Job Discussion Forums

[canadianjennie]

I've got a stupid question but i bet it's a good one...

Can men and women wear sandals (nice leather ones, no worries) to work teaching in BKK? I've spent 6 months in Thailand and i can't IMAGINE having my feet covered, i think i'd have to sit in a bucket full of ice for hours after work. I know a shirt, tie and pants are the norm for guys, i'm assuming the same minus the tie for women, but after the interview where i'm gonna look like my 2 years of fashion merchandising and marketing school has paid off....can i wear the leather thongs?

This may win the vote for the stupidest question on the forum....but i bet in the back of all of the hopefull Thailand teacher's minds this question is sitting uncomfortably.....am i right? haha. Thanks guys, Jennie

[JosephP]

I once worked with a Canadian fella from the Yukon who wore sandals and unbelievably thick wool socks. We were a bit short on staff so nobody seemed to care, so perhaps it was a case of beggars can't be choosers. And he was by all accounts a very good teacher.
Females could wear sandals in the classroom as long as they were smart looking. For monkey-show presentations it would be better to look like a character from a '50s TV show.

[Hod]

Yes, it�s a good question.

I taught several short-term contracts in Thailand wearing sandals.

Hodd
Morocco

[tedkarma]

Short answer: no

Sandals are considered informal dress

Do a few people do it? Yes. Do they go far in their career? No.

[canadianjennie]

Thank you for your insightful answers to my disgustingly intelligent question . haha, i liked the one about the guy from the yukon. My dad wears cut off gum boots with wool socks (he's a hippy from an island on the west coast in BC where i'm from) and the Yukon guy reminded me of him.
I think myself as well as my boyfriend will bring our fashionable sandals along with us and try them out. If the glares come @ us from every angle.....off they go.

[RikkiHoon]

Well, I would have to strongly agree with Tedkarma on this one.

Why wait for the 'glares' from other staff before losing the sandals idea?

Sandals are not formal teaching dress. Looks, however superficial, are everything in Thailand. If you want to be taken seriously, then looking the part will make the Thai staff and students respond in a far more positive way.

[canadianjennie]

...again, thanks for the response. I was mostly kidding about waiting for the glares, i've been to Thailand and know how appearance geared they are; also everyone in my family are teachers, 1/2 of them are ESL teachers in Japan and i'm aware that there is a certain formal manner about teachers that needs to be upheld...I'll be conducting myself in whatever way i see is best, most likely 'sans' sandals. It was just a question, seeing if i could get away with a little comfort while in a wonderful country like Thailand. I know now, i'll save my flip flops for my bikini and the beach.
J

[wtdot03]

The general rule for girls is to have your heels covered, but then agian in my school we seem to be allowed where nice flip-flop type shoes with a heel.So i suppose basic rule for a girl if u want comfort, u don't have to wear shoes that are totally enclosed, but do wear presentable shoes at least.Sandals i have seen people wear, but they do look like u just stepped off the boat from the islands.

[Wisco Kid]

At the school I workrd at, shoes were not worn inside the classroom, so if you're in that type of environment, you could go barefoot most of the day (for a woman). Men would still be expected to keep their sock on and wear dress shoes in the hallway. But in general, Thailand is very conservative when it comes to clothing.

[ShoeyMcFee]

On a similar tip I was wondering about shaving.
I'm very slack on shaving and like to only shave 2-3 times a week. I have dark hair and within 30 hours of shaving my stubble is obvious.

Would I be right in saying that Thai's (like most Asians) don't tend to have much if any facial hair? If that is the case then maybe clean shaven/stubbly isn't really part of their criteria in judging if someone looks smart or not.

Or would I need to be going into to work clean shaven everyday?
Been a long time since I had to do that, last job I had where I HAD TO go in clean shaven was when I was 16 and worked at McDonalds!

[JosephP]

Mr. McFee,

Get used to shaving. In Thailand that rugged stubbly look isn't considered appropriate for the classroom.
The more you look like Ward Cleaver from the "Leave It To Beaver" show the better. Save the grooviness for your own time.

[sigmoid]

[tedkarma]

On the socks issue:

Only my opinion, but I would consider bare feet to be too informal. Even if you are allowed to go barefoot - it is still more appropriate to wear socks.

Many of these issues aren't just what is acceptable or not - the real issue is that you need every resource you can muster to help your students to get their heads in the right place and move forward. Seeing you as an appropriate model is one of them.

[Sheep-Goats]

Grooming and dress are important. It's not just an issue about whether you can or not, but also whether your students will respect you or not. They're not laid back informal Californians (Vancouverites, I suppose, would be the Canadian equivalent).

If you plan to teach in Thailand you can expect to:

Men:
Shave every day
Wear a tie at all times
Polish your shoes now and then
Not wear bright colors (white shirts may even be required)

Women:
Wear hose every day
Wear female dress shoes. Closed toe or open toe, but generally nothing flat-heeled or "comfortable"
Keep your shoulders covered and otherwise wear conservative attire

Can you get away with less? Yes, somtimes, on odd occasions, in special situations. But this is what you should expect.

Furthermore, most Thais take at least three showers a day (wake up, home from work, before sleep). Additionally, they'll also shower after any strenuous activity and before and after sex. This means you need to maintain the same standards or your students WILL tell you that you stink.

The administration judges you by your dress. Your students by how much of a clown you are. Your colleagues by how much you agree with what they say.