Every year, the Ministry of Educati

Every year, the Ministry of Education brings into effect another bright idea for improving education in Thailand. This year's bright idea is to force every Western teacher teaching in Thailand to take a Thai Culture course.

Regardless that many teachers have been here for years and are well-versed in Thai culture, in order to get a teacher's license or renew one, they will be forced to take this course.

As the course costs between $110 and $300, money that has to be paid by the teacher, many teachers are saying they will not do it. I already know of two excellent teachers who have left Thailand to go to Korea and Japan to teach instead.

In most other countries in South East Asia, Western teachers are paid more, it's easier to get work permits with less hoops to jump through, and the Ministry of Education in these countries is much more forward thinking. Thailand already has problems getting and keeping good, qualified Western teachers.

Implementing this new law will simply mean even more of these teachers will go elsewhere.