HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Bitten by dog behind the Jomtien Complex

Beach Rd improvements

Drinking water

Water scooters disrupt peace and quiet

Vegetarian Festival ends,many back to eating meat

Beach Road Ambiance

Teaching English in Thailand - A real possibility?

Bitten by dog behind the Jomtien Complex

Editor;

3 Oct 2005 1900 hrs I was bitten by a dog right down the street from my favorite restaurant L’Tollover. So an evening of good food and wine ended with a visit to Pattaya Memorial emergency room and an additional charge of 1400 baht for tetanus shot and start the series of 5 rabies shots. I was bitten in front of the Iron Man Gym and there are several aggressive dogs there but when I went to police and contacted the security guards the dogs did not have an owner. The security guards were trying to catch the dog as I went to the emergency room. It is a narrow street with lots of cars and foot traffic so warn readers to beware. As for me, I will find another dining area.

Calvin Booth

Beach Rd improvements

The Editor;

This morning early I walked along Beach Rd promenade for the first time since last Sunday. What a transformation. Much of it no longer reminded me of the bombed streets of my home in 1941. Such a transformation. The Beach Rd I remembered of 2001 had been revived. Congratulations to all who must have worked so hard in so few days - but why did we have to endure the “bomb damage” for so long?

Yours sincerely,
Pennar

Drinking water

Editor;

I have lived in Thailand for almost twenty years and at home during this time, have drunk only rainwater collected from the roof as the Thais used to do, and still do in the country.

I must confess that I installed a filter only when my eighty-four year old mother came to live here, as I was concerned that maybe her immune system was not up to scratch.

Prior to that installation and since I have never had a tummy problem and consider that rainwater is far superior in taste to the bottled water which on rare occasions I have had the misfortune to purchase.

I think that the problem with stomach problems is the hyper sterile food which westerners have to endure, so destroying their immune systems. As my old Mum used to say, “You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die”. And as a boy maybe I did.

Ron Martin
Sattahip

Water scooters disrupt peace and quiet

Editor;

I am a single male traveller who comes to Pattaya a lot, as I find the place a good mix of sun and fun, and Koh Larn is within easy reach, where I was surprised to find the waters so clean.

But then there are the jet scooters destroying the serene sense of nature after a night out on the town. The scooters have turned every beach on Koh Larn into a race course which the sunbathers are forced to watch throughout the day, barely able to swim in between all their rounds. Only the last half hour is quiet before it’s time to go catch the last ferry back.

There are many sun seekers who enjoy the peace and quiet. Koh Larn has got many beaches. I wish the beaches there would differ more to better suit the needs of all of Pattaya’s diversified crowd. And that jet scooters keep outside markers on beaches where they operate. It can kill a person getting hit by one. They come fast, and if the waves are up one doesn’t see them coming.

Sincerely,
Staale Tyldum,
Norway

Vegetarian Festival ends, many back to eating meat

Editor;

Another Vegetarian Festival has come and gone. These short time vegetarians, who are rather like once a year Christian Churchgoers, will be back to eating animals without a thought of the plight of factory animals for the next 11+ months. If they believe that vegetarianism is spiritually beneficial, why don’t they practice it more often?

The eating places that produce vegetarian meals won’t give vegetarians the time of day for the rest of the year. Many of these places and their temporary vegetarians are extremely ill-mannered and it all makes me wonder if all this isn’t another example of making merit in order to prosper financially. I am aware that there is a core of genuine followers who are giving thanks to Lord Buddha but it saddens me that the majority seems to be doing it for ulterior and rather base motives.

A Vegetarian

Beach Road Ambiance

Editor;

May I ask the mayor through the good offices of your renowned journal “Why” are there still so many service girls and undesirables plaguing the lives of tourists whilst out walking along Pattaya Beach Road? I had been informed that this problem, which indeed it is, was to be “stamped out once and for all”. I look forward to his worship’s reply.

W. Morris. (Mrs.)
Portland, Dorset, England (via email)

Teaching English in Thailand - A real possibility?

Editor;

I hope this letter may be of use to anyone thinking of teaching English in Thailand. I can personally refute claims of guaranteed work or assistance to find a job at the end of the courses advertised for foreigners teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in Thai schools. Once my course was completed it was thank you bye-bye.

Some courses even claim that you can earn as much as the cost of the course during training. This confuses me a little because as many expats, especially bar/restaurant owners will tell you, the Thai authorities are very strict when it comes to working without a work permit. There are tales of owners being prosecuted because they were secretly caught on camera for as little as lifting a cup or glass from a table in their establishments.

In order to legally teach English in Thailand the first pre-requisite is that you need to have a university education with a degree qualification (B.Sc. BA etc). Having this you then need to successfully complete a TEFL course recognized by the Thai Ministry of Education. Once this is completed you then need to find a job as a teacher (not so easy as made out to be) and your prospective employer will issue you with a letter of intention to employ you.

With these documents you can now apply to the Thai Ministry of Education for a Teachers License and then apply for a work permit and working “B” visa. Some schools, but not all, will assist in this process.

I therefore fail to see how you can earn money as a trainee teacher, not only because of the legal standpoint but I find it hard to believe that cash strapped schools are going pay good money for unqualified trainee teachers.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, let’s say they do have schools that are willing to pay for inexperienced and as yet qualified teachers and they somehow wrangle a legal loophole as far as earning money without a permit is concerned; just how much do their trainees on average actually make as they never say you definitely will earn while training but only that you “can”? So if you really can do the course effectively for free then why not - “Wao” as they say.

However, what are the real prospects of getting a job after training? Before 3 years ago when I completed my course the Thai government was talking of putting a native English-speaking teacher in every government school, as they noticed that Thailand was well behind its SE Asian neighbours in terms of English speaking proficiency. Unfortunately, due to money or politics this has never come to be.

Also, there have been many of these TEFL courses (businesses) set up all over Thailand over the past years and hence churning out potential candidates every few months and the supply of TEFL teachers now far outstrips demand. Most of the few jobs available seem to be in the Bangkok area or bahn nork (remote locations), but there are little in Chonburi/Pattaya, and due to the oversupply, the schools, rightly so, are asking for years of experience as well as the qualifications for what they consider to be a good salary. A foreigner may hope to earn between 20000-50000 baht depending on experience and location compared to 6000-10000 baht for a qualified Thai teacher, so the schools understandably want value for money.

So we have a “Catch 22” situation for the newly qualified TEFL teacher - can’t get a job because of lack of experience and can’t gain experience until you find a job. But heh! don’t let old cynical me put you off, if you are really determined to teach English and are not too bothered about the location then carry on, but don’t believe everything you hear, or even take my word for it. Before you part with your cash on course fees, check out your prospects first at www.ajarn .com (ajarn is Thai for teacher/lecturer). I wish I had known of it before I enrolled; I could have saved the 40000 baht on course fees and books and not bothered. This website is the best insight into teaching English in Thailand and advertises nearly all of the teaching vacancies in Thailand.
H. Leslie
PS - I gave up looking for a job a long time ago. But then again maybe I’m not so determined or willing to leave my luvly Pattaya / golf.

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