IraHayes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:38 pm...But the question remains, what are the laid off teachers doing? How are they coping? (Rent still needs paying etc) And what will happen when the school closures are rolled back and everyone goes back to work.

Many teachers are struggling to get by. I know some have borrowed from family. I suspect they may end up going back to their home countries when funds run out. Many already have gone back home. I like to hope that schools will start back again soon, but I kind of doubt it. I'd guess it'll be at Least another month, and probably more. If it ends up being much more, I'll be going home myself. I can't afford to just live in Cambodia forever with no income. I'm currently doing on an online course for online teaching, but as you'd expect, that market is flooded with teachers right now. I'm trying to learn how to do it right rather than just saying "I'm an ESL teacher and I know how to use the internet. Pay me."

As for what will happen when schools do open again, it'll be interesting to see. I wonder where the balance will fall between reduced student enrollment, fewer teachers, and schools struggling financially. The schools will be a big factor. A lot of people who are sticking it out now are gonna bail if schools start up again and pay is only $500/month rather than $800-1,000. I'd be one of them. I like living in Cambodia, but that's just not enough money. We have to consider things like finances when we leave Cambodia. I can't stay here on no money knowing that when I do go back to the US, I have to pay for a plane ticket(god knows how much that will cost these days...) and have a few thousand to get by until I have a steady income back home. If you can't afford to save something and are just barely getting by, it's just not enough in the long run. You'll end up screwed and broke in Cambodia, and living with family trying to get back on your feet when you get home.

It'll definitely be interesting to see what happens with Cambodian private schools in the next couple months. They're arguably the only decent way to get an education here, so hopefully it all works out OK.

Well, the post above is proof of why no one should move to Cambodia unless they have at least $10,000 saved up. Preferably $20,000+.

Personally I think $5,000 is fairly safe and doable. If need be you can live OK for ~four months on a couple thousand. That still leaves you a few thousand to get home without having to rely on anyone for help. That's assuming no work at all. With $5,000 you could fairly comfortably take a four month vacation here and then move home and get a job again.

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:47 am If need be you can live OK for ~four months on a couple thousand.

That's $500 a month. Many bargirls can't even live on that.

TeachingForPeanuts wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:21 amThat's $500 a month. Many bargirls can't even live on that.

I'm not saying you'd be having a blast and living it up, but you can live OK on $500/month. I'm living on that right now pretty comfortably. That's just because the school I worked at closed and I'm sitting home all the time and cooking my own food. I certainly would rather be at $1,000/month and going out to eat. I do still eat well. I cook mostly decent western meals and have my fair share of drinks at the moment being stuck with nothing to do all day. Crepes, egg dishes, bacon, french toast for breakfasts, various pasta dishes, tacos, fried chicken, etc, for dinner, with the standard sides. Booze is cheap. It's not something I'd choose long term, but it's not bad.

$500 gets me by comfortably in a decent one bedroom apartment with a/c that I use regularly, pretty good internet, eating mostly western food. If a local can't live on $500/month, they're doing something wrong. I know PP is more expensive than SR, but I don't really know how much more. Maybe that's a factor?

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:07 am

TeachingForPeanuts wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:21 amThat's $500 a month. Many bargirls can't even live on that.

I'm not saying you'd be having a blast and living it up, but you can live OK on $500/month. I'm living on that right now pretty comfortably.

You're not living comfortably. You're starting threads devoted to where to find Scotch for $6 a liter.

Not an accountant but 30 kids at 300 per semester is $9000. per class or $750 per week.
Addons for transport books and uniforms ?
How many classes in a typical school?
Work out theprofit and then you can seee how much they ahve stashed awy in the glory year, unless they spent it all on condos, cars and KTV

cautious colin wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:54 am

pczz wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:31 am Not an accountant but 30 kids at 300 per semester is $9000. per class or $750 per week.
Addons for transport books and uniforms ?
How many classes in a typical school?
Work out theprofit and then you can seee how much they ahve stashed awy in the glory year, unless they spent it all on condos, cars and KTV

That is a very simplistic way of looking at it. A school will have a hell of a lot more expenses other than transport, books and uniforms.

of course it is simplistic. like I said I am not an accountant but it would be interesting to see how the figures pan out. I would hazrd a compeltely randon guess that each student generates $400 a semester in a typicel private school which has at least some barang teachers in PP. If you know the number of pupils you can work out the profit. Expenses will be a matter of conjecture