A call to arms

**kenkannif** · 8th December 2005 08:49

^ But you'd think that if that's the case schools would happily pay more for a 'good' farang teacher (if there are so many crap unqualfied ones as you say), but they generally don't....why is that? Arrogance? I don't think so.

**Unwell** · 8th December 2005 09:05

conditions are crap here because thailand is not genuinely interested in having it's people speak english. it's too hard, it isn't sanook.

i'm not bad at selling myself, getting perks and hustling but i'll only do it for myself. in my experience here, there are so many freaks, liars, thieves, pissheads, arseholes, fantasists and other assorted scum that i have no interest in being counted among them.

this place has taught me to be selfish and to look out for mself.

**laconic** · 8th December 2005 09:12

Originally Posted by kenkannif

^ But you'd think that if that's the case schools would happily pay more for a 'good' farang teacher (if there are so many crap unqualfied ones as you say), but they generally don't....why is that? Arrogance? I don't think so.

Obviously, we disagree.

It is employer arrogance built on a never-ending supply of unqualified and non-professional farangs who are very happy to accept abysmal salaries to be able to make their way into a classroom with the title of "teacher."

**Unwell** · 8th December 2005 09:14

...you'd think that if that's the case schools would happily pay more for a 'good' farang teacher (if there are so many crap unqualfied ones as you say), but they generally don't....why is that?

becuase they don't give a fuck. and they're cheap.

**defender** · 8th December 2005 09:22

Originally Posted by kk

But you'd think that if that's the case schools would happily pay more for a 'good' farang teacher (if there are so many crap unqualfied ones as you say), but they generally don't....why is that?

IMO schools are used to working with a majority of poor Thai teachers (not saying they are all crap - but the majority IME aren't very inspiring) with a few good ones thrown in. Thai teachers have no incentive to improve as the good ones don't get paid any more. The management see us just the same way - good teachers are good just because that's the way they are, not because they earn more.

**panhunger** · 8th December 2005 09:28

Ever notice when your fellow teachers kiss the ass of their Thai bosses they get treated like shit? I believe the Thai thinking is: "He's kissing my ass. He must be lower than me and I treat everyone lower than me like shit. So you get the shit from me!"

The idea of a Union anytime in the near future is fantasy, however, inticing.

At my EP, we foreigners try to stick together at my school with a "no cowtow to the Thais" type of approach. When we're of one voice, we can be effective. Sometimes guys try to usurp the other foreigners but they get beaten down pretty quick. We have some nice perks as a result, with most of the credit going to a hard ass negociator from New York, who kind of set up our current situation.

I love to say to my boss: "You know I'd love to do that for you, but unfortunately, I can't..." or, "So what does that extra work pay?" When the answer is nothing, I always respond: "I'd really love to help you out but I can't. At my current salary, I can only spend extra working hours EARNING money, with rent here, mortgage back home, bills, retirement, it's just not possible for me to work for free. But I really would love to help you out if I could." Usually, after I launch into such a diatribe, he stops listening very quickly. I don't get many of these kinds of extra requests any longer. And the last one I agreed to paid!

There is a constant drum beat from our foreign staff to our Thai superiors: more money, less contact hours, more extra "paid" work, etc...It may sound ungrateful but we are trying to send a relentless message to our superiors: We are not getting paid enough. Thailand pays among the lowest salaries for foreign teachers and blah, blah, blah...

It's a good fight and I encourage all to join in...

**Unwell** · 8th December 2005 09:30

good call panhunger, i like the attitude exhibited there.

**dongintheklong** · 8th December 2005 09:45

That's the way, Panhunger.

I worked at a school that had a pretty solid foreign staff. One of the teachers was quite vocal and challenged our employer and farang manager at a number of staff meetings. Once at a school dinner the farang manager drunkenly told me that this "mouthy teacher" was gonna get it. Next thing we knew the teacher was called in for supposedly kicking a student and was fired that very day.

**Storekeeper** · 8th December 2005 09:48

Originally Posted by Unwell

good call panhunger, i like the attitude exhibited there.

You're right unwell it's impressive. Reminds me of that recent Robert Redford movie where he's a prison inmate. Team work is a beautiful thing :chug:

**Unwell** · 8th December 2005 09:48

and that will be the 'kicking incident' that when i asked our thai 'boss' if he'd investigated the matter, seen the terrible 'wounds' that were said to be inflicted, he replied, "no, and i have no intention of doing so".

dongs got a point, i've seen 'union men' lose their jobs pretty quickly.

(proof that thailand does not give a fuck about keeping a professional and qualified native-english speaking teaching work force.)

cheers sk, you sexy bastard.

**Asper** · 9th December 2005 18:33

Originally Posted by Nickyboy

I think my main point is that we, as a group of people, need to send a clear message to agencies and schools; we will fruit off to Japan and make some real money unless you start compensating us properly.

I hear what you're saying, but if I was to go to any country that has a winter, I'd just go home. Sucks for solidarity, but I have a specific reason for being here.

**sandy** · 17th June 2012 14:06

I don't think pay will increase any time soon, but the change in exchange rate has given us all a wee bit of a rise anyway

**Cream** · 17th June 2012 14:45

Originally Posted by sandy

I don't think pay will increase any time soon, but the change in exchange rate has given us all a wee bit of a rise anyway

Thread from 7 fucking YEARS ago

**LDMA** · 17th June 2012 14:47

They're sometimes worth revisiting...has pay increased much since 2005? I still have to remind myself that this was only just over the 1/2 way point of my stint, and I'd only just managed to creep my own salary up to around the 28-29k mark in my Songkhla Matayom