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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Hyeon Een
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
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 Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
I think it is time for an exit strategy. Thailand looks great. Let me think out loud here:
2,300,000 Won / 1500 = $1533
50,000 Baht / 35 = $1428
The cost of living for me in Thailand is about half of what it is here. The resume is getting primed. |
Aren't most people in Thailand working 6 days a week if they're earning 50,000baht? Aren't class sizes much bigger in private lanuage schools than they are in Korea? Aren't the students lazier?
I think the public schools and unis pay too little to be considered too right?
How many hours a week to teachers work there?
I think Thailand would still need to improve its work conditions a hell of a lot for me to consider it. |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Hyeon Een wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
I think it is time for an exit strategy. Thailand looks great. Let me think out loud here:
2,300,000 Won / 1500 = $1533
50,000 Baht / 35 = $1428
The cost of living for me in Thailand is about half of what it is here. The resume is getting primed. |
Aren't most people in Thailand working 6 days a week if they're earning 50,000baht? Aren't class sizes much bigger in private lanuage schools than they are in Korea? Aren't the students lazier?
I think the public schools and unis pay too little to be considered too right?
How many hours a week to teachers work there?
I think Thailand would still need to improve its work conditions a hell of a lot for me to consider it. |
The students are the same to me. The job I am currently considering is 5 days per week. It is an 8-3 schedule. There are 8 weeks of vacation plus all holidays. I have a free place to stay in Thailand. It isn't looking bad right now. |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:17 pm Post subject: Re: Das ist relativ |
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| Tobias wrote: |
| seosan08 wrote: |
| marlow wrote: |
| Won't surprise me if it does. Korea is going to have a tough time getting teachers this winter, or they'll have a whole lot of people too dumb to have checked exchange rates before coming over. |
Some of those people may have no choice things being the way they are in NA. But I suspect this is going to be a LONG, cold, depressing winter. |
Only if you choose to stay here. I'm slowly packing my shit and giving things away, just in case it all goes totally to hell. The odds are fair that we'll see 2000 per before this bottoms out around August or September of 2009. The powers-that-are in North America are bringing on a recession, as they always do, to keep inflation in check when the 700 billion hits the economy. Good thing there's a designated-loser class in the USA to take the hit, as they always do! Ah, nothing like being politically neutered. |
Where have you got indication that it'll bottom out that far out? Have you sources which we could study?
Anyone have any clever ideas for getting the money home, if you must cash in during a terrible conversion rate?
I've gotta cut out of here this spring, in April. I'll either leave money here and have a trusted friend wire it home later, when the rate is better. Or, I'll carry won home. Word is that they'll have W100,000 bills soon. Then I can wait it out and buy dollars at a saner rate.
One must declare anything over $10,000 US, which may be as much W15,000,000, if the rate is as it is now. Anything over, and they'll tax you? What percentage?
And don't they nail you for anything more than $10,000 wired home in a year? Then, wouldn't it be better (assuming W1,000 to $1) to split $20,000 in half, carrying one half home to dodge taxes?
Then, if this basic idea is true, we'd do well to compare the hit we'd take converting and sending home against the percentage of tax we'd get nailed on for carrying the cash home as won, choosing the route that would leave us with the greatest sum in the end.
Is my thinking fuzzy here? |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, jobs that provide a place stay and about $1200 to $1500 a month anywhere are looking just right regardless of country though living for an awesome experience is preferable. It appears that you'll be able to take your pick of Asian country to teach in without your decision being skewed by Korea paying more as it may not be for long that Korea really pays more on account of the Won devaluation. Of course Korea is still offering the flight, but if you're already in Asia and experienced, then you might can do without to get a better and different experience. That flight home doesn't cost as much out of Bangkok as it does from Seoul even though Bangkok may be farther. I'm sure your food in Korea costs $1000 to $4000 more per year than it would in many other Asian countries plus you're much more limited on food, shopping, entertainment, and social opportunities in Korea. I say try more countries if not married to a Korean and you want to stay away from home longer.
Just to try it, I'm considering 6 months of Thailand next year in Winter 09 like from October through April before going home. If I like it, I'll stay, but if I don't, I can bail since I won't go to Thailand with little money. All that fresh fruit, warm sunny weather, and cheaper cost of living while experiencing a new culture looks attractive, but I wouldn't want to permanently stay in any Asian country. Of course having a way to cook for myself, adequate shopping for essentials, and a gym to workout in is very important to me.
Doing the ESL in Asia thing is a great way to kill time to wait out the American economic depression while getting the chance to do some touring. How many people do you know at home that actually get to be a tourist on vacation?
Last edited by sojourner1 on Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject: Re: Will The Won Hit 1500 Today? |
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| seosan08 wrote: |
Right now the won is KRW 1479.0000 = $1. Ouch, that's just shy of a 50% haircut on our salaries! TS hasn't quite HTF yet, either! |
The cash rate in the bank (buying dollars) is actually w1508=US$1 right now:
(lunch time Thursday).
. |
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Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:13 pm Post subject: You'll be fine |
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| Omkara wrote: |
....
Where have you got indication that it'll bottom out that far out? Have you sources which we could study?
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Yes. My sources are 'history'. When you've lived a while and have seen this same ol' shit before, you get good at predicting the actions/reactions.
| Omkara wrote: |
Anyone have any clever ideas for getting the money home, if you must cash in during a terrible conversion rate?
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Money belt. Or Traveler's checks. Add a bank safe deposit box and some time, probably a year to 18 months.
| Omkara wrote: |
One must declare anything over $10,000 US, which may be as much W15,000,000, if the rate is as it is now. Anything over, and they'll tax you? What percentage?
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Yes, you will have to declare anything over 10 grand going into the US. The signs are all over the place in airports.
As far as paying taxes goes, you're exempt as long as you obey the '335 out of 365' rule. This applies even if you wire the money back home. At least this had BETTER be the case, or I'm gonna be mad enough to fight somebody.
Last edited by Tobias on Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject: Time to make a money belt |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| seosan08 wrote: |
| Right now the won is KRW 1479.0000 = $1. Ouch, that's just shy of a 50% haircut on our salaries! TS hasn't quite HTF yet, either!:shock: |
The cash rate in the bank (buying dollars) is actually w1508=US$1 right now:
(lunch time Thursday).
. |
Time to make a money belt. Perhaps a false shaving cream will come in handy, too. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: Re: Will The Won Hit 1500 Today? |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| seosan08 wrote: |
| Right now the won is KRW 1479.0000 = $1. Ouch, that's just shy of a 50% haircut on our salaries! TS hasn't quite HTF yet, either! |
The cash rate in the bank (buying dollars) is actually w1508=US$1 right now:
(lunch time Thursday).
. |
That rate was up to almost 1540 an hour ago. Not sure where it is now. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:04 am Post subject: Re: Will The Won Hit 1500 Today? |
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| bassexpander wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| seosan08 wrote: |
| Right now the won is KRW 1479.0000 = $1. Ouch, that's just shy of a 50% haircut on our salaries! TS hasn't quite HTF yet, either! |
The cash rate in the bank (buying dollars) is actually w1508=US$1 right now:
(lunch time Thursday).
. |
That rate was up to almost 1540 an hour ago. Not sure where it is now. |
OMG! I mean, I'm not leaving anytime soon but this is atrocious. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:45 am Post subject: |
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| If I was buying American dollars, I'm pretty sure I'd be out of here today. As it is, I'm getting antsy. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:51 am Post subject: |
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Today I was going to book (in USD) a resort in Bali for my winter holiday but I checked the exchange rate and it was well over 1500 won to the dollar.
*beep* that! |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:10 am Post subject: Re: You'll be fine |
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| Quote: |
| Omkara wrote: |
Anyone have any clever ideas for getting the money home, if you must cash in during a terrible conversion rate?
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Money belt. Or Traveler's checks. Add a bank safe deposit box and some time, probably a year to 18 months. |
Can you get traveler's checks in won?
| Omkara wrote: |
| Quote: |
One must declare anything over $10,000 US, which may be as much W15,000,000, if the rate is as it is now. Anything over, and they'll tax you? What percentage?
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Yes, you will have to declare anything over 10 grand going into the US. The signs are all over the place in airports.
As far as paying taxes goes, you're exempt as long as you obey the '335 out of 365' rule. This applies even if you wire the money back home. At least this had BETTER be the case, or I'm gonna be mad enough to fight somebody. |
[/quote]
What is this rule?
And, it is anything over $10,000 US, right? So the conversion rate would apply? This is my untested assumption. |
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Omkara
Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:13 am Post subject: Re: Time to make a money belt |
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| Tobias wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| seosan08 wrote: |
| Right now the won is KRW 1479.0000 = $1. Ouch, that's just shy of a 50% haircut on our salaries! TS hasn't quite HTF yet, either! |
The cash rate in the bank (buying dollars) is actually w1508=US$1 right now:
(lunch time Thursday).
. |
Time to make a money belt. Perhaps a false shaving cream will come in handy, too. |
Tell me more about this false shaving cream idea. Do you make the container yourself? |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
I think it is time for an exit strategy. Thailand looks great. Let me think out loud here:
2,300,000 Won / 1500 = $1533
50,000 Baht / 35 = $1428
The cost of living for me in Thailand is about half of what it is here. The resume is getting primed. |
I strongly considered taking a job in Thailand to teach mathematics and physics at a public school, but I chickened out. Oh, well. |
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MUOhio82
Joined: 25 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:55 am Post subject: |
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You know what this means....
That it's time to stop spending all that money on peanut butter and tampons and go NATIVE! |
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