Let's not kid ourselves

In response to Joe Hoeson's 'job ads are not racist' (Postbox 15th March 2011)
NES. What exactly does that mean? Yes yes, I know what the acronym stands for but to whom do you apply it? Knowing your mindset, and that of Thais in general, whites are native speakers and Asians are non natives. Is that not by it's very definition "racism"? Skin color should not be the final determining factor whether a Filipino should or should not be hired. Take my wife for example. Sonia has a master degree in education and she has five years of English (English composition) teaching experience as an adjunct lecturer at a prestigious New York university. Would you hire someone with those qualifications? What if it turns out that Sonia is a dark skinned Filipino?

The bottom line is that Thailand does not adhere to non-discriminatory hiring practices: height, age, attractiveness, overall appearance, and especially skin tone are typically and explicitly considered for any job that requires working with the public (and this applies just as much to the Thais as it does to foreigners, maybe more so). This should be clear to anyone who has been asked to send a photo of themselves along with their résumé, a practice that is entirely illegal in just about all of our respective Western countries. The photo is obviously being required in order to determine if the prospective teacher “looks the part.” But let us not kid ourselves and say that this is not racism and hide behind the label of "NES".

Anonymous


Read more letters

Send your letter to Ajarn.com



Featured Jobs

Kindergarten to High School Teaching Positions

฿105,000+ / month

China


Tutors for Economics, Environmental Science, Test Prep, etc

฿650+ / hour

Bangkok


NES Kindergarten Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Rayong


Full-time Literacy / EFL Teachers

฿50,000+ / month

Bangkok


Fun Native English Teachers for June Start

฿42,000+ / month

Thailand


English Teachers for June Start

฿35,000+ / month

Suphan Buri


Featured Teachers

  • Taner


    Turkish, 40 years old. Currently living in Turkey

  • Nasir


    Pakistani, 46 years old. Currently living in Saudi Arabia

  • Dima


    Ukrainian, 34 years old. Currently living in Ukraine

  • Maricel


    Filipino, 34 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Analiza


    Filipino, 42 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Mary


    Filipino, 35 years old. Currently living in Philippines

The Hot Spot


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


Renting an apartment?

Renting an apartment?

Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.


Can you hear me OK?

Can you hear me OK?

In today's modern world, the on-line interview is becoming more and more popular. How do you prepare for it?


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.