champagne charlie

Sounds like pure unadulterated wankerism. I like Thailand just the way it is, fuk-u very much.
And if you entertain the idea, even for a micro-second, that Thais give a rat's ass about your opinion, you're beyond hope.

Unwell

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

torbek

I've learned to expect nothing less from you.
So do I. I'm hardly testing the waters for a revolution.
That's not the point of it.



For a supposedly educated man you have somewhat fixed and inflexible view of the world and your place in it.



Like so many other qualified teachers....
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I've been thinking more about this. A couple of people have mentioned similar sentiments in this thread. And it raises it's head as a standard retort from the cynical oldtimers everytime anyone makes suggestions even vaguely similar to this.

Do I think Thais are looking around saying "Why don't these guys have a teachers' association so we can learn from them?"

Of course not. I am proposing a teachers' association primarily for the benefit of teachers, not Thai administration or the government. (Although I do believe all - teachers, administration, government, and students could derive some benefit.)

Do I think Thais would welcome a teachers' association?

Initially, no. Some would see it as a threat to their dominant position. It has to be pitched well as a win-win possibility. Then acceptance may follow when another Thai constant kicks in - greed. But as some have said, this requires a fair bit Page Ranking skill.

Once it is established do I think Thais would listen to a teachers' association?

Yes, to a degree. If it large enough, it cannot simply be dismissed, especially if some Thais recognise some value in it. Those Thais at least have to be appeased, even if few are worried about appeasing the farang teachers. And yes, there are actually a handful of pretty clued up Thais who quietly keep this country from collapsing completely. One of their traits is seeking input from others.

To generalise, 99% of the generalisation made a Thais are true. And the 1% actually get things done.

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Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.

twknott

I think perhaps some of you are just a bunch of air blowers when I read your threads. You don't seem to be very interested in anything but initiating conflict of ideas and negative statements. Get real and listen to the message here. The idea is good but I think like others that the prideful Thai will not acknowledge the representation because it is not Thai or Thai initiated. If you could get the Ministry of Education to back you then maybe a little light would be in the darkness. It could be used with legal backing from the immigration bureau if it would or could take over the job of screening and back grounding the members. You must show a legitimacy not just a radical idea. Plus, the Thai may see it as a gateway to other forms of unionism among the Thai if it were to go through. Heaven forbid a teachers union in Thailand.......or worse a workers union in any catagory. While idea is viable some of the people here couldn't help you because of their proclivities to senility. You must remember that this country is just now acknowledging in the papers what I have been saying for years. Thailand is a sub standard educated nation. It has massive poverty, lacks 22 century motivation and thought, offers nothing as a resource to the rest of the world, depends on export of contract manufacturing and tourism. Now that Vietnam is in the tourist industry look out. China dominates the cheap labor manufacturing sector and India controls the information technology in Asia. What Thailand has to do is lose its pride and accept foreign concepts to revolutionize its educational system so it can offer some brain power to the world. The only Thai's I notice with any brainwaves or those educated in the west, some in international schools here, and the most admired is the creator of Godtower.com. Hate me if you will but opinions are free. I love teaching but it seems some of the writers here in ajarn could probubly be happier in another role upon this stage called life.

torbek

Good point. Does this perhaps make the timing of this proposal reasonable?

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Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.

twknott

Thailand should wake up. It is surrounded by communism, military regimes, and islamic militants with no real way to defend itself. With all the poverty and ignorance one thinks communism is on the way. Farwell to the land of smiles. Thailand is a consumer country that has a lot of by product called waste. This also includes whoremongering of the innocents.

watdog

and no deaf people or hydrocephalics.

Asper

If I read you right, Torbek, the initial objective would not be to make things better for teachers, but rather to try and stop them from getting worse. Which they show every indication of doing at this time.

You seem to be advocating a kind of grown-in-Thailand approach to the system as well. Non-confrontational, "we support your efforts to improve education and would like to do what we can to help you". I think that's the only tactic that would work.

I think it's an approach that could work, as opposed to the ideas about a "better wages, better conditions" quasi-union.

You have my vote, although as a Raj instructor I'm not under the MoE's jurisdiction and don't require a TL.

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ScorpioPower

Lumme Unners.

All that cold weather and over-priced everything.

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This'll be 20 years old come this October and it still sounds brilliant...
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Unwell

i like cold weather and i seem to be skint wherever i am...

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

ScorpioPower

When are you going back and have you got a PGCE thingy?

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This'll be 20 years old come this October and it still sounds brilliant...
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Unwell

back next year, going to get a pgce fingy...

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"...ever wonder why they kill the weak ones, baby?"

trep

That's just pride speaking. If you want any success in Thai society you'll have to take a lot more shit than that. Throwing toys out of the pram won't get you anywhere.

In fact the very first thing the organizers of this new union will have to do is to go for some serious ass-licking and agree with Thais on compromises completely unacceptable to many teachers here.

I have no doubt that there will be cries of "sell outs" on the very first day of its operations.

I have no doubt this union will never be professional enough to avoid incidents like the one with Thai Tesol either.

It's just how things work, especially in Thailand.

zehner

anybody know if there are similar unions in korea or japan?

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Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,
To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring
Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.