht per calendar month and out of that I pay for my accommodation - a modest 4500 baht for a nice newly refurbished air conditioned room (40 sqm) with all the trimmings bed wardrobe work unit tv unit. I have a nice TV fridge, microwave and mini cooker. It costs me less than 8000baht to live a good life and that allows for eating out at weekends.

I suspect that the majority of the problems for those that cannot manage is that they like to really live (party) and I would expect that they get through a fair amount of baht doing that, or they have a larger accommodation bill than me. Life really is what you make it.

I said that I had gone through from Sept 30 - Nov 27 without pay and so I have, However I have embraced the school where I work and I try my best to embrace the culture and actively take part where ever possible in school activities even if they are not directly part of the English programme. To that end I have been embraced by the Thai teachers, the children and the parents, but also the director and his son who run the school. I feel sorry for those in a position where they are just a farang teacher doing his job and probably that is the extent of what they do.  Maybe their bosses are really rich and mean I don’t know. From my point of view, the Thais are caring and do show concern. In my case I had a back-up fund which coped with the long holiday but I also had two fantastic bosses who despite not having a contract or any obligation to pay when I was not at school, were aware of the extreme circumstances and I was given a generous gift of 20,000 baht from their pockets not the school.

I have been really lucky. I have found a great school with great kids, great teachers and great bosses. I have found great rooms and don’t pay the earth for them. I have found private work which boosts my monthly wage to over 53,000 for a few hours extra a week after school and with that I finish well before 7pm on three nights and I do nothing school related between 3.30pm Friday until 7.30am Monday.

Life is what you make it here. If you need to party and live a lavish life style then you need a big wage. I think you can live very well on 30,000 a month and you don’t need to splash out on western food. It really is not that expensive if you shop sensibly. If you need to buy beers every day, then its going to cost.
Make the most of it here and if you’re not happy then move on. In my experience I have no problems with work or Thai people. Be happy.

Jonathan

I think James has hit a sore spot with many readers here. These whiners and crybabies can’t or won’t save any of their (meager) salary and expect to be taken care of as if they were in their home country (usually a welfare state that is now on the verge of bankruptcy).James is right though; foreigners in Thailand have to learn to plan and take care of themselves. Just one thing said here that I don’t agree with: do readers here really think Thais ‘are taken care of’ by their social welfare system? Maybe the civil servants, but definitely not the millions of factory workers and farmers (and don’t even get me started about the exploitation of foreign laborers such as the Burmese). These poor devils have the worst of both worlds and can’t even complain about it. Foreigners in Thailand should save for a rainy day - or a flood in this case.

Hippolyte

OK, I realize my comments aren’t attracting too many favourable comments, so let’s be a little more positive and pragmatic. We’re all here in Asia and all experiencing different problems. Personally I enjoyed living in Thailand but hated the work. Yes, we were/are abused and taken advantage of, but at the end of the day we all chose to come here and we can all choose to leave.

I will definitely go back to Thailand, my home and family are there, but having said that, I doubt if I will work there again so that’s something we have in common. The reason I won’t is exactly for the same reasons many have stated. I’m not rich, I simply saw what would happen if I lived the good life and through injury, illness or ‘Acts of God’ the same thing happened to me as is happening to some of you guys now. I made provisions for myself against that happening and now simply query why I did and some of you didn’t.

I got out and have previously stated that I’d recommend others do the same if they’re unhappy with the way things are going. Thailand is not the only country in Asia and the path that they’re following is their decision and we don’t have to be a part of it.

You will always read negative and subjective reports about anywhere and especially Thailand. I’ve only been in China a short while, but from what I have seen I’m staying. Perhaps it does boil down to a question of attitude and perception; what we expect against what life is really like. There isn’t any point going on about Thai bosses, corruption and contracts. My point is that people move on and take responsibility for themselves. Perhaps again we’re too used to our own culture in which we seek to find blame in others for our own failings and ‘demand’ that we all be treated equally. I read between the lines and find a sort of ‘shock’ or incredulous approach to Thailand and again my point is that we accept it and learn to look after ourselves. I could go on the ajarn forum and find the same numpties bawling, swearing and abusing each other; the same sort of people who I would expect to be hostile to Thailand, but who it wouldn’t occur to, to leave. Try China as a last resort, but be aware that life here is even more controlled than Thailand and here you do really have to stand on your own two feet. I wish you all the best.

James

Strange that not being paid for not working has now turned to how badly you perceive yourselves to be employed. It’s simple and there’s nothing right wing or conservative about it – you don’t like it, you leave. You go back to Europe and ‘the dole’ as people put it, where at least you’ll be fed and housed and have free medicine. What on earth is difficult to understand about that?

You can’t live on 30/40k in Bangkok? I don’t blame you, but have you ever thought of looking elsewhere for work, somewhere in Isaan where the cost of living is cheaper? You’re not prepared to eat Thai food? Too ‘beneath’ you is it?  Straight off the dole in the UK and want to live it up in the capital playing the ‘big farang’? I am not better than anyone else, I simply perhaps have a little more sense than those of you who whinge on about having the same rights as in the UK or the U.S? You want those rights? Go back if you can’t hack it here!

You are correct, we only have one support system and that being ourselves and my original post asks why are you in the mess you’re in for not having saved a little for emergencies? There follows a tirade of it’s the schools fault, it’s the governments fault, my wage is too low, I’m not living on Thai food. You say in Thailand there are teachers who get paid 15,000 a month? I can assure you that I didn’t force them to work for that amount and I think that you wouldn’t find any in Bangkok working for that. I have never said (I repeat) that the Thais do not have a social safety net, it is we foreigners who don’t and it is up to us to look after ourselves. Again I repeat, if you are unable to do so then go back to Europe or wherever. The Thai boss does not have to save up for a rainy day because it’s not his rainy day, it’s yours.

Can we stop comparing conditions in Europe or the U.S to Thailand? You know the score here, (or perhaps you don’t) You pay 750 baht a month for insurance if you’re legal? Really? I was legal and didn’t. The school paid for my insurance and I topped it up to provide reasonable cover. You’re not paid enough? Go back home and try the minimum wage. The bottom line is that I don’t have a problem. Some of you guys do and that problem is of your own making in not being able to put a little bit aside each month, instead of blaming everyone else for it. Try the foreign Embassy, see what they say when you tell them you require assistance because you couldn’t or wouldn’t save.

I’ll tell you what the problem is; you’re in the wrong place with the wrong attitude; grow up and learn to adapt and stop blaming everyone else for the mess you’re in. This isn’t Europe. Is that what you were expecting? Has it all been a bit of a disappointment? Are you slowly learning that this isn’t the paradise you thought it was? Stop scratching your head and making excuses. I say this with all respect, but some of the letters I read should be signed ‘loser’. You couldn’t hack it in the UK or wherever and you’ve got the same problem here. No change there then.

James