Thread: Ken May promoted!!!

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by dirtydog

He's a teacher

Very debatable.

What does he teach? Punctuation and txt tlk?

^ I teach cockney slang and hip-hop cos it's what Thais relate to!

i met the famous ken may this week he is a nice chap !!

Sorry for my late response, but I needed to wait longer before making a formal reply. The problem with using my real name on this forum is that it sometimes overlaps with my personal life in Ayutthaya. Believe it or not, there are a few wierdos and scalleywags on-line. Some of these posters have sent nasty emails and even visited me in Ayutthaya (bringing unusual layers of wierdness with them) -- not necessarily a bad thing, but it does lead to some unforunate headaches. Maybe I will have to pick a new user name soon.

To clear up some questions: I have been offered employment at the Bangkok Post as a writer and sub-editor. I will be contributing to the educational section called the Learning Post, which is released every Tuesday. You can expect to read a new series of articles from me starting in August, but first I need to finish teaching at my Rajabhat University and deal with some paperwork. I am honored to have this opportunity. I can really learn a lot from the head editor, who is really a top notch journalist and an amazingly insightful person. I have turned down university teaching jobs in Korea and Japan just for the chance to work with him. With a bit of luck and hard work, I may actually pull off this mid-life careeer change and become a journalist.

In the meantime, I have been scouring the archives at the Bangkok Post. I have tracked down hundreds of articles about Thai education, which date back as far as the 1950s. This information will make it into some future articles. Some of this research has revealed:

1) The first reference to English in Thai schools after World War II.
2) The earliest article that connects falang tourists to Thai schools.
3) The true origins of fake degrees and certificates in Thailand.
4) The rise of the modern international schools in Thailand and the legal issues that prevented them.
5) The legal chages made in the 1990s that enabled the TEFL industry to take root in this country.
6) At least 60 scandals involving tea money, textbook production, test selling, student cheating, uncertified schools, satellite dishes, deported or arrested foreign teachers, etc.
7) The ban placed on all Longman books about English and why it took place.
8) Some of the restictions placed on English and other foreign languages in Thai schools post World war II.
9) The transition from temple schools to government schools and the land ownership issues connected to this change.
10) The early educational reforms of King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn, as well as the earliest foreign teachers to introduce English into Thai schools.

Actually, I am snowballing with ideas at this point. There are hundreds of topics that I would like to write about and research. I would appreciate any suggestions. Are there any topics you want to read more about? I love this type of archival research, so just let me know and I will see what I can do.

As to my salary and other personal issues raised on this thread: All I can say is that I will be given a Jatukham amulet in lieu of money. As you all know, this talisman will give me immense wealth within one year --plus it will make me bullet proof and fire proof as well. The Bangkok Post administrators promised me that, for an extra 150 baht, they can add an inscription that will make me totally invisible every Wednesday and Friday. Maybe I can lend this amulet to some of you some Friday night.
I plan to hang onto my Ayutthaya apartment for a few more months. I need to learn more about finding a cheap place to live in Bangkok. Some posters have mentioned the desire to go on special boat rides in Ayutthaya, so I can still put something together for a small group until then. By mid-October, I will be choking on Bangkok pollution and stuck in traffic jams like many of you. I can hardly wait.

Oh yeah, one final point: When I post in the virtual pub I am off duty. I have finished with my classes and gone home already. My legs are propped up on a desk and I might even be having a drink. Therefore, it bores me to hear all this whinging about grammar and spelling mistakes. As a matter of fact, I will post this response with all original mistakes intake in protest to grammar nazis, thread trolls, and other social rejects. Condescending grammarians can stick to the "prop-uh" corner of this website called the "staffroom". Sometimes I just need a playful forum to relax and have fun with.

^
There are some minor spelling and grammar mistakes in your text, but anyway, fascinating, like to read more about it and good luck!