Championship Manger: The Teaching in Thailand Edition

Anybody who has played the legendary championship manager or football manager series will know that it's vitally important to keep your players happy in order to ensure good performances.

I have found that the personal status of players in the game are often used by teachers in Thailand too. What do you think?

Common Personal Statuses

• Is excited by the new challenge
• Every teacher goes through this stage in the first month. It is the time when everything is new and exciting.

• Is happy with the conditions at the club currently
• After the first month this stage normally kicks in until there is a problem.

• Is content with the conditions at the club currently
• This is the position most teachers find themselves in neither particularly happy or unhappy in their job.

• Feels he was bought to the club under false pretences
• This is usually seen by teachers who have been assured that their 2 year diploma from Maidstone technical college would be recognised or they thought they could teach legally without a degree.

• Wants to be paid what he deserves
• This is usually when the teacher has been asked to do activities outside of their contract or they've been looking at jobs in China or Korea.

• Is homesick
• This is common in younger teachers who have never really travelled before.

• Struggling to adapt to Thai culture
• This is usually seen after Thai bureaucracy has been witnessed or they have been asked to pass everyone in their class regardless of ability for the first time.

• Feels he need to leave in order to further his career
• This is most common in younger teachers who have ambitions to establish themselves in either in their home country or in a more developed country. 

• Has personal problems with John
• Personal problems between foreign teachers in the staffroom can be common and I'm sure fights have broken out in some schools.

• Has lost faith in his manager
• This is if they had any faith in their head of department in the first place.

Transfer Statuses

• Refused a work permit
• This is usually teachers without a degree who have been granted a non b based on a future work permit application that will never be accepted because they don't have a degree. They need to do a visa run ASAP!

• Currently considering a new contract from the club
• Usually occurs in February or March when they are asking the question should I stay or should I go?

• Has instructed his agent to look for a new club
• The teacher wants to stay in Thailand but wants to change school so they give the agency a ring. The agency will probably be reluctant to help unless you are firm.

• Leaving on a Bosman
• They have decided to head off to pastures new.

• Given a free transfer
• The school has had enough of you and haven't renewed your contract. You might know why or you might be left in the dark.

I would like to see Thailand made available as a playable league in the series so that we can see statuses such as

• On a visa run
• Has chronic diarrhoea
• Is refusing to take part in training camp 
• Believes his agent is stealing money from him
• Is questioning the system

5 Expats In Thailand To Follow On Twitter

Twitter is a social networking site which is fairly new to me. I had a dormant account for a few years which I used mainly to read tweets from various celebrities but I didn't quite get the point of it all. I've found the whole microblogging concept kind of fails if you just follow random people in which you have little in common and no real sustained interest in. This is why Facebook feeds are always filled with pointless filler because you feel obliged to add everyone you know who will then in turn inundate you with pointless information regarding things you have absolutely no interest in i.e. the pie and mash they cooked last night. This is why I keep my twitter follow list streamlined and only follow people who 'tweet' things I have an interest in. 

This list of five expats in Thailand to follow on Twitter is by no means exhaustive and I would highly recommend that you check out my follow list on Twitter because many of them are Expats in Thailand. This list instead recommends users who each take a different perspective on living in Thailand and present an interesting account of expat life. I would also like to point out that I don't know any of these people personally and am just a fan of their content. 

1. Richard Barrow

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow

Richard Barrow will more then likely be the first person you add if you are looking for information regarding Thailand. Richard had lived in Thailand for over 20 years and works primarily as a travel blogger. As well as covering his own travels he also covers news which would be of interest to foreigners in the kingdom so he is always a useful resource. 

2. Ajarn.com 'Phil' 

https://twitter.com/Ajarncom

Phil has also lived in Bangkok for over 20 years and runs the popular teaching website ajarn.com. The website is the first port of call for teachers looking for jobs within the kingdom and I'm told it also has a decent forum for teachers although I haven't actually checked it out yet. Phil tweets about a large number of topics and I've found his tweets give a really accurate impression of life in Thailand. He is a must follow for all teachers out there but he also tweets on many different subjects.

3. Somchai The Dog

https://twitter.com/bkksomchai

I like this guy because he brings a very real account of his daily life in an entertaining fashion. He is very representative of your average guy in Bangkok, he works as an English teacher with a wife and a young child. A definite must follow if you're looking for an entertaining expat. 

4. Bangkok Girl Blog

https://twitter.com/bangkokgirlblog

Anna is a British expat living in Bangkok who always tweets interesting things about her life living in Bangkok. Her account is great to follow if you want to know more about cool places to go in the capital and it's also great getting the prospective of expat life from someone who isn't an English teacher!

5. Amusing Thailand

https://twitter.com/AmusingThailand

A recent addition to my follow list has made it into my top five twitter recommendations. Amusing Thailand as the name suggests shows the amusing side of life in Thailand in all it's bizarre fashion. They also RT a lot of funny tweets so it's definitely an account to follow if you want a laugh!  

6. South Thai Expat

https://twitter.com/souththaiexpat

OK, this is merely a shameless plug for me but why not check it out? I tweet on my life working as a teacher in Thailand with all the up's, down's, frustrations and jubilations that come my way. Also check out my follow list for other great expats to follow :)

How I Watch TV in Thailand

There are many things that people miss about their home countries and a common one is television. I don't think there are many foreigners who would want to watch Thai television and that includes those who speak the language fluently. The content shown on Thai television just does not appeal to the vast majority of foreigners so most of us will try to find a way to watch foreign television.

There are expensive pay TV packages out there from the likes of True Visions but I have always thought that the level of content they provide is poor considering the large subscription fee they charge. Instead these are the services I use to get my TV fix!

Torrents

This is by far the most popular method of viewing foreign television programs in Thailand. The vast majority of people I know are torrenting almost constantly and we often leave ourselves with  a surplus of things to watch because we go slightly torrent crazy!

My torrent site of choice is pirate bay but there are many out there which are just as effective. These torrent sites rely on people to upload and download the content so while they might be effective for new releases and popular shows certain programs can be hard to find. It is always hard to find the 90's british sitcoms which I love so much!

*note as of december 2014 the pirate bay has been closed - I now use Kickass torrents but there are still many alternatives out there*

If you would like to watch your torrents on an actual television rather then on a laptop screen you have a number of options. I have recently bought a Samsung TV which has USB capabilities. This allows me to put all of my downloaded torrents onto a flash drive and stick it in the back of the TV allowing me to view the content on a large screen in beautiful HD. Another option if you're not in the market to buy a new television is to connect your laptop to a normal TV using cables. This is a fairly simple process on most windows PC's but I did have to buy a special adapter to connect my macbook which was fairly pricy (1,200 baht)

Live TV & TV on Demand

We all know that most broadcasters restrict their live steams and on demand content to viewers based within their intended broadcasting area. This means that I am unable to view the BBC I Player or watch any live streams from a service such as Catch Up TV. There are of course options which allow you to trick the website into thinking you are viewing the content from a certain country. Many people use programs to change their IP address or purchase expensive VPN services. These can vary in quality and although I have only tried the cheap options I was not impressed. I am told that the paid VPN's are actually quite good. 

I was recently introduced to a service on Twitter which has the same effect as a VPN but is free of charge and really reliable. The program is called Hola and can be installed as an extension in your google chrome browser. You simply turn the service on head to a website and then select which country you would like to view the website from. It really is as simple as that and I would urge anyone to check it out! This service has completely changed my viewing experience because I am now able to trick the BBC website into thinking I'm in the UK and I can view the BBC iPlayer as well as TV streaming sites such as TV Catchup. 

If you know anybody in the UK who subscribes to Sky Digital who would be kind enough to let you have their username and password you can use hola to watch every channel just as you would back home. The service is called Sky Go and I believe it is included in every Sky Subscription so it's just a case of finding someone to lend you their details and you're away! 

Live Sports

Most of the time that I want to stream live content is to watch sporting events. There are numerous websites out their with various links to streams showing sports events. The site I usually use is Wiziwig and I think it is the most comprehensive of all the stream aggregators.

When you look at the site you will see there are various different methods of streaming. Most streams will be flash streams and these are usually very poor quality but are often quite reliable streams. These flash streams are not appropriate is you are viewing the content on a TV because they are too pixelated. The best results are had by downloading an external video player. Sopcast and Ace Player are external players which provide the best quality streams and work on a similar method to torrenting so the number of viewers directly effects the quality of the streams. I often find HD quality streams on there which are comparable to anything on a normal television!

I would also recommend taking a look at the youtube live streaming page because sometimes when a sporting event is not bought by Thai television it is broadcast on here free of charge. A good example of this is the Commonwealth games which is not broadcast in Thailand so is available free of charge in 720p HD. 

Links

• Pirate Bay
• Hola
• WIZIWIG
• Sopcast
• Ace Player
• Youtube Live Sports

Teaching in Thailand: Typical Day

Teaching in Thailand is a great way to travel the country and see new things and teachers are lucky enough to not only be able to take advantage of the weekends and long school holidays but also the various public holidays which are spread throughout the school year. This gives you plenty of time to travel but what about the standard mid week day which is perhaps not quite so exciting and glamorous. 

This is an example of a midweek day in the life of a teacher in Thailand along with some thoughts. 

**The content is based on the daily routines of a few different teachers**

7:00am - Wake Up 

I really should have woken up a little earlier, it's going to be a rush to take a shower and get all my gear together but it's fine because I only live a three minute motorbike ride away from school!

7.30am - Arrive at school

We have to arrive before the students meet for their daily assembly at 7.45am where they will sing the nation anthem, say their prayers and catch up on any announcements. Luckily as foreigners we are allowed to skip the assembly and relax in the staff room until classes begin at 8.30am. A perfect time to catch up on the breakfast and grab the coffee I missed out on earlier.

8.30am - 10.10am - Teach

Teach two classes of M6 students (18 year olds) They are generally quite switched on and I am very lucky to have them and not the M2 or M3 classes. Walk pass another teacher who is struggling to control the rowdy 14 years olds. I'm not sure how long I would last in there. 

10.10am - 11.30am - Downtime

A bit of downtime means preparing my lessons for my private classes after school. The school has a printer and no one's checking what you print so I take advantage and print colour flashcards for my P6 students after school. 

11.30am - 12.30pm - Lunch

Lunch Break. Head off with the other foreign teachers to a local restaurant so we can all analyse the morning and have a bit of a moan. Can't go wrong with 35 baht Kaprow Gai and it's cooked fresh unlike the food at the school canteen which has been sitting around for quite a while by this point. The other guys like to go out because they need a cigarette. I'm lucky I gave up 3 years ago.

12.40pm - 2.20pm - Teach

Another couple of back to back M6 classes. The students are fine and we get through the work quickly. I also teach some of the M1 students. They are also nice to teach because they are so young. If you are given the choice of what grades to teach go with M1 & M6 (M5 are ok too). These grades will give you the least amount of stress and are the easiest to teach.

2.20pm - 4.00pm - Downtime

The afternoon downtime. One of the advantages or possibly one of the disadvantages of teaching is the amount of free time you get. In an ideal world it would be nice to have a hobby you could do in the office but most teachers don't. The afternoon is spent messing about on social media, chatting with the other teachers and catching up with an episode of that TV show I downloaded last night. 

4.20pm - Hometime

Arrive home and immediately take a shower. Work clothes are then instantly put back on and I head off to my private class.

5.00pm - 6.30pm - Extra Class

My private classes mainly consist of primary school students and whilst this is not my preferred age group to teach the language school does provide an assistant teacher to help keep order. The class mainly consists of flashcards and basic communication. I Prefer the privates with the M6 students which are mainly spent listening to them gossip about teachers at school. I guess it's OK as they are practicing their English. 

7.00pm - Dinner

Grab some dinner from a small restaurant near my house. The food is inexpensive and they actually serve good portion sizes. I try not to spend too much money in the week so I usually skip a beer unless others insist on having one.  

8.00pm - Relax

Some other people like to go to the gym in the evening but I'm usually far to lazy and just want to relax at home. I don't have a TV so I'm always downloading stuff to watch overnight. I spend a couple of hours watching TV programs, catching up on social nets and possibly a Skype call back home.

10.00pm - Bed

Usually feeling pretty tired by this point. It's a long day because unlike in the west where jobs usually start at 9 we have to be at school by 7.30. Slowly drift off watching some random thing on the computer. 

Up again early in the morning. Weekend soon :)

Thailand Coup: Living in the South

At 3am on May 20th 2014 The Royal Thai army declared that the political protests which had plagued the country for the last six months had gone to far and declared martial law with the intention of bringing the bickering parties together for talks. Two days later and with seemingly no breakthrough in the talks the RTA (Royal Thai Army) decided to take over and mount a military coup d'état. The coup was the twelfth in the past eighty years creating a seemingly unbreakable cycle where coup's are an integral part of the Thai political system.

I am not going to use this blog to talk about political ideologies and the rights and wrongs of the militaries intervention in civilian politics. Instead I am going to talk about the ways in which the coup has had a direct impact on me, an expat living in the south of Thailand. Expats who are living in Bangkok have clearly felt the brunt of the coup far more then those living in the provinces, who unless they follow the news could actually be oblivious to anything that is happening.

The number one military order that is going to affect expats is the curfew which is currently in place. The law dictates that no one should be on the streets between the hours of 10pm and 5am. The army has also stated that it is illegal to gather in groups of more then five people. I can see from reports that this rule was being strictly adhered to in the nations capital of Bangkok, at least in the beginning. In the south of Thailand the rule seems to be lightly enforced at best. The large businesses (7-11 etc) and most large bars and pubs are enforcing the curfew and are closing before the designated time. I think the fact that the bars and restaurants are closed is leading to as much of a decline in people on the streets then the orders given by the military. Many small shops, markets and certainly street vendors are not following the rule at all. On the first day of the curfew I decided to go out slightly after curfew hours to see who was about and was able to buy my usual roti and chai yen with absolutely no problem. I have noticed that checkpoints are dotted around here and there but as usual they tend to just wave foreigners through. The checkpoints are administered by the police rather then the army down here and appear to be set up in rather random positions.

One positive I have noticed from the coup is that the army have removed all of the protest areas situated around the provinces city halls and given them a thorough clean. The actual protest areas were generally quite small but they always attracted a large number of market stools selling protest paraphernalia which usually blocked large parts of the roads. The towns certainly look cleaner then before the military had taken over. I can honestly say that I don't feel in danger living through the coup and there are both positives and negatives to the coup being enforced. Thailand will not only have to deal with the technicalities of enforcing martial law but also deal with the inevitable backlash which is likely to come. The political minefield and centre stage is firmly pointed at Bangkok though and I seriously doubt that we will see any sort of social unrest in the south. 

The truth is that the coup has not had too much of an impact on the daily life of the people in the south. The people are still going to work, socialise and discuss politics in the same way they were before. The military also hasn't imposed any orders which the average foreigner would find deeply unsettling either. The internet is still largely accessible and there has been no move yet to curtail and limit the use of social media. The army hasn't imposed alcohol bans or stepped up checks on foreigners yet so most people are generally content even if politically they don't agree with the coup.

7 Ways to Keep Cool in Thailand

Tourists and Expats come to Thailand for a magnitude of different reasons and all have their own stories and experiences to share, however there is one single experience that everyone who has ever entered the kingdom (or neighbouring SEA country) has had. That experience is the first time you emerge from the comfortable climate artificially maintained at the airport. Emerging from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport you are faced with not only an extreme heat but a heat that is intensified further by the humidity and pollution in Bangkok's air. I for one find the climate in Bangkok nearly unliveable but once you leave the capital you will soon start to see the difference not only in the air quality but a drop in real time temperatures as well. These are my top seven tips for keeping cool in Thailand

1. Water

Everybody knows that you should drink enough water especially when in hot weather and keeping rehydrated really in the best way to stay cool in this climate. Forget about targeting yourself to drink 8 pints of water today because this just isn't enough. It is true that you get a large percentage of your fluid intake from foods but the amount of sweating that you're going to do in Thailand is soon going to ware this pretty thin. Most Thai people will reach straight for plain water when they feel thirsty and this is exactly what you should do to. It is of course always tempting to have an ice cold beer at lunchtime as you lounge on the beach but what's not so nice is the dehydrating effects of alcohol which are intensified by the extreme heat. Being a Brit I would never advocate being teetotal just recommend that you do your drinking in the evening by which time the temperatures will have dropped dramatically.

2. Fruit

The importance of getting enough water really cannot be overstated which is why eating fruit is also a great way to keep cool in Thailand. Fresh fruit is found in abundance all over Thailand and best of all it is really cheap. I make sure that I always follow my lunch off with a small bag of either pineapple or watermelon which costs 10 baht. The fruit vendors can normally be seen at the side of the road and always have an abundance of different fruits to choose from. They also make for great snacks and for those on a diet the combination of readily available cheap fruit and a climate which encourages continuous sweating makes Thailand an ideal place for weight loss! (if you don't get to engrossed in delicious Thai food that is) 

3. Spicy Food

It really isn't a coincidence that most of the world hottest countries also have the hottest foods. The fact is that the spice from the ingredients commonly used in Thai cuisine promote perspiration. While this doesn't sound like the most desirable effect the spicy Thai food in combination with the magnitude of water you should be drinking will help you sweat off the heat in no time and also get rid of those unwanted toxins from the night before a little quicker. Be careful not to get to fond of the delicious Thai food though because even though you'll be shedding the pounds through sweat it's easy to pile them back on with rice!

4. Light Clothes

This is another obvious tip and even though some of the locals like to go out in the midday sun in their skinny jeans and tight shirts I really wouldn't recommend it for us. The best advice is to keep the clothes as light as you can and don't wear anything which is too slim fitting. That tight fitting designer t-shirt might look great back in London but here you'll be walking around a sweaty mess which isn't a great look for anyone. You really can't go wrong with shorts and a light t-shirt and remember unless you're at the beach ALWAYS wear a shirt, it is considered extremely rude to go topless in a public place (worse so if you're a women!) 

5. Shower

The cold shower will soon become one of your greatest pleasures in life. Unless you've had the air conditioning blasting out at 18 degrees all day a cold shower is always going to feel more refreshing then a hot one. I would recommend taking multiple showers a day depending on your activity levels even if it' only a simple rinse off. One of the great things about the south of Thailand is that when it gets too hot we can just head over to the beach and jump into the sea, that really is a great way to cool down. 

6. Air Conditioning (Use Sparingly) 

The air conditioner really is a useful piece of technology because it allows us to artificially simulate any climate we want (within reason). If you are visiting Thailand on a short holiday of course it's fine to be liberal with your use of air conditioning. I can see no reason why you would want to subject yourself to uncomfortable temperatures on your holiday, so just try to stay in the air conditioning when it's really hot and enjoy yourself. If you are travelling in Thailand and you find you are getting too hot you can easily jump into an air conditioned place to cool down (7-11 is a great place for this). I would guess that most people in the malls of Bangkok have no intension of actually buying anything and are merely lapping up the free air conditioning before they head off on their merry way.  Those of us who either live here or are here for an extended period of time really should try to avoid an over reliance on air conditioning and instead use it as either a quick cool down technique or use it at a higher temperature (28+). A quick blast of the air conditioning on the lowest setting for 10 minutes should be enough to cool you down from even the most intense heat. 

7. Adapt

The reason I said that people living here long term shouldn't overly rely on air condition is because they will fail to adapt to the climate. If you never embrace the heat and only spend your time in artificially temperate conditions then the moment you are forced out of that comfort you are going to suffer. I recently wrote an article on living in Thailand without air conditioning and while that may be a little extreme for some rationing your consumption even if only a little will help you to adapt to the climate better. I think that if you follow the first six tips then the seventh will come naturally and you will adapt to the climate very quickly. Adapting to the climate means that you will have far greater freedom and save money in the progress, surely a win win all round?

Living in Thailand Without Air Conditioning

Thailand is one of the hottest countries in the world so you know that if even the Thai people who are well adapted to the heat complain and suffer from it's effects then farangs (foreigners) would find it unbearable. White skinned foreigners in Thailand invariably come from countries with much cooler climates then Thailand and so it takes us quite a while to adapt to the tropical climate.  The vast majority of foreigners living in the country will spend most of their time in the comfort of air conditioning but if you can try to adapt to the weather and make some compromises then not only can you enjoy cost savings but you will  also be able feel much better when out in the heat. 

I would say that all foreigners who move to Thailand without recent previous experience of living in a tropical country will need air conditioning for the first few months, while they adapt to the heat. The heat felt in Thailand isn't the typical heat that you would find in southern Europe or America because although temperatures may be comparable the humidly felt here is far higher. The humidity combined with the increased pollution experienced if you live in the capital can make it physically unbearable for someone not used to this climate. I remember vividly the first time I came to Thailand I left Suvarnabhumi airport and the sheer heat was unlike anything I had ever experienced. At this time I was a smoker and I found it physically impossible to inhale my cigarettes outside for the first week or so. 

I have lived in two air conditioned apartments during my time in Thailand and to be honest at the beginning the comparably high electricity bills that come with running an air conditioning unit were totally worth it. The fact that both apartments were on the third floor meant that running air conditioning was an absolute must. The one downside to living in this air conditioned luxury was that I never fully adapted to the climate. I would say that most of my time was spent in air conditioning because I would spend most of my day in the air conditioned staff room at school. The fact that I never really adapted to the heat meant that when I was forced to go outside for an extended period of time I would suffer the consequences. I remember vividly the time when my first school had a sports day event and we were required to be outside for the whole day and all three foreign teachers came back bright red, dehydrated and physically sick. 

My decision to move to a place without air conditioning was not based on the fact that I wanted to adapt more. The reason I moved was that I could get much better value for money accommodation if I were to move to a place without air conditioning. I have previously written an article which explains my accommodation in more depth and that I was able to find a two floored, two bedroom house without air conditioning for roughly the same amount of money as a one roomed apartment with air conditioning. I moved into my house completely cold turkey and decided that I would only be using fans in the future. 

I have seen that some Thai people are happy to sit around without air conditioning and without fans in the most intense heat. I will never be able to do this and the fans that I own are probably the most important equipment that I have in my house. I could survive without a bed or a sofa but without a fan it would be utterly unbearable. I currently have three large portable fans placed strategically at the parts of my house that I spend the most time. I have one fan in my office, one fan in the kitchen and one fan in the living room pointed towards the sofa. I would say that 90% of the time I am at home I have the fan pointed directly at my face and although that sounds slightly awkward it soon becomes second nature. I also have a large ceiling fan in my bedroom which circulates the air when I sleep and I was very pleased that after I starting using the fan I was able to sleep much better and was no longer the victim of a horrible dry throat the next morning. 

Living without air conditioning is absolutely no problem for at least ten months of the year. The only time when I find that I miss it is during Thailand's summer months of April and May. On some days it is quite difficult to do anything other then lay in front of the fan during the midday hours in these months. If you can get through the period when the sun is at its most intense in these months either by going out or maybe taking a siesta then you will find that the rest of the day is easily bearable. If like me you are a teacher then you will probably have the month of April off so you will likely not be spending too much time at home anyway. I have found that since I have been living without air conditioning I have adapted to the climate far better. I am now able to undertake extended activities in the sun and no longer feel the need to crawl back to the air conditioning. I actually now feel cold in the rainy season and at times I don't even use my fans and even cover up under a blanket. I used to laugh when I saw Thai's in woolly jumpers in 25 degree heat but I know that now I would also feel a bit chilly especially if riding a motorcycle. 

I think that people who are looking for houses should not be immediately put off if it doesn't have air conditioning. Yes of course you will have to make some adjustments and yes you may sweat a little more then you're used to but the advantages can be huge. I know for a fact I would rather have a huge house without air conditioning then a small room which does but I guess this comes down to personal preference. I have previously compared the differences in electricity bills with and without air conditioning and the difference is humungous. If you are considering renting a house without air conditioning take a look at where heat may enter the house. I am lucky in the fact that my living room window faces out on to my drive which is covered so no sun ever reaches the room. This means that the room is always fairly cool and that if it really is unbearably hot at night I can at least sleep downstairs.

So I would say that if you are offered to view a house without air conditioning don't discard it immediately, go in with an open mind and you might just reap all of the benefits which come from living without air conditioning in Thailand.