Topic: Siam University

[hero]

It seems getting cash from employers is one of the problems synonymous with Bangkok's less desirable employers.  Here's an offering from the old TSW board.

Siam University

Just a word of warning about SU and getting paid.

I worked part-time for SU for 6 weeks. I started in mid August and was told I would be paid the 15 Sept. So I went every saturday as agreed. I turned up on time with lesson plans prepared and taught english.

Sure enough, come 15 Sept, no money. I was told it was because i didn't supply photos. When you bring the photos you can have the money they said. I bring the photos the next week and guess what. The photos have to be sent to the finance dept, who then sign a form to release the cheque. Needless to say i wasn't to happy at getting the runaround, so i told them so.

I made the point that when i come to work on time and do my job I expect to be paid on time and reminded them of the agreed date to be paid. I was then told that this date didn't apply to part-time staff. These were only general terms and not to get upset. Of course, it was ok for the moron telling me not to get upset because he'd been paid on time.

Anyway, I quit the job at the end of September without receiving any money. I eventually received payment for Aug in Oct and Septembers pay in November.

I know people have heard worse stories than this, but i just thought people should know about this before applying or accepting a job with this university.

So if you don't mind being lied to and being paid late, this is the place to be.

I also heard a story from another person who worked there that the university employed a lecturer who received full payment in his first month but in his 2nd month received substantially less and was told that was all he/she was getting. Needless to say he left.

One of the subjects he taught was business ethics. Maybe the people run the show at this place should take the course themselves

[Bangkok Phil]

<<I also heard a story from another person who worked there that the university employed a lecturer who received full payment in his first month but in his 2nd month received substantially less and was told that was all he/she was getting. Needless to say he left.>>

I had a very good friend work there and he had major problems with getting paid the hourly rate he was originally promised, and this is a guy whose opinions I trust and whose accounts I would always believe.
I think he got the money in the end (I haven't seen him for a while) but it took a hell of a fight.

[bluefalang]

This is an ancient thread but I have seen several recent job ads from Siam University (specifically the Hotel and Tourism Department) for English teachers. Does anyone have any current contacts their? Any info re what the place is like from a teachers perspective? Thanks for posts or pm's.

[pauleddy]

I am always interested in Uni-ads. I work in a uni, and often check out the ads/network with other people.

The Siam ads seem to run and run. I am sure that the turnover is high. Siam also places ads in the Post from time to time.

Siam is, I believe, on the other side of the river and quite a trek (?). Maybe one reason for turnover?

I hear that it is a private uni. Many of the private unis (and some of the public ones) are playgrounds/shagfests for poor-little-rich-brats. These brats have an SLK parked outside. Most couldn't give a flying fcuk, cos a) in 3 years, they will get a job in Dad's corporation, and b) the system is geared to pass them with 80 or 90% (they know this, you know this, Dad knows this, the Dean knows this...TIT)

I remember seeing an ad for English teachers in one of their faculties. It may have been tourism, I'm not sure. The ad sounded very pompous...like they were doing you a big favour. The Asst. Prof. H.H. Serene Dr. X (MA, PhD)(the guy you had to apply to) sounded very pompous too.

That's my impression. Correct me if you wish.

Add late/non-payment to the above, and it's not pretty.

PEd

[Mods-Rockers]

The Asst. Prof. H.H. Serene Dr. X (MA, PhD)(the guy you had to apply to) sounded very pompous too.

That's my impression. Correct me if you wish.

Add late/non-payment to the above, and it's not pretty.

PEd

The guy you have to apply to is a woman and yes she does have her head up her as…
The guy who will interview you is a Belgian (Walloon) Who was a waiter in a classy Brussels restaurant before decamping over here, and now teachers on the BA program to wannabe waitresses in black microskirts and their baby sized white shirts. You are perfectly correct about the shagfest, correct about the trek though they do have rooms available in the student condos (shagfest again) they promise much but deliver little.

Oh yes and the working week is Tuesday-Saturday, which tends to screw you on the long weekends!

[Minxlady]

Sounds like you have the lowdown on the place. I have seen quite a few ads for Siam, but it sounds best avoided.

I worked for a time at one of the 'Big 3' unis here. Even in the 'best' places there are plenty of problems, so God only knows what the lower-rated public or 2nd division private unis are like. I was once offered a Rajabhat job, although fate stepped in and pulled me away overseas.

In my previous Big 3 job.......

Farangs had no say in management. The Thais were terrified of farang experience and expertise, but couldn't manage a noodle bar by themselves. So, there was always some mutual suspicion and paranoia (despite the large dollops already there because of the Thai tendency to form factions and in-fight) Unfortunately, this type of culture does not lend itself to positive development and evolution, participation, and learning from mistakes. Quality-driven teaching is severely restricted, as morale is low, and turnover is quite high. Some dedicated farang and Thai teachers work themselves into the ground and burnout, carrying the others. Sounds like the situation at Siam.

The 'up the as...' sounds familiar. In my old place, the Thais were often Associate or Asst Professors, which is really a joke, but they liked the titles. Senior native speaking farangs, often with several degrees and 20 years' experience, were never allowed the titles, although some had 1000 times more knowledge and ability. Younger Thais with PhDs, often based on obscure research at 'lower'-ranked US universities, would swan around doing very little apart from messing up and then relying on farangs to clean up the mess...or they would ask farangs to edit stuff for basic grammar and spelling mistakes. Older Thai teachers, mainly female, would arrive in CL 500s, show off their diamonds, gossip over noodles and then depart. Whether they actually taught anything was a mystery to me. Thais get very easily fazed by a large workload, or by having to use several parts of the cerebral cortex at the same time.

One or two of the farangs were like the Walloon you mention, but slicker. They seemed to balance all the plates by sucking up to the inept Thais and showing their faces in the right places, although they were more into looking at boobs and skirts than the whiteboard.

M

[hero]

I removed some posts from here as they were way off-topic - let's try and stay on-topic now .....

[t69allen]

I started that thread at Ajarn because I worked at Siam after responding to their ad on the site. When I had problems at Siam I thought it appropriate to post on Ajarn to let others know about the place and its management. The thread was pulled shortly after Siam University began a new round of advertising for new employees on the Ajarn site.

When I resigned, the finance manager who is the aunt of the president, said she wouldn't pay me for my last month of work. I reread my contract, threatened to call the police and engage a lawyer, and they finally paid.

At the time four other teachers had resigned because of ongoing problems. Siam was unable to find replacement teachers. They changed the wording of their Ajarn ad and started offering monthly pay of 45000-55000Bht. This was a lie since no teacher at Siam was making this kind of money even with overtime, and no teacher subsequently hired received this pay.

They did find replacement staff which now consists of five non native and three native speakers. Some are very difficult to understand when they speak English.

   

[hero]

I started that thread at Ajarn because I worked at Siam after responding to their ad on the site.

That's fine mate - but this thread is about the university and nothing else.