Kratom #expatlife

Kratom...Good Stuff

The legalization trend should pull Kratom in too. It's almost as useful as ganja.

How Pretty Thai Girls Make Money #expatlife

Wages High for "pretties"

A very good infographic about how young, attractive Thai women earn money. This is a Thai industry...not expat. But, it's important to understand to have perspective and knowledge...

A Lesson You Must Learn #expatlife

A Lesson You Need to Learn

If you want to be an Expat.

A friend who teaches at the university with me is in big trouble. About 1 year ago he had an accident. While making a left hand turn, a motorcycle tried to pass and they collided. The motorcycle driver, a young woman, was injured and spent about 2 months in the hospital treating her broken shin and ankle.

His insurance was paid up; he actually had a Thai driver's license. It clearly was not his fault. When the police got involved a lot of paperwork and conversation was passing back and forth between his wife and the officers and in the end the wife knowingly or unknowingly signed a confession for the husband which, apparently, is legal here. Crazy?

My friend assumed his insurance would handle things as it would back in the states. He never imagined his wife would sign a confession! And no one discussed it with him at all. He went on with his life. 1 year passed... He forgot all about it.

And now my friend is in court defending himself from the judge's threats of jail because he didn't visit the girl in the hospital, the insurance hadn't paid the claim and my friend had not paid any cash-based apologies all stemming from his apparent confession written in Thai and signed by his wife. It didn't help that he was not contrite and servile...

Surprise!

He ends up paying the court 300,000 baht for an appeal and is put on probation. You get a big red X on your immigration screen that is quite a shock.

He went to court 5 or 6 times over the course of a year and has been constantly paying out small fees to the lawyer, court costs, and to the complainant.

And living with the threat of jail is not easy.

Lesson learned? Do I need to write it out?

Ganja Battles Go On #expatlife

One thing I love about living in Thailand and Thai news is the truth often emerges about what's really going on....Bravo!

Agency Given 15 Days

Is it Worth Chasing? #expatlife

I chased it most of my adult life and this chase even brought me to Thailand and the life I now lead. I cannot say I regret the writing or the choices, but there was no glory.

Is Literary Glory Worth Chasing?

Most Interesting Interview Ever Recorded #expatlife

I found this article today about bugs in space.

ISS

First learned about the idea of bacteria and organisms in outer space and some of the reasons for them from James Horak. Originally, I learned of James through the Kevin Smith podcast out of Thailand. Kevin is not with us anymore, but James sure is...

This is the link to the 4 part series of the most fascinating, enlightening and engaging interview ever recorded:

A Refined Cosmology to Address Cosmic Anomaly

Enjoy.

                     

                   

Bizarre Russian Visa #expatlife

There must be more to this story. Why sell a visa when they are so easy to get? I assume they are much longer than tourist visas or they are multiple entry visas for businessmen?

What else is going on here? Such an interesting story.

The Visa process here is currently being unraveled and updated which is very good news because it is extremely confusing.

Russian Consul Charged

Ganja Money Battles Rage #expatlife

As the legalization of ganja draws near the different groups fight for little slices of the ganja pie.

Update: Law Clears Thai Cabinet

This will continue for the next year or so as the winners and losers align.

Article in the Nation newspaper.

Sadly, this process may go down the usual road and end up another heavily regulated, controlled and unprofitable crop for most aka rice, corn, cassava, and so on...

But, at least it will be legal and available and Thais can begin unraveling their social taboos. In the end it will be a positive step socially as people question their old belief systems and allow new ideas to seep in.

Great article to get you up to speed.

Best Hotel in Bangkok #expatlife

Best Hotel in Bangkok  is:

Maduzi Hotel

Education Slump #expatlife

Weaponizing Education

A lot of people will disagree with me, but I do not believe there is a conspiracy in Thailand to indoctrinate children through the education system. Maybe once a long time ago, but no more. Could there be discrimination among class systems? Of course.

I feel most Thai teachers truly believe in the values of their society and have a genuine, even enthusiastic desire to teach children.

You don't know what you don't know.

Yes, there are classes and class differences. Is it realistic to teach children from rural villages western ideals about freedom and opportunity? I don't know. This is the kind of reality they deal with below:

Arrested

I know quite a few young education majors and they are smart, worldly, critical thinkers. One example, a woman named, Sai, is one of the smartest, mature young women I have ever met. She is fluent in English, she reads, she is comfortable with other cultures, new ideas, critical analysis.

She passed her tests, she has her degree. Now what? Waiting list. Up to 3 years before she can get a job assignment! Ridiculous. What is she supposed to do? Watch Netflix for 3 years? Of course not. She has to find job and move on with her life. 

The problem here is rules, systems, bureaucracy, power systems that will not bend or adapt to a new world.

Facebook Dating #expatlife

Facebook plans to roll out a dating app in Asia only for now. Thais love Facebook.

Facebook Dating

I am sure it will be a huge success as FB has about 46 million registered users in LOS.

FB is part of day to day life. They do not really use it to chat or make calls- even for business (Line is for that), but rather as a photo and commenting source, usually about family.

Dating and family are intimately connected here so a connection might be inevitable.

Thailand Scores Low in English Proficiency... #expatlife

EF EPI English Proficiency Index

It's out for 2018 and Thailand's rank is even lower this year. Interesting also is the difference between Bangkok and Isaan is quite small.

Quote from page 4: "Societies that speak English are more open, less hierarchical..."

A catch-22 as the hierarchical nature of Thai society is one of the reasons English proficiency is so low. Apply the hierarchical mindset to education and you do not get stellar results.

Of course, the English language, in the report, coincides with many trends: quality of life, jobs, innovation, economy, etc...

European countries are steadily moving in chunks to the higher proficiency bands while our Thailand is moving down.

Singapore, PI and Malaysia remain at the top.

Finally, an age gap has emerged: all Asian groups over 20 years old posted declines.

Free for 3 Days #expatlife

Water Heart

Free for 3 days

Balanced #expatlife

Part of my quest to find this balance started almost 20 years ago when I left the United States in search of something better.

You don't have to become an expat to find this balance Joe speaks of, but if your circumstances are right, it can be a major step towards it.

You will Teach in Bangkok and Beyond #expatlife

This interview appeared on www.ajarn.com. The website is a fabulous resource and Phil deserves all of the praise he can stand...

Ask me any questions you'd like about becoming an expat, teaching in Thailand, jobs, money, culture, etc...I enjoy sharing my experiences. I won't post your name or location.

Erich R. Sysak

27th May 2018

Erich R. Sysak has lived in Thailand for almost two decades. He's got many years of English teaching experience under his belt but he's also written several Thai-themed novels and developed a permaculture farm in Isaan. Now this guy really does sound like an interesting fellow.

Q

Erich, welcome to the Ajarn hot seat. You are originally from New Orleans, USA but I noticed your Amazon profile says you 'wandered the Southern United States for much of your adult life'. Wandering around doing what exactly?

A

Thank you for the warm welcome, Phil and ajarn.com readers.

Long, long ago back in the states I stayed in college and grad school as long as possible to avoid real work. I was lucky to have a small stipend and tuition waiver from a teaching assistantship at Florida State. But, it wasn’t enough money. So, I wandered the estate sale shops, Goodwill and Salvation Army stores throughout the Southern US hunting antiques and rare books I could resell.

I priced rare books with old auction guides and a general knowledge of dates and categories that collectors wanted. For example, golf books before about 1945 or anything about old guns like the Kentucky Rifle, art books by certain publishers of high quality, and so on…This was a few years before the internet exploded and everyone became a picker.

Q

So what was the reason you chose Thailand? Had you checked out other countries in SE Asia as possible places to call home?

A

I was tired of academia and knew I had very little chance of landing a snug professor job in the States. So, I sent out feelers to many countries around Thailand such as Malaysia, Vietnam and China, even Russia and waited to see what happened.

The replies from a nice lady named Wachuree at a Rajabhat in Chachoengsao were inviting and detailed. I had zero idea what a Rajabhat was or what to expect, but I figured Bangkok was the center of the universe and I could put up with anything for a school year as I grew accustomed to life as an expat.

I came to Thailand instead of pursuing a PhD in English and it was the best decision I ever made. Now, many years later I have two sons and a wife and this is my home until the finish line appears. I’m 51 now and don’t see any shiny tape yet.

Q

I guess with an academic background back in the USA, you had pretty much the pick of the jobs?

A

Since moving to Thailand, yes, I’ve enjoyed a charmed life in terms of jobs. I really had no idea an English MA was candy here and feel very lucky. I studied English because I love reading, writing and sharing knowledge. But I would like to add that the 'for-profit language schools' seem to care more about certificates like CELTA than degrees in English.

Also, international schools for kids seem unimpressed by me, but I have never tried very hard to get a job teaching children. Kids take too much energy and I have two already. I prefer the university setting and write about it often in my novels.

Q

In a lengthy teaching career, you've earned good salaries at international universities and worked for standard government packages at Rajabhats. I'm taking a wild guess that you aren't driven by money?

A

I guess because it was easy for me to get teaching jobs I thought the money would always be there. It was foolish and I should have protected my career more carefully. I did not tend to a good relationship with a wonderful publisher out of Singapore, Monsoon Books, who published my first two novels in print. C’est la vie!

Q

What's the closest you've come to your dream teaching job?

A

Five years in Hua Hin and Cha am in a bungalow a short walk from the beach for 10k baht a month and a rickety old Honda motorcycle.

I taught classes with fully fluent students from all over the planet, teaching creative writing, research papers and modern literature. Crazy paycheck every month. A broken down campus full of strange, brilliant expat rogues. I loved it so much it became a novel - Water Heart.

Q

I always like to ask this question to teachers who have been here a long time. In what ways do you think the TEFl profession in Thailand has changed over the last 17 years?

A

Past few years I have met many Thai teachers who are aware of the hierarchy problems in the education system and are eager to tear it to pieces. They want students to get the respect they deserve, a real chunk of knowledge underneath that degree and a dose of truth.

There is talent, intelligence and money behind a growing trend toward better systems inspired by Montessori, Steiner and Finland recently. Even in my small town of Sakon Nakhon there are two Montessori-style schools. One inspired by the other. They are packed with applicants every year. Is the trend prevalent everywhere? Probably not. But, I am optimistic.

Also, I have noticed many teachers coming to the realization that phonemic awareness is the magic trick Thailand needs. So many Thai students know their ABC’s, but do they know the actual sounds the letters make and how to use their tongue, teeth, jaw, et al, to do it? We did a seminar a few months back with about 15 parents from our kid’s school and showed them phonemic YouTube videos. Most of the parents speak a little English, but struggle as per the norm. A few parents told us, 20 years of English classes and not 1 person showed us the sound of c is mostly /k/ or even what schwa is….and so it goes.

Q

You enjoy teaching but fair to say that writing is your first love?

A

Thanks to Gladwell, I know I am a maven or a person who enjoys sharing knowledge. Both teaching and writing offer me a healthy fix.

The major difference between the two: teaching can be laborious. 6 to 8 hours a day in class makes me tired just thinking about it. But, teaching is where they keep the silver and a good international university is an exciting stage to play.

Q

Tell us a little more about a few of the books you have written, starting with Stage V. It's a thriller right?

A

Thank you for asking. A marketing manager named Lawson Banks is diagnosed with terminal cancer and given one or two years to live if he has multiple surgeries, chemo, and swallows handfuls of drugs. And of course spends all of his money. Welcome to America, right?

Banks loses his house, his job, his security, everything except a life insurance policy. The first twist: viatication. I had no idea people actually bought life insurance policies with someone’s future death in mind, but apparently it started up big in the eighties as an unregulated investment for aggressive Wall Street bankers.

Banks cashes out his policy for less than half its value, 400,000 dollars, and moves to a beach in Thailand to live out his final days in paradise. Because of the huge difference in the cost of living between the US and Thailand, Banks settles into a nice beach house, finds a girl and really starts enjoying life. But that does not last. The investors back home need that policy to pay and are willing to do anything…So it begins. The book is here for those who want to check it out further https://amzn.to/2LAENcT

Q

'Water Heart' sounds as though it's based around the expat teaching profession?

A

Yes, Water Heart is my favorite novel of the bunch because it is my homage to the great John LeCarre. But, don’t compare, please…the title comes from the Thai phrase, 'nam jai' which basically means generosity, thinking of others, etc. The main character, an expat academic named Bonner, goes on a journey to find a missing grad student as an act of kindness.

I was always hoping a powerful influencer would drop an act of kindness on me and promote the book a little! It enjoyed very good reviews when it came out and has been selling a few copies every month for many years. But, I kind of disappeared from social view soon after it was published and am just now breaking water on Earth again. More on that later?

Q

Finally, you contributed to a book called 'The Best of Asian Erotica'. Perhaps I shouldn't ask if this draws on personal experience but are you an aficionado of Asia's seedier side?

A

I just have one short story in that book along with Stephen Leather, John Burdett and many other great writers. My agent at the time, Richard Lord, asked me to contribute and frankly, I had never written erotica in my life. I wrote a story about a fellow teacher while I was living on Phuket (a great year). He was an upscale monger and deserved a story of his own.

Q

For a good number of years, you've been running a permaculture farm in Isaan (NE Thailand). I'm a city boy Erich. You'll need to explain that to me.

A

An Australian named Bill Mollison wrote an amazing book in the seventies and coined the term, 'permaculture' from the words: permanent and culture. My wife and I bought three acres near our house and I commenced making a fool of myself. I have always been interested in plants, water and animals and just wanted to try developing a sustainable farm from the ground up, so to speak. I had spent most of my life in classrooms and it was time to play in the mud.

I could easily write another book about how to start a farm in Isaan and maybe I will one day. Needless to say, it was damn difficult. Three major factors became an unbeatable force. The first, people. Local villagers thought I was crazy and some even felt animosity, expressing it by stealing fish and trees, encroaching and other petty acts. It was also very difficult to find employees to help.

The second factor was money. Very slowly the costs went up and the earnings down. I could see that curve would never bend another way. The final factor: weather. three floods, a drought, and insanely hot days were taking their toll on my health and productivity. If you are rich and have infinite patience - have kids or a farm as your hobby.

Q

You also run an on-line blog called 'Expat Life'. What's the focus of that?

A

The blog is more for friends back home in the West who are into Thailand, but maybe only get here once in a while or plan something big in the future. I like to re-post articles that seem more like scenes from novels than real life.

I am trying to be more social in my late middle-age and hope to connect with readers who also enjoy the kinds of books I read and write - a bit of community building if you will. After all, we are a fortunate minority!

Q

Thanks for the chat Erich. You can check out Erich's Amazon page where you'll find all the books mentioned in the interview (at extremely reasonable prices I might add) and don't forget to pay a visit to the Expat Life blog.

A

Thank you so much, Phil, for this interview and also for keeping ajarn.com running. I have used it so many times to find a job, see who is hiring, read articles and interviews and just to enjoy the teacher talk. Thanks again!

Where all of my books, blogs and links meet: https://amzn.to/2GUUzvM