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Re: Thailand Thread
I'm living in NYC but I don't have what anyone would consider a 'career'... 
I've spent over 5 years at the same dead-end library job at a small 4-year college and still haven't cracked the $40K barrier. I could make more $ working at a law library but I've worked with lawyers in HNL and don't care to go down that road again. Rents are even more insane in the 5 boroughs than in HNL, especially if your credit isn't perfect. I was thinking of looking for a job in SF at the public library since my mom lives in the area, but am asking myself if I want to spend the rest of my life doing what I've been doing for the last 5 years, for slightly better money and fair to middling climate. SF isn't NYC(and that's a GOOD thing) but it ain't 'aina or anything resembling it. I like wearing slippahs year-round, palm trees, locally grown mangos and papayas. With my credentials I could get a good TEFL job at a gov't school in BKK and make about 35-40K Baht per month, which works out to about $1K, but (the key point) rents are about 7-13K Baht/month. Rents and salaries are somewhat lower outside of BKK and jobs harder to find but like shaveice mentioned, the countryside is a nicer place to live. Many of these apartments even have amenities like weekly maid service, cable included, etc. In NYC, the most you are likely to get as an 'amenity' is an elevator... 
Compare that to my monthly take-home pay of about $2K -I would need to pay at least half of that in rent. I love teaching but am unqualified in the US and don't feel like jumping through all the hoops the DOE requires only to teach unruly kids for peanuts in a combat zone- no wonder there's a teaching shortage. Plus it's a tropical climate, lots of cheap airfares to other Asian cities, beautiful temples, excellent food... I will most likely go there on vacation next summer to check out the schools and see if it's as wonderful as 'they' say, if so then my plan is to make my escape in January '07 just in time for the annual NYC deep freeze!
Originally posted by shaveice
I've spent over 5 years at the same dead-end library job at a small 4-year college and still haven't cracked the $40K barrier. I could make more $ working at a law library but I've worked with lawyers in HNL and don't care to go down that road again. Rents are even more insane in the 5 boroughs than in HNL, especially if your credit isn't perfect. I was thinking of looking for a job in SF at the public library since my mom lives in the area, but am asking myself if I want to spend the rest of my life doing what I've been doing for the last 5 years, for slightly better money and fair to middling climate. SF isn't NYC(and that's a GOOD thing) but it ain't 'aina or anything resembling it. I like wearing slippahs year-round, palm trees, locally grown mangos and papayas. With my credentials I could get a good TEFL job at a gov't school in BKK and make about 35-40K Baht per month, which works out to about $1K, but (the key point) rents are about 7-13K Baht/month. Rents and salaries are somewhat lower outside of BKK and jobs harder to find but like shaveice mentioned, the countryside is a nicer place to live. Many of these apartments even have amenities like weekly maid service, cable included, etc. In NYC, the most you are likely to get as an 'amenity' is an elevator... Compare that to my monthly take-home pay of about $2K -I would need to pay at least half of that in rent. I love teaching but am unqualified in the US and don't feel like jumping through all the hoops the DOE requires only to teach unruly kids for peanuts in a combat zone- no wonder there's a teaching shortage. Plus it's a tropical climate, lots of cheap airfares to other Asian cities, beautiful temples, excellent food... I will most likely go there on vacation next summer to check out the schools and see if it's as wonderful as 'they' say, if so then my plan is to make my escape in January '07 just in time for the annual NYC deep freeze!
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