Job Discussion Forums

[Master Shake]

Hey,

I've been teaching in Poland for the last year, but would like a change of pace from the split shifts, damp gloomy winters, and smoky cellar pubs.

I've been offered a position in Thonburi starting in Feb of 08 teaching 7-16 year olds. The pay is in the mid 40's and the school offers paid flights, help finding accommodation, a visa etc, etc..

Is this a good offer for a CELTA qualified teacher with 1 year of exp.?

I am a little concerned about the location. I've read Thonburi is an hour away from the Bangkok center by bus. Has anyone been to Thonburi and is it lively or just a bedroom community?

Thx

-Shake

[JosephP]

Don't worry about it. Traffic is so diabolical in Bangkok that being an hour from someplace in the city is not even noteworthy. Expect to spend a lot of time caught in jams.

[Master Shake]

Can anyone tell me what young Thai students are likes?

Here in Poland I teach mainly adults, but my teenage classes are some of my least favorite. These kids quarrel with each other and speak Polish in class non-stop.

Are Thai students like this?

[norbdemn]

[quote="Master Shake"]Can anyone tell me what young Thai students are likes?

Here in Poland I teach mainly adults, but my teenage classes are some of my least favorite. These kids quarrel with each other and speak Polish in class non-stop.

Are Thai students like this?[/quote]

Thai students can be a rowdy bunch. Once you establish repoire with them however, they can be among the funnest and most pleasant students.

Remember, you need to balance discipline with fun. If they are imbalanced you will have problems.

on the negative end, they love to cheat! Make sure whenever you give a test you have at least 3 or 4 versions. Also, whenever you give in class assignments make each responsible for their share of the work!

Also, don't take any inconveniences too seriously. For instances, occasionally classes are canceled at a moments notice due to a school activity.

Otherwise, it should be a lot of fun! Thais are very enjoyable and pleasant people to work with!

[Master Shake]

I took the job.

Going to start late Jan or early Feb.

I can't wait to see another country but I am not too excited about having to watch out for 'ladyboys'

Should 46,000 baht be enough to live on?

[gusto102]

46,000 baht is pretty descent I would say. Thai teachers with Master's degrees in education and years of experience only make about 10,000 or 15,000 baht a month. I make about 45,000 working full time at a public school and teaching privates on the side, and I do alright. I can sometimes even manage to save a little each month. You can't go out and get crazy every night with this. I spend about 8000 baht or so per month on my apartment, including utilities. Food can get a little pricey if you indulge in Western food a lot, and also transportation costs if you use taxis. You may lose some money your first few months here since you are unfamiliar with prices as a lot of things are bargained for.

Don't worry about the ladyboys... broad shoulders, too much make-up, a big head, and strong arms are always good indicators.

[Master Shake]

Thanks for the info, gusto.

Talked to my DoS last week (he used to teach in Thailand) and he said one of the things he liked best about Bangkok was the music scene.

How often do you go out to shows in Bangkok? Can you find any good heavy metal shows there? I miss Lamb of God and Opeth.

[gusto102]

I am really not too familiar with the music scene here in BKK. I do know it exists. There is a lot of live music, although I am not too sure about heavy metal shows, especially Western bands coming through. Every now and then a big act will pass through, like the Offspring or Linkin Park. If anyone else knows anything about metal or punks shows I too would be interested.

I have seen a few hip-hop artists perform in Silom and in RCA. These are mostly washed-up Western acts who do much better out here in BKK playing covers every night than they do back home. Some are even worth checking out. I have also seen and heard of a few local artists performing metal, rock, country and hip-hop in the Khao San area. Suan Lum always has local artists performing the latest cheesy pop hits, along with choreographed dancers � this is very amusing. And if you are into blues or jazz I know of two great spots close to Victory Monument.

[Master Shake]

Where is the best place in Bangkok to convert money? I will be arriving with a bunch of Polish zlotys on Monday.

Do you think it is possible to convert zlotys directly into baht anywhere? Or should I first convert the zlotys into pounds or dollars and then into baht? I think I would lose a little money on this 2nd method...

[JamesDavid4th]

master shake - i too am trying to make my way to Thailand to teach, but i am coming from South Korea. What is the name of the school that you were able to negotiate a contract with from afar??

[Bangkok Hound]

Unless you have a large amount of money, the best places to convert are the banks. I just checked Bangkok Bank's exchange page and Polish money wasn't listed so I'm not sure about that.

[Master Shake]

JamesDavid4th, I'll be teaching at the Bell Language Center at Assumption College Thonburi.

Finding this job was more of an internal transfer than negotiating a contract from afar. Right now I am teaching at Bell Gdansk, Poland - Bell Thonburi was a different branch of the same company.

It pays to get in with a school that is all over the world!

I'm going to just convert my Polish money into dollars first. The dollar cant get much worse in the day or so I'll be in transist from Gdansk to Bangkok. In fact, it seemed to be recovering a little as of late.