A note for foreign teachers in Thailand

[dtaai-maai]

Those of you who teach in Thailand may well know this already, so forgive me for posting this for the benefit of anyone who doesn't.

I taught at a government (as opposed to private) university for almost 10 years. Every month a sum is deducted for tax and health insurance. (Something in the region of 750 baht in my case, if I remember correctly). About 6 years ago I had occasion to benefit from the health insurance cover to the tune of over half a million baht. There were a few bureaucratic hoops to jump through (no surprise there), but in financial terms it worked smoothly - no quibbling, all essential bills paid (there was a cap on private room coverage, and I had to pay a few hundred baht a day extra).

I stopped teaching a few months ago, but I'd been given to understand that I could continue to pay for the health insurance - quite important for me in view of my health history. The Hua Hin equivalent of a social security office (on Petchkasem opposite Win furniture near HH hospital) was very helpful. I now pay 430 bt a month for the same full medical cover I had when teaching (which I would never get privately with a history of cancer and heart problems).

What I wasn't aware of - probably naively, I don't tend to pay much attention to these crucial details! - and what I discovered today, is that there is also a form of savings/investment involved. Apparently over the years I've built up a sum of 90k baht that I can take out whenever I want or leave to grow. If I cash it in, this doesn't affect the health insurance, it just means that the savings aspect starts again from zero. If I'd just gone back to the UK when I finished teaching, I'd have lost out on this because of my ignorance.

Teaching in Thailand can be an absolute pain in the arse, but there are some benefits.

[Spitfire]

TBH DM, I think you and those who started when you did and those now teaching in a uni have very different rules then to now. You probably would have been 'grandfathered' into the scheme, as an actually real employee, as many were at that time but I think most uni don't have that arrangement anymore......most teachers now are simply on one year renewable contracts that are not automatic.

I also know a couple of guys that taught for long amounts of time and got the same....but I think that deal is mostly history other than in some decent places for the accomplished foreigners who have really good qualifications.

I could be wrong but I've only seen what you describe in few cases and they are all folks who have been somewhere for a very long time when the rules were way different.

Glad you got what you were due though.....nice to hear.

[dtaai-maai]

You may be right, but "I think" doesn't really help. Are you sure? For example, a colleague who started about the same time as me, but went off to foreign parts for a couple of years, benefited from the same scheme when he came back about 3 years ago, effectively starting over. He used his medical cover (thankfully to a lesser degree) a year or so ago, and stopped teaching at the same time as me, and has continued his health insurance on the same basis as me.

Before he left the country, he cashed in his accrued benefit, which is now building up again.

Apart from a shortish period of 2-year contracts, I was always on 12-month contracts (which didn't really make much difference...)

[Spitfire]

It could well be, as you say, still attainable.......but I would hesistate to call it 'par-for-the-course' in most places.

Perhaps for decent qualified teachers...maybe, and if so, then only at the big places now that have cash for it. But, I doubt it for the average high school like Assumption and the likes or a uni like Rajabat etc.

However, there could be folks out there that can prove me wrong and I would be surprised to be stood corrected, which is no dramas.

[Vital Spark]

Thanks for the reminder, DM. After Mr.VS and I moved from 'your' place up to Nakhon Pathom, we found that they had a different system for health care. We didn't pay 750 baht, but if we had any problems and had to get medical care, then they'd pay the money back (not such a good system IMO). Mr.VS then got a note from the social security place to say he had money to collect. From memory it was nearly 70,000 baht - based on the same system that you/we'd paid into. A nice surprise. Mr.VS has since gone back to the social security office to try to start the 750 baht scheme again (after an absence of 6 years) and they said as he was over 60, they couldn't do it. In hindsight we should have kept up the payments after we moved up to Nakhon Pathom. Anyway, I guess I've got some money in the pot to collect from when we were working together. Just need to find a piece of paper with some numbers on it....

Spitfire: I don't think it's anything to do with qualifications. It's just whatever system they have in place. We're working for the same university at a different campus, and they have a different way of doing things. The Petchaburi campus was quite cash rich, so we paid 750 and (I think) they paid 750 every month.

Thanks for the nudge, DM

VS.

P.S. Are you retired now, you old bugger? Your photo's still on their website.

[Spitfire]

Maybe so VS.....everywhere is different and 'horses for courses' etc. I do think though that many/most places are simply not offering such generous bonuses/pension related things anymore to new employees (which you and DM are definitely not). Health insurance and all that is no worries as normal...but pension plans and savings bonuses etc I think are becoming a thing of the past in many places generally all over Thailand.

I can't comment on your places of work in HH...just commenting from my experiences in a some places. I guess that what I'm saying is that you folks will get them due to you being here for so long but I doubt the guy/girl that turns up tommorow to work will be offered such a generous deal.....imo. I think the cut-off point was like 5-8 years ago.

Maybe I'm too cynical.

[Vital Spark]

No, Spitfire, you're not being cynical - you're being a realist. Things have certainly changed, even for us long-termers. I no longer get an end of contract bonus, or any increase in my salary (which I used to get). If I want to get any increase in salary I have to write an academic paper, which must be published in an approved journal. I have neither the time nor inclination to waste on such rubbish. I'm already overloaded with essays to mark, lessons to plan, and endless stuff from my Thai colleagues to proof-read/totally re-write. I'd retire tomorrow if I could.

VS

[GLCQuantum]

So there IS a perk to working in the god-awful, degrading, mind numbing, time wasting and progress stifling system - that is Thai government schools - after all!

I was beginning to wonder why people put themselves through it.



Said in jest...

[dtaai-maai]

So there IS a perk to working in the god-awful, degrading, mind numbing, time wasting and progress stifling system - that is Thai government schools - after all!

Jest away, but I know nothing about schools. When I decided to stay here and teach, I promised myself I wouldn't be teaching anyone under the age of 18 (lewd jokes not appropriate!).
What's more, as far as I'm aware most schoolteachers teach something like 22-25 contact hours per week, while my contract was for 14, and I was paid hourly 'overtime' if I was scheduled more than that. Many semesters, I worked a 3-day week and never more than 4.

Thanks for the reminder, DM. After Mr.VS and I moved from 'your' place up to Nakhon Pathom, we found that they had a different system for health care. We didn't pay 750 baht, but if we had any problems and had to get medical care, then they'd pay the money back (not such a good system IMO).

Not such a good system indeed - what happens when you retire?
I assumed there was a blanket system applied to all unis covered by national regulations. Silly me...
Different systems, not only at different unis, but at different campuses of the same uni.

But this is really why I posted - for long-termers coming up for retirement or about to go home.
Check what you're entitled to and make sure you get it - and do it now.

Anyway, I guess I've got some money in the pot to collect from when we were working together. Just need to find a piece of paper with some numbers on it...;

Your WP should be enough, it's all computerised. An old payslip might help if you still have one.

If I want to get any increase in salary I have to write an academic paper, which must be published in an approved journal. I have neither the time nor inclination to waste on such rubbish. I'm already overloaded with essays to mark, lessons to plan, and endless stuff from my Thai colleagues to proof-read/totally re-write. I'd retire tomorrow if I could.

Yes, this so-called 'staff appraisal' scheme was the last straw for me too. Appraisal by people who couldn't teach their way out of a paper bag, based on staffroom gossip and interrogations of students about timekeeping (never my strongest point... ) and with no personal contact with the teacher being appraised.

Effectively a pay cut every year.

Your photo's still on their website.

Understandable, they still need to attract students with good-looking, respectable staff photos...

[VincentD]

The Social Welfare scheme is applied to all permanent employees (with a proper work permit). A certain percentage is taken out of your salary and the company contributes a similar amount to the fund. One hospital (and only one!) is nominated as THE hospital you will be using and you will not be able to use these benefits at ant other hospital.
When you leave the scheme, you have a 6 month grace period to opt to continue on your own, after which you will not be able to do this. Minimum sum on your own is about 440 baht/month.
You have to collect whatever sum accrued under THAT employment scheme, it cannot be continued. I was also told that if you accrue enough time (something like 15 years) with the same employer you could be entitled to a pension.
Your statement about being over 60 does not hold true *if* you had opted to continue your payments within the 6 month period after you had left the scheme. They told me that as long as I continue to pay them I will be covered.
I have set up an account where it is automatically deducted every month.
(Note that my old employer also had private insurance, the social welfare is compulsory, so never really used it at the time).
My two baht worth.

[dtaai-maai]

The only thing I'd add to Vincent's post is that although I was registered with Hua Hin hospital when I was ill, I needed to see a haematologist. HH didn't have one, so I was referred to a specialist at Ratchaburi Hospital, who continued to supervise my diagnosis, treatment and aftercare check-ups.

That was all done under the scheme, but the downside was (and this is what I meant by bureacratic hoops) that before every appointment in Ratchaburi I had to get signed authorisation from a doctor at HH hospital, which usually involved a 2-3 hour wait... (so Mrs D-M told me, as she was the one doing the waiting!)

[hhinner]

Just to add to Vincent's post. The state scheme doesn't need to be continuous with the same employer. It was continued over 3 employers for me. And yes, continuous contributions over 15 years entitles you to a government pension. Unfortunately I only reached 14 years so didn't find out if it would also apply to foreigners. It's capped at about 3000 baht per month, so not a fortune, but not to be sniffed at either. Also I didn't find out until too late that I could have continued paying privately to get the health insurance benefit, which really sucks. I did, however, get a lump sum payout when I eventually claimed it.

[benz]

Hello! I've worked for 8 yrs here. Me and the school paid 750 Bt for the Social Security and 750 for the healthcare.
Am I entitled to some lump sum amount for any of these two, knowing that I've only worked for 8 years here and I'm still 38 yrs old(not 60)?

[benz]

Hello!
Could any of you please tell me what's the maximum amount coverage of the health insurance for expat(teachers)?
Is it also covered for enlarged prostate cases?
Lastly, will you be able to collect some amount from your ss or health I. even if I've only worked here for 8 years and I'm still on my thirtees?


Thanks guys.
Benz

[dtaai-maai]

You should go to the social security office. If you have a Thai (or Thai-speaking) friend, that would help.
It's on the east (seaward) side of Petchkasem opposite Win furniture near Hua Hin Hospital.