General Reports

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Sure, if you order the cheap shirts @ 800 or 900 a piece, then you will get to choose from the bottom of the line fabrics (single ply). there are Tailors who offer shirts for 1,800 a piece (2 ply and TOP Quality), buy 6 get 2 free. that brings it to 1,350 per shirt which is quite cheap for a superior quality 2-ply shirt (strong and soft).[/QUOTE]In Hong Kong Sam's Taylors charge 300 HK$ per shirt, which is 1200 Baht for a good quality. A shirt from one of the few top tailors would cost 500. Thailand is getting way to expensive for what you get there.

[QUOTE=Luvnlife1970]Hi Guys,

Longtime reader, I have actually been to Thailand a few times this year, found a cool, fun girl, her english soso my thai soso. All in all thinking of having her come visit me here in U. S. For a few weeks I have spoken to a friend and he advised they will not give her a visa on grounds of "why would she return to Thailand" is this true as I have been told that only students get approved for visas to U. S? I have looked at the Thai Visa website and does not seem that any restricitions really, As I plan on going back soon and am wondering if I should book her ticket or not (No refunds).

Also how tuff is it to uproot from the U. S and move to Thailand, I have seen a large demand for English teachers but do not have a teaching degree (Is it really needed) is it easy to find work as my US based Sal 80K, how much money can you bring into Thailand, what is the least you would recommend. Any bank reccomendations, job websites any and all responses would be greatly appreciated.

Thnx[/QUOTE]In terms of moving from the U. S. To Thailand, it is pretty easy. I have been here over a year now. Even moved my household goods. Minimal duty. You can teach English here without having a degree if you get a TESOL certificate (from Chichester College, Chiang Mai Univ for example). However, teachers are underpaid, getting approximately 300-500 Baht per hour. My opinion is that you will not make $80K equivalent here unless you have at least a Master's Degree and highly skilled experience. I make that kind of money here, but I have a Ph. D. And significant job skills. In terms of banks, Bangkok Bank is the largest; if you have a long-term visa, no problem getting an account. Most money transactions in Thailand are done electronically; there is a service charge of approximately $35 to cash a check. I routinely transfer funds back and forth to my U. S. Bank with no glitches. Hope that this info helps.

[QUOTE=Taumaoe]In terms of moving from the U. S. To Thailand, it is pretty easy. I have been here over a year now. Even moved my household goods. Minimal duty. You can teach English here without having a degree if you get a TESOL certificate (from Chichester College, Chiang Mai Univ for example). However, teachers are underpaid, getting approximately 300-500 Baht per hour. My opinion is that you will not make $80K equivalent here unless you have at least a Master's Degree and highly skilled experience. I make that kind of money here, but I have a Ph. D. And significant job skills. In terms of banks, Bangkok Bank is the largest; if you have a long-term visa, no problem getting an account. Most money transactions in Thailand are done electronically; there is a service charge of approximately $35 to cash a check. I routinely transfer funds back and forth to my U. S. Bank with no glitches. Hope that this info helps.[/QUOTE]Thanks, that does help. I will find somewhere in NJ that teaches the Teso I understand it's a pretty short course, I will probably have better luck in Philadelphia as it is just as close. Pay seems low (300-500 Baht), but not much is needed to live day to day in Thailand; are these 7/8 hour days or one on one teaching or variouse offered? I am guessing that I will not be able to setup a bank account at "Bangkok Bank" until I have obtained a long term visa (is that the 12 month visa) that you reapply for each year? Any idea about "ING" savingscan you transfer funds back and forth to Bangkok Bank. I am about a year out I think from my move if all goes well. Any idea on how much CASH you can carry/bring in to Thailand (Selling off my misc possesions).

During my times spent in Thai I have made my way around various parts via foot, Tuktuk, and cab which I beleive I would be able to do on a daily basis if living in Thai; Is there really a need to own a vehicle (As in the U. S. You must have)?

Thank you again.

[QUOTE=Taumaoe]In terms of moving from the U. S. To Thailand, it is pretty easy. I have been here over a year now. Even moved my household goods. Minimal duty. You can teach English here without having a degree if you get a TESOL certificate (from Chichester College, Chiang Mai Univ for example). However, teachers are underpaid, getting approximately 300-500 Baht per hour. My opinion is that you will not make $80K equivalent here unless you have at least a Master's Degree and highly skilled experience. I make that kind of money here, but I have a Ph. D. And significant job skills. In terms of banks, Bangkok Bank is the largest; if you have a long-term visa, no problem getting an account. Most money transactions in Thailand are done electronically; there is a service charge of approximately $35 to cash a check. I routinely transfer funds back and forth to my U. S. Bank with no glitches. Hope that this info helps.[/QUOTE]

Am I to understand you make $80K with your PhD, as a teacher in Thailand? Where for God's sake???? If that is indeed the case, that kind of salary is news to me. That's nearly 250,000 baht/month. I suppose it's possible. But, you'd have to be working your ass off to get that kind of money - I'd say 6 days/week at a top university like Chula with a teaching load of about 35 hours/week; an almost impossible thing to do, given that for every hour taught, you need to prep 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and most Thai universities require you also do about 20 hours of non-academic work per week. Only a first-tier international school administrator would perhaps make 250,000/month and there are less than 6 of those in the country. If you're one of those, you're very atypical.

If you're working for some multi-national, the salary would be plausible. But, teaching, I doubt it.

Just curious.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]Am I to understand you make $80K with your PhD, as a teacher in Thailand? Where for God's sake???? [/QUOTE]

Maybe he's talking in Thai Baht? 80k THB?

[QUOTE=Luvnlife1970]Thanks, that does help. I will find somewhere in NJ that teaches the Teso I understand it's a pretty short course, I will probably have better luck in Philadelphia as it is just as close. Pay seems low (300-500 Baht), but not much is needed to live day to day in Thailand; are these 7/8 hour days or one on one teaching or variouse offered? I am guessing that I will not be able to setup a bank account at "Bangkok Bank" until I have obtained a long term visa (is that the 12 month visa) that you reapply for each year? Any idea about "ING" savingscan you transfer funds back and forth to Bangkok Bank. I am about a year out I think from my move if all goes well. Any idea on how much CASH you can carry/bring in to Thailand (Selling off my misc possesions).

During my times spent in Thai I have made my way around various parts via foot, Tuktuk, and cab which I beleive I would be able to do on a daily basis if living in Thai; Is there really a need to own a vehicle (As in the U. S. You must have)?

Thank you again.[/QUOTE]

The average salary for an English teacher is about 30,000 baht/month ($12,000 US/year). If you were in Bangkok, you'd starve on so little and would merely be able to survive on it it upcountry.

I've been teaching here for nearly 11 years. I do not teach English, but a variety of other highly specialized subjects. I have a terminal degree, work 4 days/week at the best universities (2 of them) in the country and make between $42,000 and $50,000/year depending on overloads. I am quite wired into pretty well all that is available in the teaching field in Thailand. So, I am pretty confident that you couldn't make much more than I do and more likely would make a lot less.

Unless you have considerable savings, or are young and looking for a bit of adventure, I'd strongly advise against pulling up roots and coming here to teach English. You'll barely make enough to live on, won't be able to afford anything but a small studio room in which to live, and certainly won't be able to get such things as a credit card or loan to buy a car, if you want one. Before you know it, you'll be financially trapped and won't be able to leave. The country is full of burned-out English teachers in their 40s, 50s and even 60s struggling on meagre salaries and unable to even find the airfare to go home.

I suggest you stay where you are, save your money and retire here when you're older.

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Maybe he's talking in Thai Baht? 80k THB?[/QUOTE]

I hope it was a typo and he meant 80,000 baht/month. Otherwise, I doubt what he's saying.

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Maybe he's talking in Thai Baht? 80k THB?[/QUOTE]

80 K baht a year... that's funny....

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]The average salary for an English teacher is about 30,000 baht/month ($12,000 US/year). [/QUOTE]

Working girls make double that, triple if they are good.

Pull up roots to make 1/2 of what probably an average working girl makes in a poor country and people think you can live an easy life in Thailand?

Good luck... wish them the best....

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]T I have a terminal degree, work 4 days/week at the best universities (2 of them) in the country and make between $42,000 and $50,000/year depending on overloads.[/QUOTE]

I think it's obvious that I've always taken a dim view of western expat workers in LOS (mostly losers who couldn't cut the mustard in a first world country imo). But five hundred quid a week at the peak of your profession? I spend at least that much on a decent night out in farangland. No wonder you expats hate the bargirls so much: They're all earning more than you.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]80 K baht a year... that's funny.... [/QUOTE]

Argh... I didn't mean to be funny LOL
Sorry for the confusion, I was thinking 80k per month (960k/year)

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]I think it's obvious that I've always taken a dim view of western expat workers in LOS (mostly losers who couldn't cut the mustard in a first world country imo). But five hundred quid a week at the peak of your profession? I spend at least that much on a decent night out in farangland. No wonder you expats hate the bargirls so much: They're all earning more than you.[/QUOTE]

Interesting POV Terry.
I am not sure I can say how much a bargirl earns (maybe you can enlighten us?) but I can tell you that some of us moved to Thailand because the money and living conditions were fairly decent.

I worked in Europe and the US before being offered a position in Thailand, I first refused it because I knew nothing about Asia and wasn't really interested about it at that time as my life in the US was quite comfortable.
The company came up with a "package" I couldn't refuse: Good Salary, Rent and utilities paid for. I am 30 and single so I finally decided that maybe relocating to SEA wasn't such a bad idea.

I have been living here for a little over 3 years now and life is so good that I am planning on staying a few more years.

[quote=luvnlife1970]longtime reader, i have actually been to thailand a few times this year, found a cool, fun girl, her english soso my thai soso. all in all thinking of having her come visit me here in u. s. for a few weeks i have spoken to a friend and he advised they will not give her a visa on grounds of "why would she return to thailand" is this true as i have been told that only students get approved for visas to u. s? i have looked at the thai visa website and does not seem that any restricitions really, as i plan on going back soon and am wondering if i should book her ticket or not (no refunds).[/quote]
don't book her ticket unless she has the visa. don't look at the thai visa website, look at the us visa website...

regarding us visitor visas, i have some firsthand experience dealing with this in the philippines and i am not surprised to see the same situation in thailand. the us embassy assumes that everyone applying for a visitor visa from the philippines is a potential immigrant so the burden of proof is on the applicant to show that they *will* return home following the visit. proof generally consists of family ties, real estate holdings, business ownership or very good job, and cash in the bank. any hint of sex work is usually grounds for automatic rejection. in the philippines, this criteria shuts out all but the upper class from consideration. have to imagine it is not much different in thailand.

so how do thais (and filipinos) make it to the us? they have family already there petitioning for them. or they get engaged/married to a us citizen. or they are nurses (much more common in the philippines due to the english speaking requirement). or they are students.

so you ask, "can i sponsor her? can i post a bond for her return?" the answer in the us is no because there is still the potential of (illegal) immigration in that scenario. so the burden is strictly on her to show she's going home again.

hate to be a party pooper, but there it is.

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]I think it's obvious that I've always taken a dim view of western expat workers in LOS (mostly losers who couldn't cut the mustard in a first world country imo). But five hundred quid a week at the peak of your profession? I spend at least that much on a decent night out in farangland. No wonder you expats hate the bargirls so much: They're all earning more than you.[/QUOTE]

Are we being a provocateur?:)

TT. You are obviosuly a rich man. But, given the cost of living in the UK, 500 quid isn't all that much. Average salaries there remain a lot lower compared to cost of living, than in the US, for example. And, you live in northern England, for Gawd's sake! Unless you're in some posh locale like Durham, I can't think of a worse place to spend 500 quid on a night out. In fact, it would take a lot more than that kind of spending money to keep me from killing myself, if I had to live in the UK, at all. It used to be a lovely country. But, it's a [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url]-hole, now.

If I had the misfortune to be in the UK, I'd be making about 25 to 30K quid/year as a uni teacher, which is about what I make here. In the US at a top uni I'd maybe get 60K-70K, in Canada 60K-90K CDN. So, given the cost of living in BKK, it's more than comparable.

Maybe I just picked the wrong profession because I'm just not a high roller like you.

But, I don't consider myself a loser. I got a couple of offers in the States and the Caribbean 3 years ago and left for awhile to teach in the Bahamas. Then I decided to come back, as I didn't like the west any more. Now, I'm thinking again about going home because I'm sick of it (again) here.

There are lots of expat losers here making peanuts.You're right about that. But, there are also many making a decent living that's more than enough for Thailand. But, while I'm not rolling in dosh, I think I make a respectable salary for my profession. For me, it's not all about the money. I worked in IT and advertising for many years and made good money. But, after 20 years of 15 hour days, I got burned out.

Also, for someone like me, there's always more opportunities here, which tempt me to hang in. I just got offered an extra class today, that pays 2,000 baht/hour or about $60 US. You'd be hard pressed to get $60/hr in the US for a part-time uni class. It would be more like $30-40. I have a 60 y.o. friend in California making $28.50/hour teaching college. So, in the context of teaching, it's not that bad here, if you get the right kind of job.

And then, there's the life-style here, which is quite enjoyable even for an impoverished "loser" such as me.;)

Oh and BTW...I don't hate bargirls. I just know I can do a lot better, that's all. cheers.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]Am I to understand you make $80K with your PhD, as a teacher in Thailand? Where for God's sake???? If that is indeed the case, that kind of salary is news to me. That's nearly 250,000 baht/month. I suppose it's possible. But, you'd have to be working your ass off to get that kind of money - I'd say 6 days/week at a top university like Chula with a teaching load of about 35 hours/week; an almost impossible thing to do, given that for every hour taught, you need to prep 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and most Thai universities require you also do about 20 hours of non-academic work per week. Only a first-tier international school administrator would perhaps make 250,000/month and there are less than 6 of those in the country. If you're one of those, you're very atypical.

If you're working for some multi-national, the salary would be plausible. But, teaching, I doubt it.

Just curious.[/QUOTE]Old Hand: sorry if I misled you. No, here I am not a teacher. The market is too depressed economically. Although I taught uni for 10 years and have good edu quals, candidly, I could not find one here that pays enough? No, I work in an executive position with a multinational firm.

[QUOTE=NicFrenchy]Maybe he's talking in Thai Baht? 80k THB?[/QUOTE]No, it's U. S. $80K. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I did not wish to imply that I made that kind of money teaching. I intended to provide the original poster info concerning the teaching environment here is Thailand, then digressed to say what I made in contrast to teaching. Sorry for the misunderstanding.