Topic: These math positions

[MELEE]

Just out of curiosity...

I often look at the job listings even though I'm not looking for a job. Mainly to look at what other places in here in Mexico are paying to see how we measure up. But I often see ads asking for Math teachers in Thailand. And I think, hmmmm. My husband, who is Mexican, has an MA in Mathematics and a couple of years high school teaching experience. He's not a native English speaker, but his English is more than good enough to teach math in English. (He passed the CAE years ago and got 530 on an old institutional TOEFL he took with no prep. Would a school in Thailand hire him to teach Math in English? His only citizenship is Mexican and, he's from an Indigenous background--in other words he's not white.
We've talked about going abroad for a year or two, but we imagined that would mean just me working. It would be great if we could talk about it with the possiblity of both of us working.

Thanks!

MELEE

[bomha]

Melee, tengo miedo que su esposo es casi un negro a los Thais.  I fear that to the Thais, your husband would get thrown into the categories of the dark natives of India, the darkest Thais, etc., even though he is very well qualified.  The saving point is that he's a real maths teacher, and there is a big demand for them in the true bilingual and EP programmes, and the lower tier international schools.

Have him send his resume, including a foto that shows his skin color, and see what happens.

[Geekboy]

Melee, he should garner more than a Filipino and there's a good chance he could be making anywhere from 20k to 35k baht per month. It's all a crapshoot, but he will find a job teaching English here. I'd suggest you find yourself a job, make the leap and then he could find one here. You could do it in Thailand with your family(you have two twin daughters, right?).

[dwwin]

LOC is in dire need for real maths teachers. Just last Friday I did myself a disfavour by telling a Thai maths teacher that 2 squared 4 is not 8 but closer to 3   

However, like another poster pointed out already, the colour of the skin is more important here than any qualification. Sad but true.

[MELEE]

Thanks guys.

I have another sabbatical coming up in a year, so maybe we will take the plunge! Also, it just seems like it would be easier on the kids if we move overseas before they hit school.
Any thoughts on that Andy? ... How old are your kids?
My girls will be three this fall. We've also toyed with the idea of moving to the US for a couple of years because Math teachers seem to be in demand there as well.
I'm looking at a (small) map of Thailand. After Bangkok, what are the midsized cities? All the other places are the same size on this map. We're not really city folk. We love traditional culture of any part of the world, historical sites, archealogical sites, folk dancing, traditional music, nature, mountains, rivers, lakes. Is there a city that would have work that would also have those things?

[hero]

Work outside Bangkok is neither as well paid nor as varied as Bangkok unfortunately.

Your husband should be able to get a really well paid maths teachers gig in theory ....

an MA in Mathematics and a couple of years high school teaching experience.

.... however, it will depend on the interviewer and how bigoted they are against non-whites.  In some Thai schools this can be terrible, they can be quite racist.  Nevertheless as pointed out, there is a real need for quality maths teachers for English programs and if he bides his time a bit and applies for plenty of good jobs, I could see him doubling the rather meagre salary that Geekboy forecasted!

We love traditional culture of any part of the world, historical sites, archealogical sites, folk dancing, traditional music, nature, mountains, rivers, lakes. Is there a city that would have work that would also have those things?

There are places like this in Thailand as you probably know.  Unfortunately, with the possible exception of Chiang Mai, regional Thailand is not as affluent as Bangkok and teachers' salaries reflect this.  Even in Chiang Mai salaries can be pretty low and it's a popular place for teachers trying to flee Bangkok.

By way of an optimistic insight for you - I have an acquaintance who is not a native speaker, he's European with good English ability, has an MA not in maths, but a related subject.  He came to Bangkok with no teaching experience at all only a year or so ago and has been working for a decent wage at a second-rate international school through an agency.  To cut a long story short, they were so impressed with him that they have signed him directly to the school at a salary closer to 100k per month!

[bomha]

Your husband surely is learning English, right?  In one more year, he should be bilingual in English and Spanish.  What about California?  Not the big cities, but something more rural, mountains and national parks, etc.?  I think Wangsuda can tell him all about getting certified in Califournia.

[MELEE]

Thanks for thinking of us Bomha. Yes, my husband is an English learner, has been for more than 10 years. His English is pretty good--I got 570 on an institutional TOEFL about 6 years ago, so yeah, I think he could get certified in the US. But there's a problem with California, I'm adverse to living on the west coast. I know it's completely irrational of me and I know from photos that California has some really beautiful parts. I don't much like the idea of living in the US, but if I did, I'd want to be closer to my parents than California. Math teachers are in need pretty much all over the US so math is in pretty much every alternative certification program. Texas is close enough to my parents and some other extended family members.
One possible plan would be go to the US, both get certified, stay for 3-5 years. Then either come back to Mexico, or teach in an international school in another country for a year or two before returning to Mexico.
But there is a very good chance that we might just stay in Mexico and live happily ever after here.
IF, we did end up going to Thailand, money wouldn't be the draw, the experience would. I also do some freelance work for a textbook publisher who pays me in Pounds Sterling, so I'd have that as a supplement, and getting experience in a different country would contribute to that work as the publisher wants to sell their books to Thai schools as much as they want to sell them to Mexican schools, so learning about a new market would only help me in that.

[fed_up]

Dear Melee,

First of all please don't be offended by what I am going to write, all I want to do is to help and sway your mind for a better choice.

I have posted to this thread before, giving you an example of the Thewpaingram school's haplessness. I have also kept reading the other posts here and quite frankly I don't understand why you're trying to convince yourself that coming to Thailand with your family is a great idea even when everyone else says it isn't. They and I have been trying to help steer  you away from making such a mistake especially since you have young children.

You and your husband are well qualified and can easily cut it anywhere in the world. Most people in Thailand are here only for their partners. If you ask them why they will hide the real truth and give you the classic "good weather, nice food, cheap living" response. But in their heart of hearts they despise of this country. Any farang I talk to is the same (with the exception of a couple here). There are many reasons but let me give you a couple:

- There is chaos here. Not an organized chaos (such as rush hour traffic in a Western country), but a total chaos in every aspect of life such as traffic, government offices, people's thoughts and actions, etc. Everything is fluid and erratic. Yesterday we went to Carrefour (which is a well known chain of department stores that originated from France) and 5 items scanned higher at the checkout counter than their advertised price tags.

- This place is dirty. Food hygiene is unheard of, most toilets lack toilet paper and soap, there is dog poo everywhere in the streets. I still have the photo of the biggest rat I had ever seen in my life taken in Thailand. People get sick regularly including myself usually with bouts of diarrhea. Furthermore, the air is toxic with exhaust fumes, factory pollutants and the smell emanating from open sewers.

- This place is dangerous. I have personally witnessed 5 road accidents (1 of them was fatal) and seen police markings on the road on numerous occasions. A colleague of mine got hit by a car while crossing the road and died later at the hospital. Many of my friends got involved in traffic accidents, muggings and one even got attacked by a Thai kid at a Thai school which disabled him permanently.

- There is no proper infrastructure and city planning. If you ask Thais they will tell you that they are very proud of the Skytrain and the underground train system. Well, guess what, these two are the only proper infrastructure examples serving a radius of about 15 kms and that's it. Power goes down without any reason and not restored for hours at times. Streets flood after a short burst of rain (I've seen much worse tropical rains in my country with no flooding) as there is no underground drain system or if there is it is already blocked or full. Roads are a mess, sometimes rising out of nowhere threatening to tip the vehicles, other times they are cracked and full of potholes. Pedestrian crossings are a joke, good luck trying to make a car stop for you while crossing one of them. Sidewalks are either taken up by food stalls, the sidewalk pavement stones are all loose and splash dirty water on you and if that's not enough there always seems to be some dirty water dripping on you from somewhere above anywhere you walk.

- And finally the people. I know I will get slagged off for this but almost all Thais have unbelievably horrible qualities (in addition to their wonderful ones such as patience). They are childish, ignorant, mostly uneducated (including the ones who finished a university), easily bored, jealous, superficial, xenophobic and racist. On the outside they are wonderful people (clean, mostly polite, helpful), but when you get past that you see their real faces and those are quite ugly. God help you if you have a Thai boss, at best you will have communication problems and at worst you will be worked like a slave and given pittance as a salary.

There are more and more and more. I have given you an honest and unbiased opinion. Honest because many people don't tell you these things, unbiased because I have lived in many other countries and seen better and worse. All of these people who tried to steer you away from Thailand did so because they know the real truth but they can't leave Thailand anymore as 1) they are pretty much unemployable back in their homelands, 2) they have partners and families here and those can't adapt to Western life at any cost. So, I am racking my brains and trying to understand your obsession with Thailand ? What is it that fascinates you about Thailand ? The temples and the beaches wear out very quickly or you'd be too busy to visit them. The "selling books to schools" jobs are already cut throat and most schools buy a single copy and duplicate them themselves anyways. Teaching jobs are a plenty, but the higher paying positions are at horrible schools, so you can expect long hours with pittance for income.

For your children's sake, go to a 1st class 3rd world country such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Experience is experience and even though you may have similar problems (culture shock, language barriers, etc.) still you'd be better off financially and emotionally. I myself am going to give Thailand 1-2 more years and then I will leave.

Whatever you decide, please weigh the advantages and disadvantages very carefully. Good luck !!

[Nemesis]

I can see your Fed_Up, very storng opinions there and I'd agree with a couple of them.

- There is chaos here. Not an organized chaos (such as rush hour traffic in a Western country), but a total chaos in every aspect of life such as traffic, government offices, people's thoughts and actions, etc. Everything is fluid and erratic. Yesterday we went to Carrefour (which is a well known chain of department stores that originated from France) and 5 items scanned higher at the checkout counter than their advertised price tags.

Right about the items scanning problem....in the states, they'll do a price check and give it for the advertised price. In Thailand, either buy it at the price scanned(whether accurate or not) or don't buy it at all. No UPC on the product? Forget it, you can't buy it. They don't know how to grab the exact same item next to it that does have a UPC and scan it instead.

The "selling books to schools" jobs are already cut throat and most schools buy a single copy and duplicate them themselves anyways. Teaching jobs are a plenty, but the higher paying positions are at horrible schools, so you can expect long hours with pittance for income.

Not to mention that selling books is a protected occupation so it would be illegal for you to sell the books.

[bomha]

Melee: IME, FedUp and Andy are right.  Like some other folks here, I or my signficiant other have lived in both Thailand and Mexico.  There is no compelling reason for you to have Thailand on your resume, let alone drag your Mexican national husband and children here.  Out of the question.  It approaches madness (lunacy).  Texas makes more sense.  I think I can find the list of providers of the Texas equivalents to PGCE; they are all over the state.

Thailand has nothing that Mexico does not have, especially for someone making a professional career in TEFL.  You do not have the compelling lustful reason to cum to Thailand that most teachers have.

[anyonefortennis]

Fed_up, where is your home town? From the list of things that are ragging you, I guessing you must of had a pretty sheltered life.

Melee, Thailand is an option. Shit, no one is gonna hold you at gun point and make you stay if you don't like it, why not try something a wee bit different.

If money is not an issue, then come over, you and your husband will pick-up work easily enough and once the door is open you never know what is around the corner.

- Yesterday we went to Carrefour (which is a well known chain of department stores that originated from France) and 5 items scanned higher at the checkout counter than their advertised price tags.

At least there is a Carrefour.......

- This place is dirty. Food hygiene is unheard of, most toilets lack toilet paper and soap, there is dog poo everywhere in the streets. I still have the photo of the biggest rat I had ever seen in my life taken in Thailand. People get sick regularly including myself usually with bouts of diarrhea. Furthermore, the air is toxic with exhaust fumes, factory pollutants and the smell emanating from open sewers.

There is food hygiene, just use your head about where you eat. It is no more a health hazzard living than any 3rd world country.

This place is dangerous. I have personally witnessed 5 road accidents (1 of them was fatal) and seen police markings on the road on numerous occasions. A colleague of mine got hit by a car while crossing the road and died later at the hospital. Many of my friends got involved in traffic accidents, muggings and one even got attacked by a Thai kid at a Thai school which disabled him permanently.

Yes the roads are dangerous, I'd suggest not riding a motorbike overhere or at least wearing a helmet if you do. Living in London I witnessed far more than 5 accidents (although I did cycle from Bayswater to Southwark everyday).

Muggings............few and far between, not saying they don't happen but I feel safer walking around in the dark over here than I ever did living in Liverpool, Newcastle and London.

Thai school kids have got nowt on inner city kids in the UK, they'd have em for lunch. There are discipline issues, but generally lateness, talking, sleeping etc. rather than beating the teachers up.

- There is no proper infrastructure and city planning. If you ask Thais they will tell you that they are very proud of the Skytrain and the underground train system. Well, guess what, these two are the only proper infrastructure examples serving a radius of about 15 kms and that's it. Power goes down without any reason and not restored for hours at times. Streets flood after a short burst of rain (I've seen much worse tropical rains in my country with no flooding) as there is no underground drain system or if there is it is already blocked or full. Roads are a mess, sometimes rising out of nowhere threatening to tip the vehicles, other times they are cracked and full of potholes. Pedestrian crossings are a joke, good luck trying to make a car stop for you while crossing one of them. Sidewalks are either taken up by food stalls, the sidewalk pavement stones are all loose and splash dirty water on you and if that's not enough there always seems to be some dirty water dripping on you from somewhere above anywhere you walk.

The infrastructure is not great, but the main highways are ok, internal airlinks are good, and outside of BKK travel is cheap, quick and plentiful. Yes, flooding occurs very easily, but if you and your family come you can join me on my crusade to educate the masses about flinging plastic bags into the drains. The drains and sewer systems improve each year, certainly where I live. Traveling around any capital city in rush hour is a pain in the arse, the underground in London can be a nightmare and the traffic grinds to a stand still. 

Outside of Bangkok the city planning is quite good, a lot of the cities are quite new and their design reflects this, with easy entry and exit and US type "blocks".

It is also dangerous crossing roads, but non more so than in Italy, France or Spain. Furthermore, normally if you're willing to walk an extra 50m or so you'll find a footbridge that will take you high above the threat of the traffic.

Umbrellas are a must.

As for the people, take em as you find them. They are not all the same and certainly can not all be labelled as this or that. Most are ok if you yourself are ok.

If you remember that Thailand is a 3rd world country with all the traits of 3rd world countries then you'll be alright.

[Sadly-confused]

I fully concur AFT! Nothing is perfect here, but then I find more overall perfection in a simplistic way here than many western cities, and I feel a damn sight safer!

[RobRoy]

AFT,

Have to agree...and I do feel one heck of a lot safer here than any big city in America.  Its generally an easy life here whether in the city or country.  I personally like it here, even when the motorcycles are going down the sidewalk I'm trying to use.

Fed-up,
Japan and Singapore are 3rd world countries?  I never knew!!!!  I've found both to be far more modern than many places in America.
And which catagory of teacher do you fit into?  Unemployable or unable to figure out how to get the little lady a visa to home sweet home?

I'm actually in the third catagory...spent my first career working my ass to the bone and not having any time to enjoy it, whereas now that I'm here, I don't have a lot a money but many things that can be enjoyed very cheaply.

[Nemesis]

I didn't totally agree with fed_up, the rest of you have come up with dandy reasons. I think crime in Thailand is low and the general safety you experience outside of Bangkok is very refreshing. No doubt I felt safer from crime in Thailand than any other country I have ever lived in.

Another plus, life can be damn easy. Most jobs aren't demanding at all and it's really easy just go in smile, collect your pay at the end of the month and live easy. Getting ahead? Forget it. But it's easy to cruise through life on cruise control in Thailand and wake up realize you have spent 8 years of your life and not a lot to show for it..and that';s because the living is so easy in Thailand.

I still wouldn't suggest it with a family who are all foreigners in Thailand and that's where I'd advise against Melee's situation.

[RobRoy]

Nemesis....you hit the nail on the head. 

[MELEE]

Wow,
Slow day in Thailand huh?

I appreciate all the responses and I'm not at all offended. It's just an idea we are toying with after all. I do have a very very comfortable life in Mexico, too comfortable maybe. The first thing that attracted me to Thailand was the apparent possible opportunity for my husband to teach math (in English, obviously he can't speak Thai and I wouldn't expect Thais to want math classes in Spanish). But I'm in no way OBSESSED with Thailand. It's just a thought and I thoughI'd use this forum to get some feed back on the thought. I'd heard Thais are racist, so that is a big issue. Mexicans come in all different colors, but my husband could no pass as anything other than a Native American.
 
Fed-Up, you've obviously never been to Mexico. Infastructure? planning? what's that! My electiricty goes out every single time it rains and my house in in a newly developed area. I guess I'm lucky that I don't have to worry much about bad traffic accidents because I haven't driven my car over 35 mph since I bought it three years ago, the roads are too bad to go faster than that and I even get out on the highway every other weekend! Most of the time I'm creeping along under 20 mph.

Oh and I don't sell textbooks to schools, I review textbook proposals and manuscripts, comment the content both in terms of being educationally sound or not, but also marketablity so knowing another market would only help. I don't care if schools photocopy textbooks, that's the norm in many parts of Mexico too.

I am very interested in returning to Japan, but that would mean we'd have to get US teacher certified--I already know all about an Alternative Teacher Certification Program in Texas, then try to get a jobs in international schools--OR just keep the husband at home as a Mr. Mom. Call me weird but I'm also not real excited by the prospect of working at an international school and putting my children into that same school--I don't really want them rubbing elbows with the type of kids who go to those schools.

Japan is not, nor has it ever been 3rd world. The historic terms, 1st World, 2nd World, and 3rd World are not really valid labels anymore. The First World was what can also be known as "The West" Plus Japan, the economically developed countries during the cold war years. The Second World reffered to the Communist Block. The Third World refered to undeveloped countries. Japan is obviously different from the west in many ways, but it was neither a communist block nor undeveloped country during the cold war. Since the end of the cold war, developed, developing, lesser developed, and undeveloped are the terms that should be in use.

I've not made any decision, I'm not set on Thailand, or even leaving Mexico. I wouldn't be dragging my husband anywhere, he'd have to be fully on board with the idea. We just wanted to look around and see what all our options were, because if he takes a university teaching job here in Mexico, it would probably be like Nemesis said, only in Mexico, we'd cruise through the next 8 years and look up and realize we've never left this tiny corner of the world and by then our daughters would be too caught up in life to want to leave.

Thanks for all the replys!

[fed_up]

Fed-Up, you've obviously never been to Mexico. Infastructure? planning? what's that! My electiricty goes out every single time it rains and my house in in a newly developed area. I guess I'm lucky that I don't have to worry much about bad traffic accidents because I haven't driven my car over 35 mph since I bought it three years ago, the roads are too bad to go faster than that and I even get out on the highway every other weekend! Most of the time I'm creeping along under 20 mph.

I have never been to Mexico, so I'd imagine you're right. However, creeping along is better than just sitting in traffic not moving for hours.

Oh and I don't sell textbooks to schools, I review textbook proposals and manuscripts, comment the content both in terms of being educationally sound or not, but also marketablity so knowing another market would only help. I don't care if schools photocopy textbooks, that's the norm in many parts of Mexico too.

You have not made it clear: "IF, we did end up going to Thailand, money wouldn't be the draw, the experience would. I also do some freelance work for a textbook publisher who pays me in Pounds Sterling, so I'd have that as a supplement, and getting experience in a different country would contribute to that work as the publisher wants to sell their books to Thai schools as much as they want to sell them to Mexican schools, so learning about a new market would only help me in that.". There are many International schools in Thailand following US or UK guidelines so your publisher would be able to sell them here. I don't think he'd need your meticulous research to figure that one out.

Japan is not, nor has it ever been 3rd world. The historic terms, 1st World, 2nd World, and 3rd World are not really valid labels anymore. The First World was what can also be known as "The West" Plus Japan, the economically developed countries during the cold war years. The Second World reffered to the Communist Block. The Third World refered to undeveloped countries. Japan is obviously different from the west in many ways, but it was neither a communist block nor undeveloped country during the cold war. Since the end of the cold war, developed, developing, lesser developed, and undeveloped are the terms that should be in use.

Thanks for your lecture on semantics -which was not really necessary. This one is for Robroy as well: I have lived and worked in almost all native English speaking countries as well as Europe and Japan. I can easily confirm that Japan is a 1st class country, however it is still Asia with Asian attitudes, mentalities, way-of-life, xenophobia (which seems to be a defining characteristic of SE Asia), and even pollution, hence my remark. So, unless you have spent a significant amount of time in Japan, please refrain from trying to educate others. Have a happy day !

And a special P.S. for Robroy: Mate, you'd only dream about the amount of education and the number of degrees I and my partner have. And don't think that everyone has an Isaan partner (like yours probably), my embassy has already confirmed that the only two things we'd need to return to my home country would be 2 plane tickets. But, right now just like you I'm taking it easy, kicking back and relaxing.

[fair]

Your children are still young.  If you want to explore, by all mean, please do so now.  Thailand is NOT for everybody.  Like AFT, if you remember Thailand is a developing country, you will be just fine.  I bring a spray bottle of bleach mix (mix one part of bleach and 30 parts of water), soap, toilet paper every time I go out.  I use bleach solution to mop floor  everyday .  When I just landed here, I do not drink or eat anything cold or uncooked.  Now, I eat everything.  I do go to the beach but I do not swim in it. 

"Being on time", schedule, planning,...etc are not in their vocabularies.  YOu will do things in Thai time. 

Foreigners can not own land, houses here.  To own a business, you need to have Thai partners. 

Schools want to see white faces but they welcome couples like you.   

Of course, if you can go to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, you will make more money (But you WILL spend more too).  But the life in those countries is not as easy as in Thailand.   

I wish you the very best.

[hero]

Moved some pointless arguing to the Squared Circle.

[MELEE]

I have a fair amount of experience living in developing countries, just not Asian ones. The countries I've lived in the longest are, USA, Mexico, Japan, Chile, Ecuador. I've also traveled in Guatamala, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina and Korea. My children have never been outside of Mexico and they are very used to life in chaos. I've not made any decisions and I'm not set on Thailand.

I wanted to know if my husband would be able to get a teaching job, the response is mixed. I realize some schools would turn him down based on his skin color. In general, what would people's reaction be to seeing us as a couple? I know there are all sorts of people all ove the world, so I know it would be varied. We are used to people jumping to the wrong conculsion, which is what usually happends here.

Fair, I know I would make more money in Japan, Korea, or Taiwan, but I'm not sure we would make more money because I'm pretty sure I'd be the only one who could work there. One higher income, versus two smaller ones.

[fair]

There are a lot of inter-racial couples here.  You do not have to worry about that.

Your husband will find a job easy if you send both of your resumes TOGETHER.  You may want to send schools recent photos, degrees, maybe references.  Many students here may even want to learn Spanish.  He will be a perfect Spanish teacher. 

Schools here love couples, female, young teachers.  Degrees, TEFL certificates, are not really required (depend on the schools).  I see you two have all the qualifications combined. 

I wish you the best of luck. 

[anyonefortennis]

Schools here love couples, female, young teachers.  Degrees, TEFL certificates, are not really required (depend on the schools).  I see you two have all the qualifications combined. 

Fair's right in one regard, schools will fight over young couples, a lot will recruit you both on the strength of photographs……………as long as your tattoos and piercings are hidden and your fella has short hair.

However, I don’t agree with the qualifications part. The more qualified you are the more marketable you are and the more you can negotiate. 

As for people’s response.........most won't have any idea were Mexico is, much less what language they speak, so they won't have any preconceived ideas, unlike they do for Africans and their old friends from Burma. Your husband may well be treated as somewhat of a ‘novelty’……..whether your husband would be comfortable with this is another matter - also a huge amount will depend on his accent.   

I’m going to get spat on and kicked for saying this, but what the hell – you may find that you have the biggest problem from farangs. A few are openly racist toward anyone who is not white (not many, but some), a few are just damn right nasty, and others may well see you as a threat to their equilibrium – a young, good looking (I’ve no idea what you look like) qualified couple come into ‘their’ school with fresh ideas and approaches etc. etc. Note I'm only suggesting there maybe a few problems from a few farang.

I guess the real difference is, farang will openly tell you / be nasty toward you, the Thai on the other hand will gossip and witch behind your back. You would probably experience nothing worse than you have already, and I’d readily recommend the south of the country which I believe to be far less bothered about peoples ethnicity than Banger’s.
 

[RobRoy]

I tend to agree with AOFT

A highly qualified couple, one who is a math teacher and the other a white female (kindergartens pay big money for qualified females for the lower grades) would be able to do fairly well here, as long as his accent isn't too strong.  It might be neck and neck as to who would make the most money.

Another piece of advice, should you come here, only speak English to each other in school, unless asked to translate something into Mexican/Spanish.  Its the same bit of advice I give my Filipino friends.  Don't do anything to emphasize your husband comes from a non-native speaking country.  This gives the Thais and the other farangs less to witch about. 

Post some resumes with your pics.....what have you got to lose?

Good luck in your endeavors!

[roadkill]

I've got a serious jones for Mexican just reading this thread.  Gotta get to Bourbon Street. 



Don't worry about what these SA's are sayin about your skin.  Tell the school that English is spoken in Mexico as first language and offer them a dictionary to verify Mexican isn't listed as spoken language and show'em a map of Texas and tell them that's were most Mexicans live anyway.  And something like that how the spellings are so similar.  From what's been said up in this thread it sounds as if they'd buy it. 

Whew.  gotta go.  munchies.   

[MELEE]

Roadkill,
I'm inspired by you confindence in the Thai's knowledge of the world, but my husband has decided to enter a PhD program, so nothing will come of the Thailand idea.