Topic: New Visa Laws

[Pibthong]

   Kent and Monkey Woods bring us back on topic, ie, visas, but as teachers education in Thailand is of paramount concern to us once in the country. Having taught in Korea, I recognize from that and my general knowledge of education in East Asia that the Socratic method is alien to the region, as is critical thinking and initiative (after a recent earthquake in Japan people sat on the street waiting for the government to come to tell them what to do), among other characteristics and traits common to farang.

   Very encouragingly I see the new interim PM has appointed as education minister one of the most qualified reformers of education in Thailand, Dr. Kasem Wattanachai, so I have my first feeling of hope that the quality of education in Thailand might begin to acquire a new attention, priority and direction. This is, I believe, Dr. Kasem's second bite at the apple, as it were, as he was the first TRT (Talk, Rob & Take) minister of education in the new Thaksin government in mid-2001. Dr. Kasem lasted about three months before he quit in disgust at TRT's complete lack of comittment to improving the quality of education in Thailand. It's truly great to see him recalled to his calling by the interim government (another positive in respect to the CNS).

   Maybe better days are coming for education in Thailand. I do believe so...

   While I have the floor, Mods-Rockers, I'd rather go to the Ministry of Labor in Yannawa or at a provincial office for a WP than make twelve, 30-day visa runs. It's both more convenient and consistent with law. That alone makes the Baht 3800 WP fee more viable in economic terms and and professionally, regardless of whether I or the school pay the fee. Please think about reworking your econometrics models to include such less tangible but often as equally important factors as time, effort, legality, professionalism etc.

[hero]

I see the new interim PM has appointed as education minister one of the most qualified reformers of education in Thailand, Dr. Kasem Wattanachai

Link?

It's funny because I was just reading a couple of articles in the press .....

Education Minister - updated

1:30 pm [Today]: Kasem Wattanachai, a member of the Privy Council, denies he was approach to join the Cabinet. He insisted that he will continue to retain his current position as the Privy Council.

"I can guarantee you that PM Surayudh Chulanont will not approach me for the job. There are many people who are more suitable to be the education minister," Kasem said.

October 4, 2006

5pm - Privy Councillor member Dr Kasem Wattanachai today cancelled his meeting after receiving an urgent telephone call from the prime minister. This caused speculation that he would be in the cabinet and possibly as Education Minister, the position he held under Thaksin government.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/05/headlines/headlines_30015276.php

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/05Oct2006_news11.php

I was also under the impression that the well-respected as an administrator in educational institutions Dr. Kasem was pretty well out of his depth as education minister 5 years ago and quit when other school administrators wouldn't play to his tune leaving Thaksin in charge of education personally!

Anyway, we'll wait and see - it seems the cabinet will be named next week, in the most recent article it seems Dr. Kasem is still favourite despite today's denial.....

Separately, Surayud yesterday met with former education minister Kasem Wattanachai at Government House, said a source, who added that Kasem had to skip a meeting on religious education he was to chair. They were expected to discuss Kasem's role in the new Cabinet, probably the education portfolio.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/05/politics/politics_30015426.php

[Mods-Rockers]

Its interesting that you start with this:

   Kent and Monkey Woods bring us back on topic, ie, visas,

Then as a parting shot drag it back off topic with this validation of what I stated:

   While I have the floor, Mods-Rockers, I'd rather go to the Ministry of Labor in Yannawa or at a provincial office for a WP than make twelve, 30-day visa runs. It's both more convenient and consistent with law. That alone makes the Baht 3800 WP fee more viable in economic terms and and professionally, regardless of whether I or the school pay the fee. Please think about reworking your econometrics models to include such less tangible but often as equally important factors as time, effort, legality, professionalism etc.

Remember Pib that it was you who implied that the cost of a WP caused hardship to the teacher and it was I who queried you on how your economic model worked after showing the relative costs, vis-à-vis the 30 day runs, as someone who has always worked with a WP with the exception of my first gig with a hall of shame company, I am well and truly in favour of the legal method.

I like Vientiene a tremendously but…

[Pibthong]

Mods-Rockers,
   I'm pleased to see that you have stepped forward to declare yourself in favor of the legal method of working, ie, having a WP. Your comment in a previous post relative to twelve, 30-day visa runs had left me unclear as to your relationship with the law in this respect. I understand your reference to your past WP situation at a present Hall of Shame school, so I don't say or mean to imply that you presently aren't on the up and up.

   Incidentally, I've been reliably advised that Hanoi is the best place presently to obtain a Non-Immi-B visa.

Hero,
   Dr. Kasem is a recognized and respected professional in education who, as TRT's 1st minister of education, wouldn't play political ball with the TRT Thaksin people (Talk, Rob, Take) and was gone before three months had passed. Thaksin was indeed a CEO business person. Private business and public trust and administration are two different concepts of organizational leadership--are in fact two different beasts. Indeed, public administrators are not CEO types--they are public administrators. Thaksin and his TRT people at the ministry of education had serious conceptual differences with Dr. Kasem about the role and function of a public administrator, ie, one who ministers the laws to the particular public under his/her wing. This TRT CEO stuff--CEO Governor, CEO Ambassador etc--now is being shoveled into the trashheap by the CNS happy to say.

 

[Mods-Rockers]

Mods-Rockers,
   I'm pleased to see that you have stepped forward to declare yourself in favor of the legal method of working, ie, having a WP… so I don't say or mean to imply that you presently aren't on the up and up.

Well luckily I am in a position where, with regards to WP’s at least, they are on the ball. I had my first visit to the MOL within two days of starting the job and WP in hand within 7 working days.

 

Incidentally, I've been reliably advised that Hanoi is the best place presently to obtain a Non-Immi-B visa.

Its been many a moon since I last had a Non-imm B and that was from Vientienne, a bit of a hassle, the next visa was a non-imm O obtained in the consulate in Cardiff, Wales 15 minutes from start to finish which included 10 mins talking about the 6 nations games while waiting for a rickety old Photocopier to warm up. Since then its always been renewed in immi in Bkk with little or no hassle. For those who can, always try and keep your non imm O completely separate from your WP, right now I am in that situation and thus if I leave my job I still have the full duration of the visa intact. All you need is to be able to show an outside income of 40K or 400K in the bank or a mixture of both and your O visa will be given, oh and they might come round your house to check you do live with the wife. They do so enjoy a cold chiang if they do visit.

[Mods-Rockers]

oh yes if you are of the female persuasion and married to a Thai guy then you dont have the hassle of getting a visa as you are apparently entitled to Thai citizenship, and this in a country with no sex discrimination

[Uncle Che]

And it gets better. If you are a foreigner married to another foreigner and your wife has a work permit then you qualify for a non-immigrant O visa, no minimum salary, no nothing. In effect the foreigner has more "rights" than the thai person when it comes to having their spouse live with them...or maybe it is just xenophobia.