Ajarn Forum - Living and Teaching In Thailand - View Single Post - Farang EFL teachers' salaries totally unrelated to Thais

GreatSage · 3rd February 2005, 06:40

PB, I mentioned age as I thought your concerns about disparity stemmed from that. Sorry. Given that you have a lot of savings and a pension, most of the concerns you have won’t apply anyway? Ie, your pension from the US would be significantly higher than most Thai pensions.

I can understand the WP problem in the provinces.

Re inheritances, I’ll be very happy if my folks live until they are 90. I was just suggesting that a lot of farangs in Thailand will get ‘something’. Even a minor thing in the west, in Thai money, tends to be significant. I know a lot of farangs who have opened businesses etc based on things like this. Again, not a pension…but something.

Yes, young people tend not to save. However, that’s up to the individual. Surely anyone ‘youngish’, who is planning on settling in a country where they will have no social security benefits, will plan for the future? If not, they can always go home and get something in their ‘own’ country in many cases. I don’t know how the USA system is under Bush though. Thankfully, I’m not American

I disagree totally that other wages are not relevant. Other wages set the “context” for costs and so forth within a society. If a Thai Pharmacist and Doctor can ‘survive’ on 20K /40K, then I’d argue strongly that a farang ajarn should be able to cope. I can assure you that, in most western countries, Pharmacists and Doctors are paid much more than teachers and lead infinitely better lifestyles!

Again, much of this comes down to what people want out of Thailand. The guy who wants 2 years of fun and then plans to return home can do that easily on an ajarns salary. The guy who wants to stay in Thailand a long time obviously needs to plan a bit more for the long term. Like anywhere, the purchase of property will be one’s main expense. As I said before, I’d not like to pay off a Thai mortgage on an ajarns salary. Most Thai’s don’t pay off mortgages in the western way, ie a young couple take a huge loan. Thai family’s tend to live together and thus the land is paid off often by the previous generation and left to the kids, who then build on it etc. If one can ‘avoid’ that expense, then a farang should be able to live a decent lifestyle in Thailand. Certainly better than a teacher in the west ‘trapped’ in a 30 year mortgage

I agree with your overall sentiment that farangs have little rights though. It’s disgraceful that legitimately married guys with kids, who have lived in the country for years…have basically no rights. Contrast that with Thai spouses abroad who get full legal rights in most places (and so they should).
:chug:

3rd February 2005, 06:40	#16 (permalink)
GreatSage GreatSage is..... Regular User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Back where the air is fresh Posts: 910 vCash: 500 Rep Power: 75	PB, I mentioned age as I thought your concerns about disparity stemmed from that. Sorry. Given that you have a lot of savings and a pension, most of the concerns you have won’t apply anyway? Ie, your pension from the US would be significantly higher than most Thai pensions. I can understand the WP problem in the provinces. Re inheritances, I’ll be very happy if my folks live until they are 90. I was just suggesting that a lot of farangs in Thailand will get ‘something’. Even a minor thing in the west, in Thai money, tends to be significant. I know a lot of farangs who have opened businesses etc based on things like this. Again, not a pension…but something. Yes, young people tend not to save. However, that’s up to the individual. Surely anyone ‘youngish’, who is planning on settling in a country where they will have no social security benefits, will plan for the future? If not, they can always go home and get something in their ‘own’ country in many cases. I don’t know how the USA system is under Bush though. Thankfully, I’m not American I disagree totally that other wages are not relevant. Other wages set the “context” for costs and so forth within a society. If a Thai Pharmacist and Doctor can ‘survive’ on 20K /40K, then I’d argue strongly that a farang ajarn should be able to cope. I can assure you that, in most western countries, Pharmacists and Doctors are paid much more than teachers and lead infinitely better lifestyles! Again, much of this comes down to what people want out of Thailand. The guy who wants 2 years of fun and then plans to return home can do that easily on an ajarns salary. The guy who wants to stay in Thailand a long time obviously needs to plan a bit more for the long term. Like anywhere, the purchase of property will be one’s main expense. As I said before, I’d not like to pay off a Thai mortgage on an ajarns salary. Most Thai’s don’t pay off mortgages in the western way, ie a young couple take a huge loan. Thai family’s tend to live together and thus the land is paid off often by the previous generation and left to the kids, who then build on it etc. If one can ‘avoid’ that expense, then a farang should be able to live a decent lifestyle in Thailand. Certainly better than a teacher in the west ‘trapped’ in a 30 year mortgage I agree with your overall sentiment that farangs have little rights though. It’s disgraceful that legitimately married guys with kids, who have lived in the country for years…have basically no rights. Contrast that with Thai spouses abroad who get full legal rights in most places (and so they should). :chug: